News

Open Data’s Role in the Peaceful Transition of Power in Kenya

“Kenya’s new president, Uhuru Kenyatta, has been inaugurated in a peaceful transition of power after fears that a close election result and contested court case might lead to violence,” writes Alex Plough of Thomson Reuters AlertNet.

“One group in particular will feel they played a part; a small team of software developers and activists called Code4Kenya. Their web application, GotToVote!, helped Kenyans to register at polling booths, send peace messages and report electoral fraud.

Knight Fellow Wins Award for Pioneering News Network in Indonesia

For his work as a Knight International Journalism Fellow, Harry Surjadi has won the 2013 Communications for Social Change Award. He developed a groundbreaking news channel in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, using mobile and FrontlineSMS texting. He also trained hundreds of indigenous citizens to be reporters for this new platform.

Tools From SXSW That Could Improve Access to News and Information

For the past two years, I’ve gone to South By Southwest’s (SXSW) Interactive Festival in search of ideas and tools to bring to journalism.

How to Create 'A Vibrant Space for Media Innovation'

We invited everyone who wanted to rethink journalism to our city’s first Hacks/Hackers event, and drew about 120 people.

Less than two years later, at 1,700 members strong (and growing), we’ve held more than 20 events and a Media Party with keynotes, workshops and a hackathon. Hacks/Hackers Buenos Aires has become a vibrant space for media innovation. We believe many people in Latin America would benefit from participating in Hacks/Hackers, so I'm helping drive its expansion in the region as part of my Knight International Journalism Fellowship.

Tips for Effective Coverage of Immunization

Reporting on efforts to prevent infectious diseases through immunization is a key part of health coverage. Journalists play an important role in examining public health efforts, and in helping readers and viewers understand how and why vaccines are used.

Choices and Consequences in Kenya’s Election

Kenya’s national election resulted in victory for Uhuru Kenyata, a man charged with crimes against humanity in the International Criminal Court. His top rival, Raila Odinga, has petitioned the Kenyan Supreme Court challenging the election. As the nation waits for the court’s ruling, Knight Fellow Joseph Warungu reflects on the election’s implications.

“Choices have consequences.”

That warning to Kenyans, issued almost a month before the election by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Johnnie Carson, played on the minds of many voters as they cast their ballots on March 4.

Poderopedia Makes Political Connections More Transparent

In Chile, a website called Poderopedia has recently been launched by Knight International Journalism Fellow Miguel Paz. A crowdsourced map of business and political power, Poderopedia aims to make connections between people more transparent. Paz explains how some of the powerful people profiled are also some of the site's best contributors, during this interview for the U.S.

How a Journalist and Technologist Collaborated to Improve Maps for News

In the current news environment, journalists and developers are increasingly calling upon and benefiting from one another's skills and expertise.

The nearly one-year-old InfoAmazonia is a product of such a partnership–and a testament to the power of collaboration.

How to Overcome the Lack of Health Coverage in Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, where journalists usually vie to cover the economy, crime and entertainment, a new collective of 100 journalists and communicators is shining a spotlight on an often-neglected beat: health.

Ethiopia’s first organization of health journalists, the Addis Ababa Health Journalists Initiative, formed last month with the goal of boosting the quality and breadth of health coverage in the country.

'Part App, Part Map' Tracks Amazon Forest Loss

"As the endangered Amazon forest faces tougher challenges – deforestation, forest fires, and mining and oil drilling, among them – there must be a way to track the destruction," writes Chelsea Diana of Reuters Alertnet.