News is often a social activity where people enjoy discussing current events. With new technologies, people access news on multiple devices and platforms, rather than remaining loyal to one source. Mobile phones are now ubiquitous and can deliver news via SMS in real time, allowing users to be informed on the go. In India, where 65 crore mobile phones are in use mainly by young, educated users interested in value-added services, delivering concise news over SMS is an opportunity. Such "instant journalism" aims to inform with headlines and hard facts in a timely, objective, clear and simple manner using short, crisp sentences and abbreviations sent a few times per day. Future developments may include video news via MMS and streaming.

1. News on Mobile Telephone
understanding the new news landscape
Dr. Mrinal Chatterjee
Professor
IIMC, Dhenkanal

2. News as social act
• Getting news is often an important social act.
Some 72% of American news consumers say
they follow the news because they enjoy
talking with others about what is happening in
the world and 69% say keeping up with the
news is a social or civic obligation. Half of the
news consumers say they rely to some degree
on people around them to tell them the news
they need to know.
• It is not very different in India

4. Multiple format and platform
• In the digital era, news has become
omnipresent. We access it in multiple formats
on multiple platforms on myriad devices. The
days of loyalty to a particular news
organization on a particular piece of
technology in a particular form are gone.

5. Why on mobile phone?
• Mobile phone is ubiquitous now
• SMS is becoming increasingly popular mode of
communication. It is fast, inexpensive,
unobtrusive and user-friendly.
• News on mobile phone (Short News Service-
SNS) could keep the user informed almost in
real time. It is news-on-the-go

6. And also
• The receivers of news can then forward the
news or post in social networking sites,
thereby becoming disseminators of news.

7. Consider this
• Some 80% of American adults have cell
phones today, and 37% of them go online from
their phones. The impact of this new mobile
technology on news gathering is
unmistakable. One quarter (26%) of all
Americans say they get some form of news via
cell phone today–that amounts to 33% of cell
phone owners.

9. In India
• 65 crore mobile phones are in operation.
• Majority of the users are young(15-35), with
some form of education. They want to get
more value from their device. And they r
willing to pay for that.
• Their appetite for news is more
• Therefore, news can be marketed.

10. However
• The form of news is different

11. Objective
• Is to inform. Instantly. Period.
• U may call it headline of headlines

12. Instant Journalism
• Inform
• No scope for analysis
• More hard news.

13. Writing style
• Short. No more than 4-5 lines.
• Crisp. No verbosity.
• To the point. Do not meander.
• Use abbreviations whenever possible

14. 4 principles
• Timely
• Objectivity
• Clarity
• Simplicity

15. Timeliness
• It has to be disseminated fast. Otherwise the
‘news element’ goes off.
• Therefore it should be sent as and when news
happens.

16. Objectivity
• News by SMS should only be news. Not views.

17. Clarity
• SNS should be clear
• No ambiguity

18. Simplicity
• Language
• Form
• Font

19. 4 Tips
• Write news as if u r writing a longish headline
• Think, if u can shorten it further, without
compromising the comprehensibility
• 3-4 news item at a time. Not more than that.
• Identify the source

20. How to go about
• There r several websites offering free SMS
service. E.g. way2sms.com
• Register
• Form a group by enrolling their mobile
numbers
• Send news, either as news happens or at fixed
time- preferably thrice and four times a day.

21. Future of news on mobile phone

22. Video
• MMS
• Streaming video on real time

24. Convergence
• Television
• Computer
• Internet

25. Thank You
www.mrinalchatterjee.in
mrinaliimc@yahoo.in