http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2010/..._camcorder.html

Are there much in the way of freelance journalists catching the corps with their proverbial pants down in SR?

Sure, why not? They might often do that catching through the use of runners to get the evidence needed, but PR is a big deal.

Which is why Police in various parts of the USA (And maybe Canada) are pulling out the old "Wiretapping" laws when they're being recorded.

Despite, you know, it happening in public. While they're recording themselves with their dashboard cameras built into the cars. And so on.

Expectation of privacy when you're already being watched by traffic cameras, ATM Machines, and your own CAR?

But one thing to keep in mind is: In SR much "evidence" isn't worth anything, just as much as a photo with two people shaking hands was great proof in the cold war it is nearly worthless now.

Since video can be manipulated in post processing with high level of realism... and with people with high levels of skill/programs even in realtime i just can't help myself to think that all video/audio recordings are just a "suggestion" in the year of 2072. Also many people with their cybereyes/microcameras running around having a live-videoblog all the time flood the matrix with LOADS of useless data. Which can be easily used to introduce "accidental" footage which was carefully manipulated.

In fact i am using that angle in my campaign soon.

Well, at least i think there are hundreds of analysts in all states and all corporations busy with sorting out through billions of videos to find fakes alone. Only after that they get to be considered at all by other branches.

Ironically, traditional photography (As in film and development and so on) is probably more reliable in court than digital photography/video because of the ease that computers can change things digitally. It's harder to pull of a photographic fake. (Harder, but not impossible, mind.).

Another good reason for the old SLR Cameras... Magicians. Walking to the roof with a telescope is suspicious. Going up there with photography equipment and a press pass (Or an appointment for taking "Cityscape Photographs" for a magazine) no so much.

Another reason to get that Artisan Skill.

In Seattle 2072 they make mention of journalists, in the Places of Interest section of Auburn for Bowman Metal Works, "They even buried evidence they were increasing cancer rates in the local area, along with the journalist and company snitch who dug up the info." So it didn't work out very well for the journalists, but hey, they got a mention. Hmm, journalists could make good Mr. Johnsons for data steal runs. A company snitch gives them some intel via word of mouth, or they hear rumors, etc. so they hire some runners to break into a corp facility and gather some data from a secure HUB that proves the rumors or intel is correct, and hopefully its also enough to do their story on. You're not a good journalist until you've risked the wrath of Aztechnology right? Haha.

That is a good point summer, and all the more reason that people need runners to gather actual physical evidence to support the stuff. Come to think of it, it would be very cool to have a mission where the runners are all given old style film cameras and just told to photograph something inside a corp's research facility to act as evidence.

Or hired to just develop the film, as the photographer did not know how "complicated" it would be (Compared to plugging their camera into the nearest pocket comp/CommLink), and they need someone they can "trust" to do it.

Of course, someone without that necessary skill also wouldn't have noticed the tail they pick up, and now the 'Runners have photographs of footage and a hit team on their tails...