Micro-Reporting Apps

Mobile Journalism Reporting Tools Guide

Tumblr

Review by: Amanda Heisey

Tumblr is an easy to use blogging tool, great for those who are new to blogging.

In terms of blogging Tumblr is the easiest way to get accustomed to the blog-o-sphere. You simply set up your blog about whatever topic you choose, pick your layout and you're set. The application from your mobile phone is as easy to use as the online version. You can see the blogs you follow and their posts on your dashboard and you can upload text, photos, quotes, links, chats, audio and video all from your mobile device. You can take the video through the application or get it from the camera roll, same with photos. But, you can only record audio through the application.

It's super simple and doesn't take long at all. I highly recommend this application and blog host if you're just starting to get into blogs or looking for a user friendly site. Also, with many other hosts you do not have the option of uploading video without upgrading. This host allows you to post whatever you want. This application would allow someone to easily manage a page for a performer. Someone could cover events as they unfold in a certain area. Really there are unlimited uses for this blog site. A lot of blogs are just random things people find interesting, sometimes they're themed. The sky's the limit here.

Twitter

Updated Review for Twitter for iPhone

Review by: Amanda Heisey

Twitter is a popular form of social media that could be used to cover breaking news.

The Twitter application is pretty self-explanatory. You update your followers with a status that's no longer than 140 characters. Statuses let your followers know where you are, share pictures, videos or links to a story. It's a good way to get news from people you know or people you want to keep tabs on. For journalists it is a good way to see what news other people are looking at. Many times breaking news stories will be a trending topic. Trending topics are simply phrases, words or hash tags (#) that are popular and have the most mentions. With hash tags you can connect your tweet about an event or issue to other users thoughts on the same topic. This way it's easy to keep track of what others are saying.

This application allows you to upload photos and video from your camera roll, or to record in the application. There are different apps you can try that all relate to Twitter. To each their own, but I happen to like the traditional one. It's easiest to see, use, and it's not complicated to figure out. If you're looking for something like a Tweet Deck, this is not for you. I tweet already, and if you are already accustom to tweeting about random events in your day this application will fit right in.

Updated Review for Twitter for iPhone

WordPress

New Review for WordPress

New Review for WordPress for iPhone

New Review for WordPress for iPad

Review by Amanda Heisey

Wordpress is a more complex application and blog host, but it has useful features that help you maintain a blog.

WordPress is a free application that allows you to control your WordPress account through your mobile device. If you like WordPress already you're going to like this application. Personally, I find it kind of obnoxious to navigate. The site on a desk or laptop is irritating enough for the casual blogger, so the application isn't much better. It is pretty handy in that you can take pictures and video through the application as well as import them from the camera roll. You can type up a post and publish it all from the palm of your hand. You can even organize and approve comments you receive. You can even add pages. That's great if you want to do that from your phone, but it makes things a little difficult. It's not a straightforward application. If you already use WordPress this is a handy tool, but if you have the choice to go through another blog host, I'd go with that if you want to blog from your mobile device. If you've done some blogging in the past and are used to different hosts you may be all right, if you are a first timer this will be difficult to learn through. Because it's free though, if you're interested, try it out, it couldn't hurt.

New Review for WordPress

New Review for WordPress for iPhone

New Review for WordPress for iPad

Posterous

Review by: Jennifer Elston

Posterous is a place to share, well, anything that you think is fit to share. You can upload photos, videos or files or anything that you see fit to share. There are many ways to upload to Posterous - through a mobile device, email or directly from the web. It is really easy and a really good way to create a low-maintenance photo blog of sorts. It is so accessible. That is the great thing about this application - whether you are on your mobile device, on a friend's computer or your own - you can update your Posterous account. Another cool feature is that you get to choose whatever name you want for your account. For instance, mine is jenniferelston.posterous.com, but if you have a developing business or another blog and want another outlet to share with your friends and fans, this is perfect. One successful example is imjustcreative.posterous.com/ for a logo/design blogger. Graham puts most everything that he would put on his website and tumblr account, but more importantly, everything else that wouldn't quite fit in.

The iPhone application is specifically designed to be a photo-sharing app. When you open the application, you are given the choice of taking a photo or video, or adding an existing one from your Library. You can create different albums on your phone of different people, groups or whatever you feel inclined to make. If you want to share the fun in different ways, you can change the settings so that PicPosterous automatically posts to twitter, Facebook or your existing blogs by visiting http://posterous.com/autopost.

I would recommend this application for anyone who loves to share every aspect of their lives. It is one step above TwitPic and Plixi because you get your own professional-looking website that features all of your favorite pictures/videos.