![\"James](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/James-Bond-video-still-copy.web_.2.jpg\")
<\/a>\nChris Follows spied James Bond actor Daniel Craig, and used his camera phone to shoot a video featured on news websites\u00a0<\/em>[Photo credit: Chris Follows]<\/p>\n The spur-of-the-moment clip turned out to be some of the first footage of the making of upcoming Bond film Spectre<\/em>, especially newsworthy at the time, because of reports of a script leak after a cyber attack on computers at Sony Pictures.<\/p>\n Chris promptly uploaded the video to YouTube and tweeted the link, which was gobbled up by the Metro<\/em> newspaper and Newsflare, a UK-based citizen journalism website.<\/p>\n The footage then appeared on other news websites, yet Chris says he did not receive payment, nor did he seek any, telling Amateur Photographer<\/em> (AP) he was simply keen to share his news and watch the public reaction play out online. He was happy just to get a credit.<\/p>\n \u2018It was not something I was particularly looking for. It just happened\u2026\u00a0The reaction was fantastic,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n \u2018I like putting my stuff out there. If it\u2019s on social media, it\u2019s up for grabs, in my opinion.\u2019<\/p>\n And therein lies the insidious threat for some professional press photographers, who fear that the media\u2019s use of free images puts their jobs at risk.<\/p>\n Although Bond\u2019s derring-dos are not exactly \u2018hard\u2019 news, on-the-scene smartphone photos document world events like never before.<\/p>\n They are responsible for breaking some of today\u2019s biggest international stories, and bolstering others, including the 2005 bombings on London transport and the Arab Spring uprisings.<\/p>\n Documenting civil upheaval is no longer the preserve of mainstream media, as protesters turn their cameras not only on fellow demonstrators, but also towards those in power, holding authority figures to account in conflict zones where access for traditional journalists is restricted, or simply too dangerous.<\/p>\n After the toppling of the Hosni Mubarak regime in Egypt in February 2011, Hani Shukrallah, former editor of news website Ahram Online, took part in a panel discussion on freedom of expression and the press, in Cairo.<\/p>\n \u2018It\u2019s the new media, the people\u2019s media, that exposes the truth,\u2019 he said during his address, which was covered by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.<\/p>\n Malek Blacktoviche, a former IT worker from Aleppo, Syria, has spoken of how he is regularly spurred into documenting the country\u2019s civil war using his digital camera. His work begins at the sound of explosions.<\/p>\n \u2018I run as fast as I can towards the place where the bombs struck. I capture photos and film the devastation and the deaths,\u2019 he told opendemocracy.net.<\/p>\n ‘Amateur Photographer’ reader Chris Dixon took this shot of an arrest in London. \u2018As this scene unfolded before our eyes,\u00a0it generated a multitude of images taken by a group of amateurs meeting in London,\u2019 says Chris\u00a0<\/em>[Photo credit: Chris Dixon]<\/p>\n Others are on the scene more as \u2028a bystander than in response to a pre-planned journalistic mission.<\/p>\n In 2009, Christopher La Jaunie, \u2028a banker, captured vital footage of what turned out to be the crucial final moments in the life of newspaper vendor Ian Tomlinson, who died after being pushed to the ground by police during the protests against the 2009 G20 summit in London.<\/p>\n Similarly, during last year\u2019s unrest in Ferguson in the US, Thee Pharoah, a singer, witnessed the murder of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown and immediately posted a photo on Twitter.<\/p>\n Singer Thee Pharoah witnesses the death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown during the Ferguson riots in the US<\/em><\/p>\n More recently, a video of the cold-blooded murder of policeman Ahmed Merabet outside the Charlie Hebdo<\/em> magazine offices in Paris was uploaded to Facebook by Jordi Mir, an engineer.<\/p>\n Social media revolution The trend has spawned dedicated online services, including photo app Scoopshot, which the London Evening Standard<\/em> newspaper used to aid its coverage of the Tour de France in 2014, for example.<\/p>\n Gareth Vipers is an online editor at the Standard<\/em> \u2013 one of 70 organisations worldwide regularly using content provided via the Finland-based app.<\/p>\n \u2018Twitter has transformed the way we approach news, in the same way as [the paper\u2019s] interaction with our readers \u2013 who are often on the scene of a story before we are,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n \u2018Scoopshot has enabled us to access great images from around London at a moment\u2019s notice.\u2019<\/p>\n So, is there a living to be made for the eagle-eyed? By 2014, Scoopshot, a free app that has been downloaded around 600,000 times, had paid out more than $1\/2 million to amateur and professional users worldwide. An image of Venus passing in front of the sun was among the top earners, garnering $170 for the photographer.<\/p>\n There are not always rich pickings from a single image, but Scoopshot contributor Arto M\u00e4kel\u00e4 pulls in the bucks by submitting lots of them. Equipped with a DSLR and a smartphone, he has quickly racked up earnings of \u20ac20,000.<\/p>\n M\u00e4kel\u00e4 supplies event photos for news agencies \u2013 his largest payout for a single image being a \u20ac50 shot of a Finland hockey championship.<\/p>\n Scoopshot takes up to 30 per cent commission \u2013 less if the photo is for a \u2018task\u2019 set by the buyer.<\/p>\n The real cash flooded in for M\u00e4kel\u00e4 when a directory service company created a task, challenging Scoopshot users to photograph every company in Finland, paying\u2028 \u20ac1.50 for each one.<\/p>\n \u2018I just started biking and driving around, taking pictures and enjoying the view,\u2019 says M\u00e4kel\u00e4.<\/p>\n Danger zones<\/strong> It\u2019s a dangerous profession. According to the International Federation of Journalists, 118 journalists and media staff were killed in 2014, and 17 more perished in natural disasters and accidents while on assignment.<\/p>\n Recent Hollywood crime thriller Nightcrawler<\/em> tells the compelling fictional tale of amateur videographer Lou Bloom, who makes a living by selling gruesome video footage of night-time car crashes and crime scenes to TV news channels in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n He races to be first on the scene. His earnest assistant \u2013 who is killed\u2028 by a gunman \u2013 becomes part of the visual story.<\/p>\n Amateurs chase gruesome stories in the film Nightcrawler \u00a0<\/em>[Photo credit: Chuck Zlotnick\/ Distributor: One Road Films]<\/p>\n Hollywood hyperbole or a real-life threat? A prominent former Fleet Street photographer, who asked not be named, says: \u2018Little consideration seems to be given to the danger some news situations may present to the unwary \u201ccitizen journalist\u201d.<\/p>\n \u2018A lack of knowledge of the basic rules has seen some using their camera phones within the precincts of a Crown Court, the unfortunate hopefuls finding that instead of seeing their picture of some law-breaking miscreant \u201con the telly\u201d, they\u2019re invited to sample the inside of a prison cell, minus their camera phone.\u2019<\/p>\n Notwithstanding publication, taking people photos without permission can aggravate a sensitive subject, as AP readers know.<\/p>\n AP has anecdotal evidence of unrest in parts of Ilford, in north-east London, for example, where \u2018authority figures\u2019 have apparently cracked down on street photos.<\/p>\n Demotix, a photojournalism website that lists \u2018ordinary people\u2019 among its 30,000 contributors, admits that photojournalists of any level can be hurt or killed. Although not a belt-and-braces guide to safety, the site\u2019s training page contains helpful links to other organisations\u2019 websites, including www.newssafety.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n User-generated discontent<\/strong> However, the BBC does not generally pay for material. Its terms state that it will only pay for user-generated content \u2018in exceptional circumstances for BBC News\u2019.<\/p>\n Some professionals are fearful of a free pictures market, or of reporters equipped with iPhones replacing them, as seems to have happened at the Chicago Sun-Times<\/em>, for example.<\/p>\n In the UK, Newsquest recently became the latest newspaper publisher to announce reductions in its quota of photographers, partly as a result of the increased use of pictures submitted from \u2018external sources\u2019, according to a report by the National Union of Journalists.<\/p>\n \u2018There is no question that the rise of citizen journalism has had a catastrophic effect on professional news photographers\u2026\u2019 says Nottingham-based photojournalist Pete Jenkins.<\/p>\n Can amateurs and professionals work side-by-side? Jenkins says: \u2028\u2018If the question is, \u201cCan the public reliably replace the quality, speed and professionalism of the dedicated professional?\u201d then I suppose it could happen on rare occasions, but on a regular basis \u2013 you\u2019re having a laugh, aren\u2019t you?\u2019<\/p>\n Broken news<\/strong> \u2018Many regional news agencies that relied on such commissions either no longer exist or have had to dramatically downsize, reducing \u2028the aspiring photographer\u2019s career chances of getting in on the bottom rung of the profession.\u2019<\/p>\n In pre-digital times, an amateur contributor would be paid \u2018the going rate\u2019, he explains.<\/p>\n \u2018Even if not used, newspaper picture desks – as a goodwill gesture – would invariably give an amateur a few rolls of film for their trouble. Sadly, such goodwill seemed to fly out of the window when new technology \u2028came knocking at the door.\u2019<\/p>\n With technology enabling 500 million tweets and 70 million pictures to be posted on Instagram each day, potential breaking news \u2028is around every corner for the \u2028keen amateur.<\/p>\n Sometimes, you just have to be on the right corner, at the right time. And being armed with 21st-century technology helps, as our Bond video tweeter points out: \u2018Last time this happened in a big way was when I accidentally got ushered into Downing Street through the main gates when Tony Blair was elected [in 1997]\u2026 I was just passing at the right time, and got some photos on film, but there was no way to share them like there is now.\u2019<\/p>\n News websites CASE STUDY: Citizen journalism goes viral<\/strong> Unaware of the media frenzy he was about to trigger, on 15 January 2009, Janis Krums tweeted to his 170 followers: \u2018There\u2019s a plane in the Hudson. I\u2019m on the ferry going to pick up the people. Crazy.\u2019<\/p>\n Janis posted a camera phone image of the crashed plane on Twitpic, a picture that would become a defining moment in citizen reporting when the post went viral.<\/p>\n Handing his phone to a passenger, Janis went to help a flight attendant.<\/p>\n When he got it back Janis found himself speaking on live TV and besieged by news networks.<\/p>\n Speaking to AP, Janis says he did not get paid for the image initially, but as copyright holder, he made sure that he did a week later.<\/p>\n [Photo credit: Janis Krums]<\/p>\n Asked if he would do anything differently now, Krums\u00a0says:\u00a0\u2018I would have done the same thing \u2013 \u2028I wasn\u2019t there as a reporter. I just happened to be there and shared what I saw with my immediate followers. I had to quickly learn how to protect the image and, unfortunately, that process has not gotten any better for someone sharing breaking news today.\u2019<\/p>\n Krums now has more than 10,000 followers on Twitter.<\/p>\n CASE STUDY:\u00a0News agency Reuters\u00a0targets \u2018wider image\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Russell Boyce is global editor for News Projects, Pictures at news agency Reuters. He does not see citizen journalists as a threat, but rather as another resource in the visual story-telling process.<\/p>\n However, Boyce asserts that images published on social media can be a \u2018free-for-all that lacks journalistic integrity\u2019.<\/p>\n Asked to elaborate, he says: \u2018Social media has given everyone a voice and it is a powerful tool for freedom of speech. It gives people a platform to say whatever they want to anyone who will click to read, watch, look or listen.<\/p>\n ‘At the same time, it allows people to hide behind anonymity. This anonymity is a double-edged sword. On the one side, it protects those who may be punished for revealing the truth when those in authority don\u2019t want the truth to be known.<\/p>\n ‘On the other, it protects those who spread lies from being accountable. Journalistic integrity, and I include news pictures, is about unbiased reporting, accountability and reputation.\u2019<\/p>\n Reuters has a global network of photographers \u2013 both staff and contract \u2013 alongside occasional and regular stringers.<\/p>\n Among those covering breaking news is photographer Jason Reed, who was on the ground to document the coffee shop hostage scene in Sydney, Australia, last December.<\/p>\n However, Russell Boyce is \u2028now exploring ways for photographers to tell more in-depth stories through their pictures, in a project \u2028called the Wider Image.<\/p>\n Reuters is pursuing ways to tell more \u2018in-depth\u2019 stories through photographs \u00a0<\/em>[Photo credit: Thomson Reuters]<\/p>\n \u2018In modern news gathering, the breaking news picture is only one important element of the story and is often only a starting point to tell a story visually,\u2019 Boyce asserts.<\/p>\n \u2018What sophisticated news consumers want to see is pictures to help them understand what is happening in the world around them, so they can form educated opinions.\u2019 ‘This gives a certain amount of creative freedom to those who have the ability to develop visual skills and shoot powerful pictures, especially with the amazing photographic technology available today.\u2019<\/p>\n Over the past year, Reuters has carried out face-to-face educational workshops with photographers worldwide about the Wider Image project. The best\u2028 photos are showcased on the agency\u2019s Wider Image app.<\/p>\n As of early January, the app contained almost 300 photographer profiles, and photographers were already \u2018pitching great story ideas\u2019.<\/p>\n Boyce expects every photographer to become involved: \u2018They are, of course, always focused on breaking news first and foremost,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n<\/a>\n<\/a>\n<\/a>\n<\/a>\n\n
\n<\/strong>Citizen journalism is not new, but the internet revolution has fuelled its potential, the relentless clamour for news images and video reaching fever pitch with the immediacy and accessibility of social media.<\/p>\n<\/a>Tour de France shots, taken by spectators, ended up in the London Evening Standard<\/em><\/p>\n
\nMoney aside, there are obvious dangers in putting yourself in the eye of the breaking news storm.<\/p>\n<\/a>\n
\nThe BBC invites budding citizen journalists to send in what is known in the trade as user-generated content.<\/p>\n
\nAs many news outlets trawl social media for \u2018free\u2019 material, traditional agencies have been badly hit, complains AP\u2019s unnamed, now-retired Fleet Street source.<\/p>\n
\nwww.newsflare.com<\/a>
\nwww.newsvine.com<\/a>
\nwww.digitaljournal.com<\/a>
\nwww.allvoices.com<\/a>
\nwww.examiner.com<\/a>
\nwww.scoopshot.com<\/a>
\nwitness.theguardian.com<\/a>
\nwww.ireport.cnn.com\/open-stories.jspa<\/a>
\nwww.en.wikinews.org<\/a>
\nnewsparticipation.com<\/a>
\nwww.bbc.co.uk\/news\/have_your_say<\/a>
\nnews.sky.com\/story\/706426\/send-us-your-videos-and-photos<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
\nJanis Krums\u2019 twitpic of a plane crash in New York sent news media wild<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a>\n<\/a>\n
\nHe adds: \u2018The challenge professional photojournalists face is to ensure they are shooting pictures that have a value beyond what has already been seen.<\/p>\n