Newsweek’s “Periscope” section discusses the citizen journalist trend and a nascent trend of selling camera phone photos through photo agencies such as Scoopt, Cell Journalist (see below) and Spy Media.

Scoopt has been in operation for a few months, Cell Journalist debuted last week and Spy Media is starting on October 3.

Newsweek says Scoopt has sold only three photos so far.  "Few editors are eager to reward amateur voyeurism, especially when they get plenty of pics free of charge.

"'People simply want to join our newsgathering process,’ says the BBC's Pete Clifton.   For [Tom] Quinn [head of Spy Media], though, it's only a matter of time. 'When people find out they can cash in, they'll come to us, he says.

"'It's the American way."

Sell or not?

I spoke to the Newsweek reporter when he was researching the article.   My view is that a camera phone user who gets a unique photo or video and gets it fast will be able to sell it.

Comments

[Monica Nilsson]

I'm not amazed that they don't want to buy amateur photos, even if those photos might be pretty good. The old fashioned editors just want to protect journalists' and photographers' status. Sooner or later, the editors must (or will be forced to) change theirs minds.