Information about Video Journalism

Topics in journalism
Professional issues
Ethics & objectivity Sources & attribution News & news values Reporting & writing Fourth estate • Libel law Education & books Other topics
Fields
Advocacy journalism Alternative journalism Arts journalism Business journalism Citizen journalism Fashion journalism Investigative journalism Literary journalism Photojournalism Science journalism Sports journalism Video game journalism Video journalism
Social impact
Infotainment "Infotainers" and personalities News management Distortion and VNRs PR and propaganda "Yellow journalism" Press freedom
News media
Newspapers and magazines News agencies Broadcast journalism Online and blogging Alternative media
Roles
Journalist, reporter, editor, news presenter, photo journalist, Columnist, visual journalist
•  • [ e]

Video journalism, or solo journalism^[1] is a form of broadcast journalism, where the production of video content in which the journalist shoots, edits and often presents his or her own material.

A predecessor to video journalism first appeared in the 1960s in the USA, when reporters had to write and shoot their own stories.^[2] Michael Rosenblum, a pioneer of video journalism, compared the introduction of video cameras to the invention of the portable camera in the 1930s: film spools of plastic made photography independent from heavy plates and tripods. digital video technology releases TV from heavy cameras, artificial light and studios in much the same manner. Video journalism makes it possible to document any event while it is still occurring.^[3].

In the early 1990s, the news channel NY1 was the first to hire only video journalists.^[4] In the middle of the 1990s, the first German private stations followed the example of NY1, and in 1994, the first public broadcasting station, the local channel Bayerische Rundfunk, followed suit and hired a number of video journalitsts.^[2]

In 2001 the BBC started to switch to video journalism in all its regional offices, a process which was organized by Michael Rosenblum.^[5]. As of June 2005 the BBC has more than 600 of its staff trained as video journalists.^[6] Other broadcasting entities who are employing this method include Voice of America, Video News International and New York 1.^[7] Video journalism seems to become more widespread among newspapers as well, with the Washington Post alone employing six video journalists. ^[8]

The Press Association (UK) is behind a training programme which "converts" regional journalists into video journalists, more than 100 as of March 2007. ^[9]

Pros and cons

Growth in video journalism coincides with changes in video technology and the cost of this technology. As quality cameras and editing systems have become smaller and available at a fraction of their previous costs, the single operator method has spread. ^[10]

Some argue that video journalists are able to get closer to the story avoiding the impersonality that may come with larger crewing. Others see this method of production as a dilution of skills and quality driven by TV management cost cutting incentives.^[11]

Notes and references