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Mobile journalism appeals to Reuters as conventions for the Democratic and Republican political parties prepare to take place in the coming weeks.

Convention-goers have the opportunity to engage in some mobile journalism in St. Paul and Denver while they attend the big political conventions in those cities. The drama of a Presidential election year should lend itself to prompting events that may escape the notice of major networks in all the activity.

Reuters doesn't want to miss the smaller stories that might happen at either convention, and they hope some attendees will step up and volunteer to do some citizen reporting. The news organization announced its new mobile journalism project to that end.

The agency plans to equip those volunteers with video cameras, teaching them how to shoot decent footage, and encouraging them to go out and get video of of the respective conventions to contribute to websites like Reuters.com.

"Because of new technology and online distribution, entire elections can now hinge on moments captured not by traditional journalists, but by ordinary citizens and those closest to the action," said Reuters.

Those advances in technology mean one person can tote around the veritable equivalent of a camera crew in a package small enough to fit in a generous-sized pocket. While convention events tend toward the controlled and scripted, plenty of people attend, and a compelling look at them may be of interest to thousands of political junkies following the campaigns.