Innovation is always going to lead to new and improved products. Within the 12 years I’ve been a reporter I’ve seen that first hand. When I started out in 1998 in Clarksburg, West Virginia we were shooting on SVHS cameras. These cameras were heavy, the tapes were cumbersome, and the quality was horrible. For larger stations they shot on BETA, which provided a better quality, and now P2 cards are the wave of the future. The tape has become obsolete in the TV world for stations that can afford the technology.

But as time goes on all new technology becomes not so new and the cost of the products goes down. I remember my first 5 disc CD changer that my parents got for me and I saved up for was $500 back in 1989. Now, who would pay that much? But then there’s technology television stations are taking advantage of that costs nothing.

Right now if we want to go live from a location we use a microwave truck . The trucks cost stations money because of the gas, the repairs, and updating equipment that gets old. But now with the “new media” craze we’re using Skype. It also allows a reporter to set up their own live shot without the use of a photographer. One big down side is that while technology is supposed to make our lives easier it has also led to more work at least in the TV world. As I tell our interns it will be interesting to see what technology is big once they get in this business. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6hnagSBZbc