November 24, 2010
My 2010 holiday gift guide for independent online journalists
By Robert Niles
7 comments | 
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Here are some of the essentials for a journalist who's setting up his or her own shop. I've also included the specific item I'm using or have my eye on, to help you build your 2010 Independent Journalist's Holiday Gift Wish List.
Of course, I should remind you that, if you are planning to set up your own news business in 2011, or just did in 2010, the best gift you can give yourself this holiday season is… to apply for the 2011 KDMC News Entrepreneur Boot Camp. Here's why, and how to apply. /plug
A few more notes before I jump in: These are the items I feel are most important for an independent journalist to own, in order of importance. While I've listed the items I have or like, I would love to hear suggestions from other OJR readers. Please submit your personal "wish list" in the comments. And if you have what you feel is a better suggestion in any of these categories, I'd love to hear that, too.
Finally, since we're writing for independent journalists here, I'm operating under the assumption that either you or a loved one will be spending the money here - not a corporate IT budget. So I've tried to keep costs reasonable on things such as video and DSLR cameras. If you're a visual specialist, of course, you'll want to go with higher-quality equipment. This is a start list intended for a text-driven journalist who happens to shoot some photos and video, too.
Smart phone
If you limited me to just one item with which to run my website and remain connected to the digital world, it'd have to be a smart phone. If you've not yet upgraded from a feature phone, this year's the time to do it. With ubiquitous Web connectivity, plus the ability to take photos and video and connect with social media, a smart phone allows you to stay connected with your website and its community whenever you are away from your desk, and to cover breaking news even when you're not fully equipped.
What I'm using: Apple's iPhone 4 (AT&T).
What I've got my eye on: Motorola's Droid X (Verizon) or HTC's EVO 4G (Sprint).
The iPhone has become the popular standard for smart phone, and the iPhone 4 resolves some of its predecessor's issues, notably a lack of native video camera and sketchy battery performance. Still, the specs on Motorola's and HTC's top Android phones meet or beat iPhone's, and I would love to have better connectivity than AT&T's network offers. (I drove nearly 500 miles across Utah and Wyoming this summer without picking up a single AT&T signal. Not a 3G signal. Not an Edge signal. I'm talking not even a basic cell tower connection. Ugh.)
Computer
I haven't bought a desktop computer in years, and would urge OJR readers not to waste their money on a new one, either. Don't let the low prices fool you. As a reporter, you need a machine that will let you work from anywhere, with more functionality than even today's best smart phones allow. Why go through the hassle of maintaining a desktop in the office, and a laptop for the road? Consolidate.
What I'm using: Apple's new MacBook Air (13-inch screen, 2.13 GHz Intel processor with 256 GB storage and 4GB memory). [$1,799]
If you need heavy video-editing capability: Apple's MacBook Pro (15-inch screen, 2.8 Ghz processor with 500 GB storage and 8GB memory). [$2,799]
Light and powerful are my goals for a laptop and Apple's new top-of-the-line MacBook Air satisfies me. I'll grant you that I'm not doing much resource-sapping video production on my laptop, though. So if you need the extra power and memory for frequent vodcast and online video production, consider an upgrade to the less-mobile, but more-powerful MacBook Pro. It'll still travel, but not as effortlessly as the Air.
BTW, I used Windows machines for years, and have dabbled in Linux. To me, nothing offers the ease of use and dependability of Mac. Since I'm spending my money here, I'm not messing around. We're a Mac shop at my company now.
Still camera
While that smart phone camera works in a pinch, for compelling photos that build a community of eager viewers, you'll want a high-quality digital SLR camera, too.
What I'm using: Olympus' Evolt E-510. [$599]
What I'd buy today: Canon's EOS Rebel T2i [$849]
While I'm happy with the Olympus I bought several years ago, if I were stocking a one-person newsroom today, I'd take a long look at the Canon. The Rebel line's gotten good reviews as entry-level DSLRs, both from publications and people I work with in the field.
If the price of a DSLR is too steep for a loved one to put one under your tree, why not suggest they buy you a photography lesson or two? Community colleges are great places to find a relatively inexpensive night or weekend training session, one that will improve your photos far more than the slight differences between various DSLR models would.
Video camera
While many of today's digital SLR cameras also shoot video, I continue to prefer to use a dedicated camcorder for video work. (I keep the camcorder on a tripod and the SLR around my neck.) I find better video and especially audio quality with the camcorder.
What I'm using: Sony's Handycam (DCR-SX44). [$248]
What I have my eye on: Canon's Vixia HF S200 [$750] or Panasonic's HDC-TM700K [$750]
Okay, the Sony is not what I'm using. It's what my son is using, but I've outsourced our video production to him, since he's far better at it than I ever could be. After getting too frustrated with the lousy video and audio quality of Flip cameras, including the allegedly HD ones, we upgraded to the Sony for its superior picture quality (even thought it's not a HD camera).
But we need to upgrade. Colleagues I know have raved about the Vixia, but online reviews seem to prefer the Panasonic for its image quality (though others have knocked it for sound problems). I go back and forth between them, and would love to hear some input from OJR readers.
Backpack
A great backpack can make the difference between comfortable field work, where your equipment lies within easy reach, and a pain-in-the-back afternoon where you're continually banging electronics together as you try to find what you want.
What I'm using: Outdoor Products' Power Pack Glide 4228. [$59]
I love the digital gear panel, with dedicated slots for a smart phone, USB memory stick, cords, business cards and pens. (Hey, I'm a tech geek and even I still write on paper to take notes, now and then.)
With good shoulder and back padding, a slide-out compartment for my laptop and a middle compartment for clothes, I've traveled across the country and halfway around the world with nothing more than this pack and what I can fit in it. Okay, I travel light. But a great pack makes that possible.
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Now, if your friends and family also happen to be journalists, too, and therefore, looking for, uh, less expensive gifts ideas for you, I also recommend picking up a tripod and microphone, and don't forget some business cards, too. I found an acceptable tripod/monopod combo at my local camera ship for $99 and get my cards on VistaPrint.com for under $50.
I know that many journalists also pack an audio recorder, but my iPhone handles that task fine, thank you. The only thing it doesn't record (irony alert) is phone calls. For that, I try to use Skype on the laptop, and have an old Sony MP3 IC Recorder and RadioShack Wireless Phone Recording Controller sitting around for the rare instance when I need to do a phoner over a "real" phone.
Long-term, you should collect a mix of phones, tablets and computers for platform testing, too. But I prefer to either use old units I'm no longer using, or picking up cheap used units for that. A low-cost desktop Windows computer can be a great option for testing on that platform, since it's not something you'll be taking outside the office, for example.
I'm not yet seeing the need for a tablet for content production, assuming you have a smart phone and computer in your tool kit. But having one for display and interface testing will become essential as you move into tablet development. I'd make that a "phase 2" capital expenditure, not something to get at the beginning.
But I'd certainly welcome one as a Christmas present. :^)
I hope that all our U.S. readers have a great Thanksgiving, and that all our readers everywhere enjoy a holiday season filled with as much good news as possible.
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From 184.74.127.115 on November 24, 2010 at 11:10 AM
Oh, backpack -- mine cost about $150 and carries my laptop and DSLR, lens and do-dads.Warning about such bags -- if it says it fits a 15 inch laptop, don't believe it, especially for MacBooks. I have a 15 inch MacBook Pro and first backback couldn't hold it (bummer, too, because it was a great National Geographic bag). I had to buy a backpack that could hold a 17-inch laptop.
It goes with me where ever I go.
I have a second satchel for my business papers, rate cards, contracts, etc.
From Robert Niles on November 24, 2010 at 11:41 AM
Great point on scanners, Howard. I've used a few websites and apps when I wanted to listen in, but a dedicated scanner is definitely a smart buy for a local news site.From 98.247.97.191 on November 24, 2010 at 12:35 PM
I just want good earphone/headphones.OK, actually, I want a prosumer camera too. Handhelds work fine (we have two) but gosh, I want the needlessly expensive look of legitimacy that an almost-TV-crew-looking prosumer would confer...
Anyway, I have another category to add to the list. You may not get this as a present since it's a recurring expense, so get it for yourself: I cannot stress enough, as an independent journalist/24-7 neighborhood-news provider, you MUST have redundant Internet access available to you at all times. If you are just running around relying on others' wi-fi, you are living on borrowed time, and that time WILL run out.
We have had a simple Verizon 3G aircard for two-plus years now; a few months back, we also added a Sprint 3G/4G mobile hotspot (which enables multiple connections, so if you are traveling with friends/family, work or not, they can get online too). And the Sprint theoretically (haven't had to do this YET) can fill in the gaps if we're using the iPhone and AT&T drops out ...
Our scanner, btw, is a 10-year-old RadioShack Pro-94. Computer - just upgraded to a 15-inch MacBook Pro with a slightly different configuration than you mention, though the 13-inch fairly low-end MacBook still works well as a backup. Warning that if you buy a MacBook Pro with the costlier add-ons, you may have battery trouble ... this one also has the faster hard drive and the battery maxes out at about 4 and a half hours. Apple, we were subsequently told, didn't really plan the new built-in battery for the battery-hog stuff. Oops. So my Christmas list includes an external battery ...
Happy holidays! - Tracy @ West Seattle Blog
From 192.215.101.254 on November 24, 2010 at 12:55 PM
Great list, Niles. I'l go ahead and make the argument that if you are purchasing the T2i then there's really no need to purchase the Sony video camera. I believe the T2i has the capability of shooting HD video. (If not, go ahead and purchase the Canon 7D and cross off photo and video camera in one swoop!) But seriously. No need to buy both (if you go with a Sony video camera just grab your stills on Final Cut Pro and use those as photos.)From Will Wallace on November 27, 2010 at 1:47 PM
I share the same gadgets that many of you do - the Macbook Pro 17-inch, Nikon D90 with 28-300 mm lens, heavy Columbia bag that securely packs all my gear. One thing that I would mention is regarding the camera. I was a professional photographer for years and have watched digital cameras evolve. If you tend to take pictures up close and personal, your camera phone may be all you need. Few article pictures get larger than a 5x7 print and the 4MP cameras that are built in will provide more than enough detail unless you need a distance shot. I love a long lense, but you don't always need one. Just my two cents.From 68.11.28.19 on November 30, 2010 at 11:00 PM
Robert -Probably the purchase that I've been most pleased with was an Acer netbook from AT&T. It's not that powerful - I wouldn't dare try to edit video on it, for example - but its size is perfect for taking and using anywhere unobtrusively, and the built-in access to the Internet over the cell networks is priceless. Any time I need to be online, I glance to see if wi-fi is available, and if not just go with the GSM. Because of its portability, the thought of having to take hand-written notes at a meeting now fills me with dread, even though it was routine at my last job just a few months ago (plus: what a waste of paper!). The battery on it isn't spectacular, but used conservatively it'll give me about three hours of actual use, enough to make it through most assignments. And that's far better than the 30 minutes of battery life that was all I'd ever get on company-issued laptops.
I still keep a "real" laptop on my desk at the home office, and I use it whenever I'm there because it's so much faster. I also take it if I know I'm going to be setting up shop somewhere else for a long time. But for basic daily coverage, the netbook is like a great cross between a smart phone and a laptop: highly portable, always connected and yet easy to create most content with.
Oh yeah, price? I think AT&T charged me something like $30 for it with the wireless data contract. I'm not in love with AT&T either, but it was a pretty compelling deal. It also gives me confidence that I can probably step up at some point to a better-model netbook without breaking the bank, either.
What I'd love next is a cheap but decent microphone to connect to it, plus some lightweight audio-recording software (suggestions on the either would be welcome). Then I'd basically have my digital recording of anything I covered right alongside my notes as I write, and plus I'd probably end up incorporating more audio clips into my articles.
Anyway, thanks for your list. We're always (wishfully) re-evaluating our equipment, and your thoughts and those in the comments make for some interesting ideas.
- Robert Morris, http://UptownMessenger.com
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From 184.74.127.115 on November 24, 2010 at 11:07 AM
I own a MacBook Pro, Nikon D-90 (primary lens is a Tamron 18-270mm, have an SB-700 flash on order), digital recorder, droid phone, Canon HD video camera. Also a windows desktop for bookkeeping.Laptop with mobile access is essential, but am planning to add an iMac to my office (want the bigger screen for editing photos ... purely a personal artistic choice).
Will switch, also, the business desktop to an iMac next month.
Am planning to buy a Nikon D-7000 as soon as I can. To cover community sports, you really need a DSLR. The D-90 shoots 4 FPS, the D-7000, 6 FPS. I'd recommend spending the few extra hundred for the D-7000 for that difference alone (also higher ISO ratings for more options in low light). Having an SLR will greatly expand the range of photos you can publish for your readers, and readers love good photos.
I don't do much video any more. I could do it with the D-90, but still think I should get a Flip Ultra. Also an extra P&S camera would be good to have around. Further down the road, I might invest in a Canon XL-2, but the demand for video just isn't really there -- my time is better invested in still photography.
You didn't mention scanners -- at least two emergency scanners are essential to any local news operation. We have three and will soon ad a fourth.
Howard Owens
Publisher, The Batavian
www.thebatavian.com