Reporting by... phone

Multi-purpose

"Except for the new generation Samsung smartphone, for the past 2 years, I have hardly had to bring any devices when I go on assignment. This multi-function phone has basically integrated all the tools a journalist needs from a camera, video recorder, audio recorder, text editing software, clip editing... Going to the field now, I no longer have to carry a lot of things like before", journalist Tran Manh Tuong, Chief Representative of the Environmental Economics Magazine in the Red River Delta region (headquartered in Hai Duong City) shared when referring to working by phone.

What impressed Mr. Tuong most about his phone was the camera cluster with impressive parameters, in which the main wide-angle camera has a resolution of up to 108 MP. "This phone supports taking photos in backlit and low-light conditions, and balances itself very well, so I almost don't have to edit photos much," Mr. Tuong informed.

Because he often works on many "hot" topics related to people's lives and is of public interest, journalist Nguyen Duc Thiem (Hai Duong Radio and Television Station) often uses an iPhone to work instead of a professional camera. According to him, when there is an urgent incident that requires him to go to the scene, if he uses a professional camera, it will take a lot of time to prepare and the equipment will be cumbersome. But working with a phone, he doesn't need to prepare anything and can quickly go to the scene. For many years, the phone has helped Mr. Thiem carry out many complex and dangerous topics.

As for journalist Manh Minh, a reporter for the Vietnam News Agency's Hai Duong branch, the smartphone not only helps her take photos and record videos, it also helps her send and update the progress of news articles when she goes to the office without having to turn on her computer.

"There are many good features on smartphones to support journalists while working. Even more convenient is that we can download many software applications from photography, video recording, editing, video editing... to create products with quality that is not inferior, even with more vivid angles than professional cameras but takes less time," said Ms. Manh Minh.

For a long time, professional cameras and camcorders have been indispensable working tools for reporters at Hai Duong Newspaper. In recent years, with the advent of generations of smartphones, journalists at Hai Duong Newspaper have had more versatile tools, proactively performing their work more quickly.

Technician Le Tuan Anh has used the new iPhone in many livestreams on Hai Duong Newspaper Fanpage. He said that the phone can be plugged into a separate microphone, the sound is very clear and crisp. The videos of the livestreams ensure sharpness and beautiful colors.

As for press managers and editors, as long as they have a phone in hand, the work of managing, operating the editorial office, editing, and editing news and articles... can be easily done anytime, anywhere.

Continuous improvement

In the past two years, director and journalist Nguyen Duc Hoan (Arts and Entertainment Department, Hai Duong Radio and Television Station) has had his reports win high prizes at the Hai Duong Provincial Journalists Association Press Awards. In the process of making these reports, his smartphone helped him a lot in capturing beautiful, vivid frames that were not much different from a professional camera.

"Anyone can shoot videos with a phone, but to achieve high quality, authenticity, and aesthetic value, I have to research and learn a lot by attending training courses and researching on the internet. Along with that, I have to research and apply some software to support video recording on phones such as Open Camera... Reporting with a phone also requires constant learning and improvement to be effective," Mr. Hoan shared.

Along with specialized equipment, smartphones have brought many conveniences to journalists in the 4.0 technology era. However, to create professional press products using phones requires journalists to constantly study, practice, and develop professional skills. Only then can they contribute to creating many new and attractive works that are still in line with modern journalism trends, ensuring compliance with the principles of truthfulness, timeliness, and aesthetic value.