Journalists Encouraged to Adopt Mobile Technology in Evolving Media Landscape.

Kumasi: Journalists have been urged to move away from the traditional way of gathering, processing, and telling stories and embrace technology to fit properly into the changing world of journalism.According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Isaac Kaledzi, a resource person from DW Akademie, emphasized that the world was evolving, highlighting the need for journalists to equip themselves with skills that would make news gathering and reporting easier, even with the use of mobile phones. Speaking at the opening of a five-day Mobile Journalism (MoJo) training program in Kumasi for selected journalists in the Ashanti Region, he noted that times were changing, and journalists must adjust to ensure quality work delivery.The training, organized by DW Akademie, aimed to build participants' capacity to use mobile phones to produce timely and quality news, without relying on traditional cameras, which sometimes delay news reporting. DW Akademie is Deutsche Welle's center for international media development, journalism trai ning, and knowledge transfer.Mr. Kaledzi pointed out that mobile phones were no longer just tools for making and receiving calls but had numerous features that could be used for timely and quality news reporting. He observed that most citizens in Ghana possessed smartphones, known for their unique features such as cameras, sound recorders, and internet connectivity, which could be used for both audio and video editing.He noted that practicing MoJo gave journalists an upper hand in terms of employment opportunities and quality work delivery. "Most media institutions employers would want to cut down on expenses and would prefer a dynamic journalist who can work alone," he said.Comparing the traditional camera to the mobile phone, Mr. Kaledzi mentioned that a mobile phone was portable, easily accessible, and could be used at all times, while the traditional camera was complex to deal with. Despite these advantages, he said journalists who embraced MoJo needed to complement mobile phones with other accessor ies. Tripods, lights, microphones, and shoulder pods would help journalists to be more professional and welcomed everywhere, added Mr. Kaledzi.