In 2023, journalists globally were tasked with accurately and sensitively reporting on critical elections, terrorism and war, the intensifying consequences of the climate crisis, and more.
Two major conflicts, in particular – the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas, and Russia’s ongoing assault on Ukraine – dominated news coverage. Meanwhile, AI emerged as perhaps the year’s trendiest topic, prompting journalists to consider how the technology might disrupt the industry and fuel the spread of disinformation, among other consequences. Journalists also continued to navigate heightened levels of censorship and violence.
With consumers searching less frequently for stories and expecting the news to find them, newsrooms must adapt their distribution strategies, ICFJ Knight International Journalism Fellow Justin Arenstein told workshop attendees at the recent World Editors Forum in Bangkok.
His "data revolution in your newsroom" workshop highlighted this and other trends that news outlets should be aware of, and advised newsrooms how they should change in response to the new focus on data.
Not only will the upcoming DataBootCamp of Bolivia be the first event of its kind in Latin America, it will be the highest-altitude data journalism event the world has seen so far.
Journalists, programmers and designers will gather in the capital, La Paz, whose altitude reaches more than 11,800 feet (3,600 meters) above sea level.
In high-risk situations, it is essential that journalists develop skills to protect their information. This is especially important for those who obtain sensitive or confidential data. The data stored by investigative journalists often show evidence of corruption by public officials or matters related to organized crime. For this reason, those who seek to attack journalists usually go after their computers or their mobile devices such as phones or tablets.
The concept behind HackDash is simple yet powerful: a web platform that brings people and ideas together and allows anyone to know the state of a project.
Citizens, writes development expert Jay Naidoo in The Guardian, always know better than the government or the market what works for them. “So why don't state officials and policymakers take us, the citizens, into their confidence?” he asks. “Can we begin to see citizens as the greatest ally for good governance? And if so, how do we pursue a partnership between government and citizens?”
“Part of the answer lies in open data,” Naidoo writes.
“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.
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.
