App powers crowdsourced global news photography

Scoopshot is a mobile platform enabling global crowdsourced photojournalism.

Just a couple of months ago we featured Tackable — an app that enables reporters and editors to create photo assignments for readers to complete using their smartphone. Now, in Finland, a crowdsourced photography app called Scoopshot enables photographers to choose what to charge for their pictures, create professional portfolios, and receive global coverage. Anyone can download the Scoopshot app for free to their iPhone or Android device and begin using the service by taking photos of newsworthy scenes. They can then price their photos — EUR 29 is a typical price for a news photograph worth publishing —  and post them on Scoopshot along with a sentence to explain the story. Journalists seeking photos can either set location-specific assignments, or search for photos to accompany stories by location, keywords or International Press Telecommunications Council (IPTC) category. Scoopshot ensures all photos on the site are fresh by removing them after 48 hours. Photographers are sent a notice to their phone if their photos are purchased, and can then transfer money earned directly to their bank account. Freelance photographers can also create a portfolio of nine images, which are accessible to media organizations around the world, and can promote themselves using feedback from previous buyers. Scoopshot organize the publishing rights and payment, which removes the hassle for journalists and enables them to access quality images at low cost from photographers around the world. A free 48 hour trial is currently available, during which time users can browse the Scoopshot photo stream and try out the Scoopshot features. Sourcing photos for news stories abroad can be costly and complicated, and Scoopshot seems to offer a much needed helping hand. Photographers and journalists around the globe, is this one to try out and support? Or are there yet more features you can think to add to an app of your own…? Spotted by: John Greene