A quick primer on Google Glass and the implications it can have in journalism.

1. Google Glass and journalism
Ivan Lajara
May 17, 2014

2. What is it and why does it matter?
Google Glass — the high-
tech wearable augmented
reality device— has the
potential to reshape
journalism for both
consumers and producers.
And although it is still in very
much in the early
stages, Google Glass can
disrupt the news industry.

3. What is it and why does it matter?

4. What can you do with it
• Google things (links and YouTube work)
• Take and share photos and videos
• Get directions
• Send emails
• Make phone calls
• Make video conferences (ala Google Hangout)
• Take notes
• Apps (Nytimes, CNN, Mashable, Evernote)

5. What can you do with it

6. Who do people react?
• People ask questions: 'What is that?'; 'is that
Google Glass' or 'what happened to your eyes?/Is
your vision OK?' ; 'Can I try them
• People look at you and look at you like you're
some sort of alien.
• People look at you and pretend they're not
looking at you and elbow their friends and point
at you and make comments under their breaths.
• People look at you with disdain.
• People ignore you.

7. Who do people react?

8. Who do people react?

9. Is it a productive tool or just a fancy toy?
In terms of filing photos and videos, it is indeed
easier, because it's pretty much hands-free.
The best feature, in my view, is the video calls,
where you can have a video conference with up to
10 people at a time (they see what you see). So,
technically, I could be covering an event while
having people not only watch it but also participate
(ask questions, etc) while it's going on.
At the same time, it is also a fancy luxury and you
can use it like that (which I do on my personal
time).

10. Glass can enhance
your productivity
And your personal life

11. Glass can enhance
your productivity
And your personal life

12. What it means for journalism
From a journalist’s perspective:
• Currently, Google Glass can help improve journalism by
enhancing live coverage, communication and
engagement.
• Enhancing live coverage: It’s much easier to take
photos and videos with Glass. I can’t stress this
enough. It’s the equivalent of having a phone ready to
take a picture or video right in front of you at all times.
You can easily cover fires, protests, floods, conferences,
fairs, you name it. The coverage benefits from having
eyes on the ground, and allowing your audience to be
part of that experience.

13. You can use it to enhance
live coverage of meetings
with politicians, events,
fairs

14. What it means for journalism
• Improving communications and
engagement: You could be at an event while
having a video conference in which your
intended audience could see what you are
covering. This could be to help reporters, or
for the reporter at the scene to give the
newsroom a live sense of the scene. You can
also make calls and send and get priority
emails to selected contacts.

16. Glass is just a tool, but it’s a tool that changes
the way we experience news. And the change is
coming.
So the question is, will the news industry be
blind to Glass?

17. Related posts
• Google Glass and journalism: https://medium.com/this-
happened-to-me/4c24f8bb5b3a
• Curated rebelmouse posts:
https://www.rebelmouse.com/ivanthroughglass/
• Photos:
http://media.dailyfreeman.com/2013/08/05/photos-
google-glass-images-from-the-hudson-valley-and-the-
catskills
• Reddit AMA:
http://www.reddit.com/r/casualiama/comments/1i60ii/i_r
ecently_got_google_glass_ama/
• #glassplainer videos:
http://www.tout.com/hashtags/glassplainer

18. Contact me
• http://twitter.com/ivanlajara
• http://on.fb.me/ivanlajara
• http://about.me/ivanlajara
• ilajara@21st-centurymedia.com
• ON GOOGLE +, where most Glass post go:
http://gplus.to/ivanlajara