textamerica provides moblog hosting platform to San Diego Union-Tribune

Moblog hosting company textamerica will provide its moblog platform to the San Diego Union-Tribune to enable the newspaper's readers to post camera phone photos to the publication's Web site, SignOnSanDiego.com. Assuming textamerica is getting paid for this, the deal represents the first (?) time the moblog company will receive income from a client.

It also represents the first time textamerica is publicly promoting paid moblog services. So far, textamerica has been in a start-up mode -- as so many moblog companies are -- and doesn't charge individuals for using its services.

I noticed on SignOnSanDiego.com that the newspaper has established a beta-test Weblog as well as listing Weblogs by its columnists and San Diego Webloggers who aren't affiliated with the newspaper.

Journalism and weblogs/moblogs

Newspapers and TV stations are increasingly using moblogs to solicit photos from readers and also giving camera phones to reporters to try to scoop the competition with photos and videos, as the BBC situation highlights.

[Update] Mike Masnick of Techdirt Wireless provides comments about the textamerica development and the value of moblogs for publications.

Comments

[Marc Brown]

Sounds cool.

I look forward to seeing it integrated into the site. I wonder if they will tie it to any of the news stories, or if the moblog area is strictly lifestyle.