MOJO! Telling the story of mobile journalism, through a mobile phone, to a mobile audience Asta Busingye Lydersen Master of Journalism, 120 credits Department of Media and Communication Faculty of Humanities Submitted in June 2020 Abstract Mobile phones drive social and cultural change all over the world, including changes in journalistic practices. This Master thesis explores the mobile phone as a professional storytelling tool, through the lived experience of mobile journalists in Norway, Uganda and Bangladesh. The focus of the study is on production of media content, and it was conducted using a practical-theoretical approach. The practical part involved the making of MOJO! A mobile documentary about mobile journalism, filmed on two iPhones between 2018-2020. The theoretical thesis is a reflection on, and analysis of, the documentary process, in light of relevant media theory and research. By interviewing, observing and documenting the work of mobile journalists in different countries and contexts, this Master project hopes to contribute to a broader understanding of mobile journalism as a practice. View MOJO! A mobile documentary about mobile journalism https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdFPkAGF-RP6r39h7WhhySarbkmCwZKYF For English subtitles, go to Settings: Keywords: Mojo. Mobile journalism, mobile journalist. Mobile reporting, mobile reporter. Citizen reporter. Mobile citizen reporter. Smartphone journalism. Acknowledgements To complete this Master project has been a four year struggle. First and foremost, I owe the achievement to my two supervisors: Maria Utheim from the Department of Media and Communication at the University of Oslo, and photographer and mojo instructor Jon Terje Hellgren Hansen. Your patience, constructive criticism and professional guidance was of vital importance, both in the journalistic and academic process. To all the mojo’s in Uganda, Norway and Bangladesh whom I interviewed: Thank you for letting me tag along when you were working. Your experiences and viewpoints constitute the backbone of this thesis. A special thanks to Jamil Khan (Prothom Alo), Hisham Khan (BBC Media Action) and my sister Emily Byaruhanga (UNHCR) in Bangladesh, as well as journalists Micheal Ojok and Okello Willy from Speak FM in Uganda: I am forever grateful for your positive attitude and efforts, not only as interviewees, but also fixers, drivers, hosts and guides. For taking time in their very busy schedules, I thank Yusuf and Sumaya Omar from Hashtag Our Stories, Miriam Ohlson at Deutsche Welle Akademie, CEMCOD Program Manager Jonathan Tusubira, as well as mojo instructor Gunnar Grønlund from the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK). Neighbor Benjamin Brekke, and journalists Ochan Hannington and Pernille Bærendsen, shared their network with me early on in my research. Jessica Badebye Abenakyo transcribed English interviews at short notice, Shahadat Hossein translated Bengali to English, and Elora Brahmachari provided precise time coded translation from Bengali which enabled me to create subtitles for my documentary. Thank you! Lastly, and most importantly, I want to express my gratitude to the free speech foundation Fritt Ord, the Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (SYLFF), the Norwegian Media Authority (Medietilsynet) and the University of Oslo for the economic support that made this Master project possible. Without it, the mobile documentary and this Master thesis would not have been realised. Asta Busingye Lydersen University of Oslo, June 2020 Table of Contents - ABSTRACT - ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1. CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Motivation for thesis ..................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2. What is mobile journalism? History and definition ...................................................................................... 3 1.3. Who are the “mojos” - the mobile journalists? ............................................................................................ 5 2. CHAPTER TWO: PRACTICAL-THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ......................................................................... 7 2.1. Hypothesis and research question ................................................................................................................ 7 2.2. Theoretical framework.................................................................................................................................. 8 2.3. Practical method: Studying mobile journalism by doing mobile journalism .............................................. 10 2.4. Case Study Protocol .................................................................................................................................... 12 3. CHAPTER THREE: PLANNING THE DOCUMENTARY .................................................................................. 13 3.1. Narrowing down ......................................................................................................................................... 13 3.2. Case 1: Prothom Alo - newspaper in Bangladesh ....................................................................................... 14 3.3. Case 2: Speak FM - community radio in Uganda ........................................................................................ 15 3.4. Case 3: NRK - national broadcaster in Norway ........................................................................................... 16 3.5. Interview Guide ........................................................................................................................................... 17 3.6. Journalistic genre: Visual storytelling ......................................................................................................... 18 3.7. Framing: Vertical or horizontal? ................................................................................................................. 20 3.8. Technical training ........................................................................................................................................ 22 3.9. Preparing the mojo kit ................................................................................................................................ 24 4. CHAPTER FOUR: MAKING THE DOCUMENTARY ...................................................................................... 26 4.1. Reflection-in-action ..................................................................................................................................... 26 4.2. Expecting the unexpected ........................................................................................................................... 27 4.3. Choosing a platform and a format ............................................................................................................. 29 4.4. Editing ......................................................................................................................................................... 30 4.5. Tolerating flaws .......................................................................................................................................... 32 4.6. White lies: Creating a narrative .................................................................................................................. 34 4.7. Reflection-on-action: Poverty, culture, class............................................................................................... 37 4.7. Staying independent when I was in fact dependent ................................................................................... 40 5. CHAPTER FIVE: MOJO TECHNOLOGY ...................................................................................................... 41 5.1 Mobile journalism and technology .............................................................................................................. 41 5.2. Miniaturization and portability ................................................................................................................... 42 5.3. Connectivity................................................................................................................................................. 44 5.4. Apps ............................................................................................................................................................ 45 5.5. Mobile journalism and gender .................................................................................................................... 46 6. CHAPTER SIX: MOJO IDEOLOGY ............................................................................................................. 47 6.1. Journalism ideology .................................................................................................................................... 47 6.2. Journalists provide a public service ............................................................................................................. 49 6.3. Journalists are neutral, objective, fair and credible .................................................................................... 50 6.4. Journalists must enjoy editorial autonomy, freedom and independence................................................... 51 6.5. Journalists have a sense of immediacy (speed, fast decision-making .......................................................