Texting, email and other forms of electronic communication
are commonplace now. We have more ways to convey information than ever before
thanks to advances in mobile technology and the internet. The first
transmission of a text message between mobile devices took place back in 1992,
and last year 5.9 trillion texts were sent. The Profiles Series is
looking at how communication methods have changed the way we gather and
transmit information.
One of the most interesting changes that mobile technology
has fostered is that it has allowed most everyone to become a new reporter if
they choose. In 1963, Abraham Zapruder took his camera to Dealey Plaza and took
perhaps the most famous piece of home film ever shot. He captured the
assassination of John Kennedy with his Bell & Howell camera.
Now, events both good and bad are captured by
participants and bystanders through the technology of a smartphone. The videos
can be immediately uploaded and emailed to friends or news organizations and
placed on the air immediately, unlike in 1963 when Zapruder and his film were
hustled around to find someplace that could develop his infamous home movie.
The high number of still and video cameras out on the streets
also mean that more incidents become news. An ill-timed confrontation between a
celebrity and a paparazzo, a spontaneous comment from a politician, or a
protest by an interest group can immediately find their way to the airwaves
through mobile technology.
The Profiles Series TV show is looking at a variety of
technology subjects on the program. On great cable television networks across the country, audiences are learning about how advances in many field
are changing our world.