There has been a flurry of debate on whether the launch of Yahoo’s citizen journalism portal, You Witness news spells the end for the professional photojournalist.

No one can deny that some of the most compelling recent news images were taken by amateurs on mobile phones, such as from the London Tube bombings.

For the perspective from a professional on the rise of ‘phonajournalism :

“Aesthetics don’t seem to matter much to the millions of viewers watching their neighbors re-enact the forbidden dance on YouTube. Nor will proper camera management mean alot to the private citizens who will capture the next global calamity from every possible angle. Lastly, proper cinematography won’t be on the minds of news executives who will, if they’re smart, be way too busy shoving these myriad of images on-line, on-air and in your face.”

There are two key points to note. Firstly, the quality of cameraphones is improving all the time, as is that of consumer videocams.

But while the images may get sharper, I don’t think this will mean the end of the professional photojournalist. There may be fewer in the future, but sites like Flickr show there is still a demand for well-shot and composed images.