The Future of Journalism: Mastering Mobile Reporting with Learning Waves.

Technological advancements over the past decade have revolutionised how we deliver stories to our audiences. The era of lugging around large amounts of equipment and setting up recording rigs is behind us. Today, everyone carries a powerful tool in their pocket—their smartphone. With the right training, this device can now produce high-quality video and audio, enabling journalists to capture and share news quickly and efficiently. 

The Reuters Digital News Report 2024 highlights a significant shift in news consumption, revealing that, for the first time, "online" sources have overtaken television as the primary news source for respondents. Additionally, the report shows that social media's influence has reached its highest level yet, with 21% of respondents now relying on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for their news. The report uncovers shifting trends in how Irish people consume news via social media. Use of Facebook for news continues to decline, now at 29%, while WhatsApp and YouTube have seen increases in usage for news purposes. Younger audiences prefer platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok for their news consumption, whereas older groups lean towards Facebook. These findings highlight the importance of digital and social media platforms in the modern news landscape, making this course very important for journalists aiming to reach and engage their audiences. 

In today's fast-paced news environment, traditional methods of news gathering can often fall short in meeting the demands for quick multimedia content. Last week, a poll weas posted to Learning Waves followers on Linkedin and Instagram asking 'How confident are you in using your mobile phone to create news content?' The results are as follows: 33% voted 'Extremely Confident,' 46% voted 'Somewhat Confident,' and 21% voted 'Not at all.' With over 60% of respondents showing a need for training in this area, Learning Waves' new course, Mobile First Reporting Masterclass, addresses this challenge by equipping journalists with the skills to create high-quality news content directly from their smartphones. Delivered by Glen Mulcahy, Titanium Media, and Trish Laverty, this course emphasises a mobile-only workflow, training journalists to record HD video with high-quality audio and adapt their content for various platforms—including radio, social media, and their station's website. By embracing this approach, journalists can achieve a "record once, share everywhere" strategy. 

By the end of the training, participants will have a strong understanding of mobile reporting concepts and their practical applications. They will learn to leverage essential gear and accessories to improve their mobile production skills and explore the different multimedia content that can be created using just a smartphone. This course is designed to help journalists not only keep up with the evolving media landscape but also excel in producing compelling, multimedia news content. 

Course Content  

This four-day course offers various training modules designed to equip journalists with the skills needed to thrive in the fast-paced world of mobile journalism. The course begins with an in-depth exploration of still image-based content, emphasising the importance of visuals in capturing audience attention and enhancing storytelling. Participants will learn to create engaging photographs, memes, GIFs, and infographics that are created for mobile users, ensuring that information is conveyed clearly on small screens. 

The course then delves into the essential skills for text and audio reporting, focussing on writing concise content for mobile devices and radio. Journalists will be trained in crafting headlines, short-form content, engaging introductions, and developing strong radio and audio storytelling skills. The video content module focusses on filming, presenting, and editing mobile video, with an emphasis on social media-ready formats. The final day of the course covers advanced video editing techniques and workflows, ensuring that participants can produce high-quality content using mobile devices. 

Glen Mulcahy 

Glen Mulcahy is the founder of Titanium-Media, a media training and consultancy firm that specialises in mobile journalism and social video storytelling. As the former Head of Innovation with RTÉ, Ireland's national public broadcaster, he has inspired and driven the growth of mobile journalism within RTÉ's newsroom and across other European broadcasters. 

Glen led RTÉ's mobile journalism project ("mojo") and to date RTÉ is successfully using mobile devices and apps to create finished news stories for broadcast and online that reach the highest possible quality standards. He also founded of Mojocon- the 1st international mobile journalism conference, that was held on an annual basis from 2015-2017 and subsequently evolved into an independent event “Mojofest.” 

Glen has trained in excess of 7000 journalists in Europe, the US and the Middle East, across television, radio, print, and online, and his specialities are Mobile Journalism, Video Journalism, DSLR Filmmaking and Photography. 

Trish Laverty 

Trish Laverty is a multi-award winning journalist and producer with over 20 years experience in radio and TV news production. She was previously Group Deputy Head of News at Bauer Media Audio Ireland, where she headed up the network news editorial team.

Her career has seen her lead and develop local and national news teams in commercial Irish radio. Trish has mentored and trained numerous broadcast journalists in storytelling, writing, and presentation skills. Her current clients include Virgin Media Television and the Irish Times. 

Learning Waves' Mobile First Reporting Masterclass is an essential training opportunity for journalists looking to stay ahead in the evolving media landscape. As news consumption increasingly shifts towards online and social media platforms, the ability to produce high-quality, mobile-friendly content has never been more critical. Don't miss the chance to transform your reporting skills. To sign up or find out more on the Mobile First Reporter Masterclass, click here.