Wordblog

A steady head in a crisis has always been a valuable asset for a reporter but the latest technology at the Plymouth Evening Herald demands it. Their defence correspondent Tristan Nichols has been testing a miniature camera strapped to his head for reporting a military exercise.

He hopes to take it to Afghanistan’s Helmand Province later this year where British troops have been fighting battles with the Taliban. That will give “putting your head above the parapet” its real meaning.

Nichols told the Press Gazette his video from an exercise in Sierra Leone was a trial for how this would work for reporting from somewhere like Afghanistan. The camera and PDA-size recorder, he said, had great potential for solo war reporting. “It’s a one-man job where you can just walk around doing interviews. It really is the future,” he said.

The paper’s story about the equipment is here and Nichols’ reports here. Having looked at the video, I feel the story does not live up to the technology. At the moment it looks more like toys for boys.

It would also be interesting to see the news desk’s risk assessment before sending anyone into a real war situation with this kit.