Covering Disasters With 2 Phones, in Case One Falls in the Mud
Law enforcement agencies send out updates through social media, and the first thing I do when I head into a big story is make sure
that I’m receiving their new tweets as immediate text messages.
I carry two phones (in case one falls in the mud), a power strip
that allows me to charge my computer from the car, and a Canon 5D camera that I bought off a White House photographer years ago.
I’m often filing on a laptop from the back seat of a car on the side of a road over a weak signal through my phone or a mobile hot spot.
I use my iPhone’s recording app, or a downloadable app called TapeACall,
and I will occasionally pay for a transcription service for lengthy interviews.
For all the talk about the changing media landscape, the most important tools
of my job are a pen, a notebook and a way to file the story to my editors.
I try to be prepared for anything, because I never know when a trip is going to involve
a surprise sit-down with a governor or an unexpected flight to cover a hurricane.