One Man Gang: Kevin Sites to report for Yahoo

It’s happening.

There’s been “convergence” talk about local news networks or newspaper websites switching to “one man band” models. The idea is this: send out a reporter with a digital video camera, a wireless-happy laptop, and a cell phone. *poof* Instant cost-cutting lack of a satellite truck and (d’oh!) cameraman. (Full disclosure: I don’t belong to the same union as broadcast camera operators, but it’s the same general league.)

All that talk has just become moot.

If the networks or local affiliates aren’t quick enough to jump in, why not just cut out the middleman?

Yahoo has begun that process.

Yahoo announced that they’re sending journalist/blogger/reporter/cameraman Kevin Sites around the world in a year to cover EVERY ongoing armed conflict.

For those of you keeping score, Sites was the cameraman who was rolling when a U.S. Marine shot and killed a wounded Iraqi in Fallujah in 2004. The Marine thought the wounded man was armed. He wasn’t.

So what does this mean? Can we expect Yahoo and Google to start opening up news bureaus in locales far-flung from Sunnyvale and Mountain View? …no, I don’t think so.

But expect to see more freelancers hired for gigs like this one. Hey Google, I’ll be available next summer – you know where to reach me.

MORE:

• Poynter’s E-Media Tidbits says companies like Yahoo, armed with cash, could attract young tech-smart reporters to spread around the world without needing the infrastructure of a BBC or NY Times. Yes. They could.
• The LA Times puts the emphasis on Yahoo’s changing business model as they expand into creating media of their own.
• Other freelance journalist/bloggers include the recently kidnapped-and-murdered Steve Vincent, who had strong ties to SJSU. Still alive and working are Christopher Allbritton and Michael Yon.

[tags]Kevin Sites, journalism, convergence, Yahoo[/tags]