Madeline Tallman, special to WTOP.com
WASHINGTON – WTOP reporter Neal Augenstein is donating his most-valuable journalism tool to the Newseum — his iPhone 4S.
Probably the newest “artifact” to be given to the museum, the phone is meant to point out the importance and relevance of mobile journalism and how, for many, the act of reporting is transitioning, Poynter reports.
“It’s nice that the Newseum feels that mobile journalism is now taking its place next to the traditional forms of journalism,” Augenstein says.
Augenstein began using an iPhone for reporting in February 2010. Now he uses his iPhone in every part of the journalism process when he’s outside the newsroom reporting.
“All of the stuff that you hear on the air, all the audio reports have been recorded and edited on my iPhone,” he says of his field reporting.
Augenstein is also donating a custom stand he made for his iPhone to use at press conferences. He super-glued a thin piece of foam to a standard microphone clip, holding the phone in place without scratching the screen.
This will be Augenstein’s second contribution to the Newseum. In its 9/11 exhibit, the museum memorialized his first reports from outside the Pentagon.
On his Tumblr page, Augenstein shows just how he uses his iPhone to report for WTOP.
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