ICFJ Knight Roundup: Using Hackdash, This American Life Hosts Audio Hackathon

By: Alyssa Mesich | 09/30/2015

Each week as part of the Knight International Media Innovators blog, the ICFJ Knight team will round up stories focused on how their fellows are making an impact in the field. Find out more about the fellows' projects by clicking here.

Hackdash goes audio, Karachi d|Bootcamp projects launch and more from the Knight Fellows in this week’s roundup.

This American Life uses Hackdash to showcase projects from its audio hackathon

Who says traditional media platforms and digital tools don't mix? On September 19 and 20, radio program This American Life organized an audio hackathon "to build tools for audio storytelling, distribution and sharing." In total, 13 projects were developed and presented on the digital showcase Hackdash, a tool developed by ICFJ Knight Fellow Mariano Blejman and Hacks/Hackers Buenos Aires.

Karachi digital bootcamp projects go live

Last May, recent ICFJ Knight Fellow Rahma Mian organized Karachi's first digital bootcamp, teaching digital media skills to journalists in Pakistan to produce viable data journalism projects. With the support of ICFJ Knight Fellow Shaheryar Popalzai, these projects are now coming online to improve local residents' lives. Kitnay Ka is an app that provides current commodities prices, direct from government sources, to ensure that consumers and sellers engage in fair exchanges. Crime Alert provides residents with an annotated map of criminal activity in Karachi with cumulative statistics. Two more projects are expected to come online in the near future.

Code for Africa named as global role-model for civic tech

The Next Web (TNW) just named Code for Africa, founded by ICFJ Knight Fellow Justin Arenstein, as one of the "10 ways tech is delivering hope to humanity." TNW highlights Code for Africa for looking "beyond today and giv[ing] hope for a peaceful, civic-focused tomorrow."

New app developed at Media Party 2015 turns politics into a game

Politics can seem like a game at times. A new app called Candigame turns that idea into a reality. Candigame's developers created the concept at last month's Hacks/Hackers Media Party in Buenos Aires, an annual event organized by ICFJ Knight Fellow Mariano Blejman. Using Twine, another tool featured at Media Party, Candigame's developers ask users a series of questions to help them match up to political candidates and their traits. Read more about this project at the HacksLabs blog.

ANCIR featured in National Geographic Magazine

In a letter to the United Nations General Assembly, researcher Katarzyna Nowak of Durham University says there is a need to formally recognize conflict ivory and the violence fueled by the exploitation of natural resources, known as conflict resources. Featured in National Geographic Magazine, the article quotes Khadija Sharife, investigative editor at the African Network of Centers for Investigative Reporting on the abuse of diamonds.

Africa Check calls for more stats to combat xenophobia

Africa Check, a winner of the 2012 African News Innovation Challenge created by ICFJ Knight Fellow Justin Arenstein, calls for more statistics to be used for public policy. The South African Police Services (SAPS) do not have an official record of crimes targeting foreign nationals, which undercounts the "xenophobic" violence in South Africa. Read more here.

This post is also published on IJNet, which is produced by ICFJ.

Main image courtesy of Brian Siewiorek via Flickr.

Country/Region

Latest News

Tips for building networks to reach audiences and drive impact

The impact journalists can create in their communities is often dependent on how widely their reporting is consumed. 

In their efforts to gain traction that might spur positive change, journalists might not realize just how many of their colleagues are working on the very same issues in other communities or

Embracing AI: How to Stay Ahead of the Curve


Concerns around GenAI notwithstanding – its potential to spread mis- and disinformation, and fears it could replace journalism jobs, among them – media leaders should consider how to use the technology to uplift their work. If utilized responsibly and ethically, AI can improve how news is produced and consumed.

It’s Not About AI: Toward a User-Centric, Sustainable Future for Journalism

Mattia Peretti is an ICFJ Knight fellow.

Hi, my name is Mattia Peretti and I’m a 2024 ICFJ Knight Fellow. I became a fellow to explore how generative AI can be used by news organizations to better serve their communities, and I’ve spent the last four weeks talking with