26 June 2008

Nokia tests pilot mobile
journalism project in South Africa

As you may have already know Nokia Research Center and Reuters are working together on a mobile journalism project that could transform the way journalists file news reports when on the move by allowing reporters to file and publish text, photo, audio and video news stories from handheld devices, rather than laptops.

Nokia today announced a project with the WITS Journalism programme, DStv Mobile and CityVarsity.

The students will be using the devices to capture video footage, high resolution images and audio files which they will need to upload for others to view,” says Mathia Nalappan, general manager for Nokia South Africa. “I have no doubt that the Nokia devices will perform to the standards required by the project, and we are looking forward to seeing the resultant content.”

To publish this content, WITS University and DStv Mobile have commenced work on a media broadcasting network for mobile phones. The network, aimed at all WITS students, is based on a unique combination of Bluetooth and WAP platforms. It will be managed by the journalism students themselves. The network will be capable of reaching over 20,000 students at WITS.

Nokia first utilized the N95 as a mobile journalism tool with leading international news organization, Reuters. Last year, Reuters journalists were equipped with Nokia devices that allowed them to edit and then publish multimedia packages of text, video and audio without having to travel back to their PC at the office.

The ‘mojo’ kit to be used in South Africa is based on the same principles and, in keeping with the Reuters model, journalism students will be equipped with a Nokia N95 8GB, a Nokia SU-8W portable keyboard with phone stand and a Nokia tripod.

“The challenge we are setting our students is to use these great storytelling devices to produce content that their peers will want to watch and download,” says Indra de Lanerolle, lecturer at the WITS Journalism programme and ‘mojo’ project leader.

“This is one of the first projects in the world to use mobile phones as the tools for gathering stories and as the platforms that the audience will watch them on, combing WAP and Bluetooth. Bringing together Nokia and DStv mobile is giving our students an extraordinary and unique opportunity to work at the leading edge of mobile media.”

The course will run from the 17th of June until October 2008 and the aim is to have new and original material posted at least once daily for student consumption. The project is funded by DStv Mobile, a division of Multichoice Mobile Operations.

*click to enlarge

For the duration of the course Nokia will provide expert technical support to the School of Journalism to ensure optimal usage of the devices.