Tech enthusiasts and local hackers in Nairobi, Kenya are building educational tools to help community users shape and learn more about Ushahidi‘s .ke Evaluation findings. The launch is part of a nine-month look into the impact of the organization’s projects in Kenya since addressing post-election corruption almost four years ago. To include the broader open-source community, the event is being blogged live through Scribble […]
Article · August 25, 2011 by andries.vaisman
Though declining resources have left the media less likely to investigate cases in which freedom of information has been limited, more and more people are supporting government transparency says a new study put forth by Media Law Resource Center and the National Freedom of Information Coalition. The findings – though bittersweet – compliment a 2009 […]
Article · August 24, 2011 by andries.vaisman
With three open-source platforms working to crowdsource and map people’s insights, Ushahidi – a two time Knight News Challenge winner – has quickly grown from one project in Kenya to uses in 132 countries around the world. Everyday, people use Ushahidi’s tools to bridge information gaps in their communities, by doing things like mapping healthcare […]
Article · August 9, 2011 by andries.vaisman
Sunlight Foundation has released a new app that will help people make informed decisions about healthcare services and prescription drug options. The project is the first in a series of Knight-funded apps developed by Sunlight to help make public information more available and actionable for citizens, and supports Knight’s commitment to promoting informed and engaged […]
Article · August 9, 2011 by andries.vaisman
The Grassroots Mapping project, which aims to put mapping information into the hands of the public using digital cameras, balloons and other everyday items, is creating images that rival anything Google Maps can produce, writes the BBC. Spearheaded by the Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science (PLOTS) and with support from the 2011 Knight […]
Article · August 8, 2011 by andries.vaisman
Photo: Jon Diamond (ArtistDirect), Michael Eisner (former Disney CEO), Lynda Resnick (POM, Fiji Water), Arianna Huffington (Huffington Post), Charles Firestone (Aspen Institute) at FOCAS 2010 How are new technologies affecting communities and the way we participate in and govern a democracy in the 21st century? That’s the topic of FOCAS, a forum taking place this […]
Article · August 1, 2011 by andries.vaisman
In case you missed it, yesterday’s live chat for the Knight/NEA Community Arts Journalism Challenge has been archived and is available on www.artsjournalism.org. The conversation features Knight and NEA staff responses to questions applicants submitted about things like eligibility (anyone), and the purpose of the challenge: to seek new models for arts journalism in Knight’s eight resident communities. We hope […]
Article · July 28, 2011 by andries.vaisman
In case you missed it, yesterday’s live chat for the Knight/NEA Community Arts Journalism Challenge has been archived and is available on artsjournalism.org. The conversation features Knight and NEA staff responses to questions applicants submitted about things like eligibility (anyone), and the purpose of the challenge: to seek new models for arts journalism in Knight’s eight resident communities. […]
Article · July 28, 2011 by andries.vaisman
Storify, an interactive platform that lets users drag and drop YouTube clips, Facebook posts, tweets and other Web content to frame dynamic journalistic stories, has been announced as the 2011 $10,000 Grand Prize winner of J-Lab’s Knight-Batten Awards for Innovations in Journalism. “In Storify, we see a journalism tool that truly solves a newsroom problem and also inspires others […]
Article · July 27, 2011 by andries.vaisman
We’re hosting an online live chat today to answer questions about the Knight/NEA Community Arts Journalism Challenge, an eight-city contest that seeks new models for arts journalism. Read more about it, and join the conversation at EDT 2 p.m. today at artsjournalism.org. Meanwhile, check out The NEA’s blog, where Juan Devis of KCET New Media talks about […]
Article · July 27, 2011 by andries.vaisman
San Jose Mercury News columnist Mike Cassidy shared his thoughts this weekend on Globaloria, a new digital literacy program coming to the region, praising the initiative’s willingness to take new approaches by using game design to empower youth with important skills. “We need to embrace experiments,” urged Cassidy, “– the riskier, the better.” He continued, saying, […]
Article · July 25, 2011 by andries.vaisman