Is photojournalism now being over taken by mobile phone images?

Over the past few years mobile phones have provided a quick outlet for people to capture a moment through a video or a photograph, which they can then quickly share with anyone they choose, but now it seems to be that more and more photogrpahs taken by people from their mobile phones are being used within the media.

Neil Gordan, General Manager, Multimedia Sales and Marketing, Nokia MEA, says: "Thanks to the connectivity guaranteed by the mobile phone, one can easily and quickly share such pictures with other people".

From the tragic events such as the Tsunami in Thailand, The monks protesting in Burma, 9/11 terrorist attacks and the July 7th Bombings on the London Underground, images that people caught up in these events took on their mobiles could be seen on the news and internet worldwide.

With the quality of mobile phone pictures improving and the fact that people tend to have their mobiles with them, the people involved in these events were able to capture pictures and videos of what a photojournalist wouldn't get there in time to take.

Supporters of the amateur photographs being used argue that photojournalists do capture some high quality photographs, but they usually arrive after the event has taken place and don't capture the shocking photographs that can be seen of the events. Many amateur images can be seen of the September 11th New York terrorist attack, on You Tube , posted by the people who were there that day.

Looking at the recent peace protest led by monks in Burma, many of the monks ended up capturing and sharing what was happening by the photographs that had been taken with mobile phones.

Some may argue that the photography is too graphic of these events to show to the public but John Ryley, executive editor at Sky News says: "You are seeing the drama, the story unfolding".

Graphic images arrived to the news desks of the BBC on July 7th 2005,images that had been taken by people involved in the London bombings. The BBC reported to of received about 1,000 mobile photographs and 20 amateur videos. Photographs that truly showed the tragedy and intensity of what the people involved experienced.

The quality of the photographs may not be as good as those taken by photojournalists, but it allows the public to look at the situation through the eyes of the victim. Ryley says: "It empowers...ordinary people to show what happened as it happens, not a minute later or an hour later".

I would argue that more and more amateur photographs are going to be used within the media, especially as the quality of mobile phone cameras are always improving. It is also an attractive source to use because it is instant and can be used minutes after the incident has occurred.

Others believe that it isn't the end for photojournalists. Vicky Taylor, the editor of interactivity for the BBC website, says: "This is not going to take over from news reporters, but what it does do is put you in places that you can't possibly be as a broadcaster".