The future of news?

September 10, 2015 forum topics
I am wondering what happened to a post that seems to have disappeared. I do not recall the exact title, something about FOX Charlotte abandoning the VJ system. My station is heading in the direction of MMJs, few to no photographers, using iPhones with selfie sticks to go live, and tiny cameras set on auto mode (one button to rule them all). I keep hearing from my colleagues at our station that this is the new normal and that all stations are doing this. I have never worked at a station that has gone down that road so I am just now experiencing this for the first time and I have a hard time believing that the majority of stations are doing this. Am I wrong to believe that only those stations that have always struggled and lagged behind those number 1 and 2 operations in their markets would even consider adopting this model? Or that the best stations (dominate stations) still employ photojournalists and pair them with reporters to tell stories? Am I wrong, do I need to change my thinking, is this really the future, and is everyone already doing this? If it is true and all stations are going this route, how is it working for you? How did you station make the transition and what kind of equipment are you using (cameras, lights, microphones, tripods, editing equipment, or whatever you needed to get)? I am curious to see how others are doing this day to day so that I can see what steps we may need to take.