New Media, Digital Tools and the Mobile Reporter

Spent some time with the Akvo team brainstorming new ways to link up Africa Interactive Mobile Reporters with their Water and Sanitation projects. This is following our previous work and a pilot project we ran last year.

A lot of the ideas will be incorporated into the presentation we have planned in Miami at the WeMedia conference. Looking forward to presenting to some well respected judges and in the effort to see if they can help us further formulate these ideas.

Particularly, we have been looking at how best to link mobile reporters, and their streams of text, photo and video to local media outlets and the web. This conversation has several layers when taking into account the different audiences, expectations and models needed to work through all of this content and in a way you meet the needs of everyone involved. The most critical issue is working to identify a sustainable model that doesn’t infringe on space needed to protect an independent reporting process. Think this isn’t only an issue for us but seems to be an ongoing struggle for media companies everywhere.

Yesterday was also looked at some new tools. Philips has recently launched a book reader with a solar panel that can be used to recharge the battery. The unit, about the size of an ipod, has a slot for a mini USB cable. This could very well be a great system for powering our mobile reporting tool kits or other small computers in the field. I was heartened to read that both USB and mini USB ports will now become standards in new mobile phones. The future for these devices looks better by the day. With new cable and satellite the days of the digital divide seem to be numbered.

Now just trying to figure out ways to keep up !