What equipment should a journalist have?

Question

what kind of equipment do you think a journalist should have?

Answer 1

A cellphone, a digital camera, a wireless laptop to transmit photographs and article. No tape recorder. Tape recorders sometimes intimidate people. One also has better concentration and understanding on what the source is saying simply by taking hand written notes.

Answer 2

"macarthur" is partially correct.  

Certainly I would suggest a good pen/biro and a small pad are the essentials. Also keep a good "contact-book" with names, addresses and telephone numbers of important people you may need to contact.

A mobile-phone (cell-phone) is almost essential now-a-days.

As a journalist, you do not take photos, so a camera (digital or film) is not relevant, as is a lap-top to send back the photos. In some countries  there is a separation between journalists and news photographers and are not allowed to perform both (as in Australia).

A lap-top is a handy tool if you are a touch-typist and can email your story back to your news outlet, but you can always use a telephone, whether it is your mobile (cell-phone) or a land-line.

A good car to quickly go to stories. If you are doing "Police Rounds", then I would also include several scanners to listen to police, fire brigade, ambulance and other essential services.