Google Earth - Opportunity For Journalism?

Poynter Online’s Amy Gahran believes Google Earth and Street View could become useful story-telling tools for reporters.

Gahran suggests that online newspapers could create multimedia stories using Google Earth’s satellite pictures and photos from the controversial Street View service.

Writing on Poynter’s E-Media blog, she says journalists could use Street View to “show the effects of a disaster such as a flood, hurricane, earthquake or tornado”.

She adds that Street View pictures could also be used to show “the effects of a redevelopment project or environmental cleanup”.

And Google Earth’s historical images could be used with current photos to “create a sense of transition from past to present”.

Gahran concludes: “Seems to me that Google Earth is a field ripe with engaging journalistic opportunity - especially considering there’s a Google Earth iPhone application.”

Launched in the UK this year, Street View can be accessed via Google Maps and is available for cities including London and Manchester.

The below video shows you what it is and how it can be accessed.



[HT - Editors Weblog]