Nieman Journalism Lab reported on a tricky situation Bianca Vazquez Toness, a radio reporter, found herself in, as on her way to an interview she realised she had left her recording equipment behind. What was there to do? Toness reached for her pocket, recording the interview with her iPhone instead.

The Nieman article pointed out that although Toness was a professional journalist using essentially amateur equipment, it is not a long stretch to imagine an amateur doing the same - and producing decent results. In terms of audio quality, what Toness recorded may not have been up to her radio channel's usual standards, but the material was still usable. The article pointed out that in fact, radio people are often more squeamish than listeners about audio quality.

Neal Augenstein, also a radio journalist, reported earlier this month on his experiment of using iPhone exclusively for his work. Although some issues arose, particularly in terms of audio quality in videos, his conclusion was that iPhone-only reporting is mostly possible.

But would using mainstream devices undermine a journalist's professional credibility? Jerome Hubbard, a journalism student, decided to test this by interviewing people with an iPhone and asking them whether they took him for a serious reporter. Based on his experiment, one's credibility seems to depend less on equipment and more on one's overall professionalism and manners.

The added benefit of using portable gear is that it creates a less formal and thus less intimidating situation than large professional equipment entails, the Nieman article pointed out. Moreover, with mobile technology comes the possibility of executing the whole production process on the road. For audio work, for example, the necessary mixing and editing software already exists to turn an iPhone into a full-scale professional tool. 10,000 Words gives some advice on how a journalist can make the most of an iPhone.

Although abandoning professional gear and turning to an on-the-road production style would probably not make sense for prestigious news organisations, mobile equipment surely offers alternatives to old, cumbersome ways of producing news. And needless to say, the inexpensiveness of such gear makes it possible for just about anyone to become something of a citizen reporter, giving more people the potential to start engaging with their environments in a journalistic manner.

The possibilities smartphones offer are not limited to audio, and news organisations are becoming aware of the unique blend of features that the small devices carry. Of late, it was reported that BBC would provide smartphones to its reporters. Furthermore, The Big Issue is planning on giving its vendors smartphones, encouraging them to become citizen reporters.

Sources: Nieman Journalism Lab, PBS, 10,000 Words