Introduction
With mobile phone subscriptions in the world nearing an estimated fourbillion at the end of 2008, there is an explosion of activity related to theuse of mobile phones to access information, express opinions, and forproducing and consuming media. There are many individual innovationsand creative uses of existing mobile platforms. We are also seeing newapplications that facilitate the generation and broadcasting of mobilecontent.Concurrently, mainstream media and broadcasting outlets are grapplingwith how the Internet and mobile technology impact mediaconsumption and production. Traditional media organizations arestarting to engage viewers, listeners, and readers who can contributecontent through mobile and web-based platforms. Media organizationsare also increasingly making content available for mobile devices. Additionally, mobile phones with more sophisticated and variedfunctionality and Internet access provide new interactive channels for abetter informed and more active global society.In this report we explore the dynamics of the role of mobile phones inenhancing access to and creating information and citizen-producedmedia. We explore trends in the use of mobile telephony with a focuson software and platforms that make content creation and broadcastingeasier. We also present an inventory of current and potential uses ofmobile phones to promote citizen media and freedom of information,and present short case studies of examples. We further discusssecurity considerations that might impact citizen media and freedom ofinformation. Finally, we describe some direction for medium-termmedia assistance and investments.We conducted the following research activities:
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A survey and analysis of available and soon-to-be-available mobilesoftware applications that can be used to produce or consumemedia, including software and mobile-based web applicationsfacilitating journalistic activity, communication between mobilephones, secure communications, and audio/video platforms.
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In-depth interviews with stakeholders in the news and mobile mediafields.
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Discussion and review related to current and potential security issuesfor citizens and journalists using mobile technology.
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An inventory of who is using mobile phones for citizen media andhow, including an exploration of projects and areas of activity.
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Ideas and recommendations for strategies supporting the use ofmobile telephony to promote freedom of information and engage incitizen media activities.Like other information and communication technologies, mobile phonesand related software applications are new tools in the global effort toimprove communication and to capture, access, and share information.They are also often the only technology to which people in low- andmiddle-income countries have access.While this review is overall optimistic about the continued paradigmshift and the opportunities that mobile phones create for producingcitizen media and access to information, we note there have beeninstances in which mobile technology in particular has been used todivide people, incite violence, and promote repression.This is not a complete inventory of tools and projects. It is, by definition,episodic and not meant to be comprehensive--a close to impossibletask in this fluid field. We encourage submission of other tools andprojects to make this document more complete, and to this end, haveadded a wiki on MobileActive.org that will collect additionalapplications and use cases. We encourage correction and additions tomake tis as much of a living document as possible. We have alsoadded web links in this document that provide additional information orthe source for an assertion. These links (underlined) were checked andaccurate as of November 8, 2008.
Key Observations
We note a number of key points that emerged from our exploration ofthis field. Several of these observations are consistent with the state of
A Mobile Voice: The Use of Mobile Phones inCitizen Media
Mobile phonesand relatedsoftwareapplications arenew tools in theglobal effort toimprovecommunicationand to capture,access, and shareinformation. They are also often theonly technology towhich people inlow- and middle-income countrieshave access.
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