iPhone apps every journalist needs

You’ve heard about the benefits having a smart phone can give you as a journalist. But the way to truly make the most of it is to take advantage of the huge range of applications available to smart phone users! I have selected five iPhone apps that will give you an edge against other journalists. And best of all, they’re free!

Instagram: 

My choice for taking and editing photos is Instagram. To be fair, it’s no photoshop, however it does the basics. The best part about Instagram is that it is linked to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. So you can quickly snap a photo and post it immediately through social media! Your photos are not only stored on your Instagram profile, but also the original and edited copies are stored on your phone. 

Qik:

Just taking photos isn’t enough? Qik allows you to shoot and edit video, then share through social media websites. Made by Skype, you can also record video conversations, which might come in handy when you are stuck for an interview at the last minute! That is definitely a last resort, though!

Cinchcast:

Audio and a picture can still be effective in telling a story. Cinchcast allows you to capture and publish a sound recording of any length. Once your clip is recorded, you have the ability to attach an image and text. Recordings from Cinchcast can be published on any website or blog, shared directly to Facebook or Twitter, emailed to contacts or even synced to iTunes! 

Dropbox:

Now that you have your photos, video, audio and of course your main story, you need somewhere you can store all of these files and have access to them across multiple devices. Enter, Dropbox. Dropbox allows you to save files to your account then access them from computers, iPhone and iPad. Extremely convenient when you are on the go! Added bonus is that you have your files automatically saved to your account, so if you are having technical difficulties with one device, you can easily access what you need from another. 

Wordpress:

Everything all ready to be published? You need Wordpress. With Wordpress you are able to publish posts with photos and text to your blog from your iPhone or iPad. No need to email documents back and forth to get a story published!

So no excuses! Get out there and use all the resources you have at your disposal. A piece of advice for you before you decide to go on location and begin your story: familiarise yourself with these applications beforehand! You don’t want to be stuck not knowing how to record a video or save a file.