Last summer, the French-language news station Leman BlueHe started a program in Geneva that outfitted his reporters with an iPhone 6 (furnished by Swisscom) and selfie sticks.
The iPhone has been praised for raising the bar when it comes to image quality on smartphones. Thanks to Apple’s tight control over both hardware and software, one of the hallmarks of iPhone photography is its reliability – things always work the same and the same.
And the professionals noticed. We’ve seen the iPhone camera used on billboards, magazine covers, and even feature films. But news? This Swiss news station thinks this could be the perfect device.
The rollout was a test to determine if the smartphone and selfie stick could replace a cameraman for some onsite reporting – the station doesn’t plan to replace all of its camera staff just yet. Station chairman Laurent Keller noted meeting (warning: en français) says it’s time to get news crews out of their bunkers – long gone are the days when a reporter would be followed by a large news crew. Lightening the load, so to speak, allows them to get in and out of places faster and more expertly – and if the station saves some money at the same time, no one will complain.
When it comes to the quality of these “100% iPhone” news feeds, Keller has been on the rise. He called the idea that iPhone video was inferior to the alternatives as a misunderstanding, instead suggesting that it was just a different kind of grain, forcing reporters to think about their news differently—something that would keep them on their toes if you wanted to. .
Another benefit of the experiment came from another app on the iPhone – at the HSBC press conference on June 4, Léman Bleu broadcast video of the event live via Periscope – which was later captured by journalists with the UK-based Guardian.
In doubt whether the iPhone camera will be the only recorder a reporter needs? Be sure to check out the time we handed the iPhone 6s Plus to a sports photographer for the NFL.
LeTemps.ch through NewsLab
Support our work ❤️
If you enjoyed this article, consider leaving a tip to help us keep publishing great content.
