The rise of citizen journalism has created several issues in recent years. As news sharing becomes increasingly decentralised, audiences are more likely to question the validity of content and become entrenched in their own world view. This means tackling misinformation is more important than ever, writes Steve Wise, global marketing director, Atomos
By Contributor
Published: September 21, 2023
The rise of citizen journalism has created several issues in recent years. As news sharing becomes increasingly decentralised, audiences are more likely to question the validity of content and become entrenched in their own world view. This means tackling misinformation is more important than ever, writes Steve Wise, global marketing director, Atomos
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>
While media organisations still have the resources to offer the most polished and well-researched broadcasts, they can't be everywhere at once. The capture and distribution of breaking news was previously managed by outlets that needed to ensure journalistic integrity and be accountable to their audience. Now with the ubiquity of mobile devices, the face of news gathering has changed beyond recognition.
To fully understand complex global issues such as climate change, viewers need the right context and background to make informed decisions. Quality reporting requires time to fact-check and build a story, but broadcasters need to adapt to an increasingly fragmented media landscape. The challenge broadcasters face is the veracity of citizen journalism - if anyone, anywhere, can produce a news story, then accuracy cannot be guaranteed. There are quality independent outlets that are leveraging social media to disseminate well-researched stories, but not everyone has the experience, or the motivation to ensure accurate reporting.
The role of user-generated content There are several reasons to remain skeptical about user-generated content and the majority of these revolve around objectivity. It is not uncommon for groups with vested interests to bend the story to support their cause, destroying any impartiality. It is certainly easy to mislead an audience with selective editing or the removal of vital context. But even worse, in some cases the action presented in a news piece might have been completely staged and doesn't reflect a genuine event.
To avoid misinterpretation there is an urgent need to get accurate news contribution reports in front of viewers, before inaccurate versions of a story become widely disseminated. Especially as social media rewards controversial content to achieve higher levels of engagement. Citizen journalism can offer several benefits, so it's important to harness the positive aspects to ensure that news broadcasting evolves in the right direction. If a news piece is shot and edited by someone with intimate local knowledge, it can be a raw and truthful reflection of what is happening on the ground. This is especially true in culturally sensitive situations where without a full news team, citizen reporters can access newsworthy events as if they were just another member of the public.
Challenging unverified content One way to counter the deluge of inaccurate information is to publish the verifiable version as soon as possible. There's a simple logic, if you can get a news event out before everyone else then your piece will get the most engagement. But the challenge is that breaking news has to be online within minutes, if not seconds, to beat the smartphones that also captured the footage.
Recent technological developments are helping genuine news gatherers to post polished, branded news items on-air or on social media almost immediately. Camera to cloud involves sending a proxy file directly from the camera into the cloud, where it can be quickly edited and packaged before sharing. Just a few years ago, this was experimental technology and barely a proof of concept, but it is now affordable and reliable and is helping to challenge the impact of misleading or biased content.
Connectivity and latency As mobile bandwidth continues to improve and terrestrial mobile connectivity migrates to 5G, high speeds and low latency are becoming the norm. Proxy workflows in the cloud can also leverage multiple bonded 4G/LTE connections for reliable and fast news contributions. For locations where there's no mobile coverage, Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations offer usable bandwidth. Within two or three years, there won't be anywhere on Earth that doesn't have a reliable mobile internet connection to facilitate Camera to Cloud.
Cameras don't typically have any ability to upload proxy files, but Atomos has developed products for this purpose, and this enables users to record a master camera file at the same time. The ability to upload footage in the background while still shooting drastically reduces the time it takes to capture, edit, and share content. Proxy files have also improved significantly and can be good enough to publish directly, without relinking with the original camera files.
Transforming news production Technical innovation is changing the face of news production, editing your cloud video files in a browser removes the need for a traditional workstation. Once edited, you can send your media without transcoding it directly to social media platforms or straight to a newsroom. Camera to Cloud is a catch-all description for a bouquet of technologies that are revolutionising the newsgathering landscape. It is likely to become the default modus operandi for all types of production, not just news and current affairs. It offers professional news gatherers and producers the same sort of immediacy as citizen journalists but allows them to retain the values of accurate reporting.
In the face of a relentless 24-hour n
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
09/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
08/10/2026
Modern venues have come a long way since the tinny, echoing audio of the mid 20t...
08/10/2026
ESPN's first Super Bowl production will stream in English and Spanish on Disney+, while the ESPN App carries the full slate of game, ManningCast, studio, an...
08/10/2026
From high-school videoboards to War Eagle Productions, the Opelika native is learning how to lead shows and capture big moments
The future of live sports produ...
08/10/2026
The Television Academy and Prime Video have announced a six-year agreement making Prime Video the exclusive global home of the Emmy Awards beginning with the 20...
08/10/2026
Techex will exhibit at NAB Show New York 2026 (Booth 623, Javits Center, October...
08/10/2026
X Games has announced the appointment of Steve Rogers as Chief Operating Officer. Rogers previously served as COO of World Supercross and spent nearly a decade ...
08/10/2026
Fonn Group has appointed Trevor Spielmann as Sales Director for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Spielmann joins from EVS, where he held sales and business de...
08/10/2026
The flagship program will originate from major PG events with a four-camera production, live distribution across PGTV, social platforms
Perfect Game is bringin...
08/10/2026
Innovation rarely happens in a vacuum. More often, it happens at the point of collision: when worlds that have run on separate tracks begin to converge. That is...
08/10/2026
For decades, the production and broadcast services business has run on a familia...
08/10/2026
Uplynk, Zixi, BroadView Software, and Grass Valley have published The IP Converg...
08/10/2026
The NFL has announced the return of the Big Data Bowl, the league's analytics competition, now in its ninth year and again powered by AWS. Registration is o...
08/10/2026
Eutelsat has renewed its partnership with T l diffusion d'Alg rie (TDA), Algeria's national broadcasting network operator, for continued distribution of...
08/10/2026
Disney will livestream Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027, alongside the game's broadcast on ESPN and ABC. All Disney subscribers in the United States wi...
08/10/2026
RHStv and Red House Streaming have announced an expansion of their partnership w...
08/10/2026
Gray Media has announced a distribution agreement with TEGNA and DAZN to simulca...
08/10/2026
SVG readers can save 10% on registration and receive a complimentary Solutions H...
08/10/2026
PROTON Camera Innovations GmbH has been named a recipient of a 2026 Technology a...
08/10/2026
Industry leaders discuss real-world cloud workflows for live game production, pl...
08/10/2026
The next-gen audio technology joins Dolby Vision as part of Apple TV's immersive F1 experience...
08/10/2026
David France, Jesse Short Bull, Mato Wayuhi, N. Bird Runningwater, Jodi Archambau, Jhane Myers, Paul McGuire, Amber Morning Star Byars, Holly Macarro, Nick Tils...
08/10/2026
Dynamic panning plug-ins get an upgrade
Sound Particles have just announced major updates for two of their popular dynamic panning plug-ins. Energy Panner 2...
08/10/2026
New expandable instrument boasts full DMNO engine
UDO Audio have just announced the upcoming release of a new, expandable synth that packs the power of the ...
08/10/2026
Two new subwoofers added to monitoring line-up
ADAM Audio's monitoring range has just been expanded with two new DSP-equipped subwoofers, the Sub8 PRO a...
08/10/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
08/10/2026
Calrec gives broadcasters freedom of choice at NAB Show New York We're looking forward to meeting up with you all at NAB New York on 21st-22nd October.
Cal...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Globecast, a leading provider of broadcast, media and entertainment managed services, will showcase its next generation of media orchestration services at NAB S...
08/10/2026
Clear-Com played a critical role in the production communications infrastructure for Rock in Rio 2026, one of the world's largest and most recognized music...
08/10/2026
Sohonet Launches ClearView Rush: A Leap Forward in Studio Review, Built for Crea...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Ikegami announces a major expansion to its range of broadcast-quality live production cameras. Scheduled for introduction on Ikegami booth 708 at NAB New York, ...
08/10/2026
Calrec will be located at Booth 444.
Freedom to choose
The media landscape is evolving quickly, and the broadcasters best placed for what comes next will be...
08/10/2026
LiveU has announced that CRD Audiovisuel relied on LiveUs LU900Q intelligent production unit, with built-in native LiveU IQ (LIQ ) connectivity, to deliver live...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
The rise of citizen journalism has created several issues in recent years. As news sharing becomes increasingly decentralised, audiences are more likely to question the validity of content and become entrenched in their own world view. This means tackling misinformation is more important than ever, writes Steve Wise, global marketing director, Atomos
