CAJ live events

Saturday keynote – Tech geeks meet journalism: How data helps storytelling

Session hashtag: #CAJ16codeStorytellers looking to break news and change the world around them can benefit from the help of the nearest tech geek.Catherine Gicheru, an award-winning Knight fellow based in Kenya, is working to connect “techies” in east Africa with journalists who have stories to tell.Her keynote address is all about how the non-profit Code for Kenya is using open data to bridge technological divides.

3rd & 7 37yd

3rd & 7 37yd

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  About to get into where Tech geeks meet journalism with Catherine Gicheru. She is an award winning print journalist and a Nieman Fellow. She was awarded the 1992 IWMF Courage in Journalism Award and is currently an ICFJ Knight International Journalism Fellow with the Code for Kenya team.

  Catherine supervises teams of data journalists and technologists based at news partner organizations and CitizenLabs in Kenya as well as conducting regular trainings in newsrooms, teaching journalists how to deliver high-quality news that engages audiences and sparks systemic change on issues such as health and development.

  #caj16 #CAJ16code

   

  by Dali Carmichael 5/28/2016 6:33:59 PM
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  This keynote address is sponsored by the Aga Khan Foundation of Canada. #caj16 #CAJ16code

  by Dali Carmichael 5/28/2016 6:41:24 PM

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  Rosemary Quipp w/ Aga Khan Foundation:

   

  The organization is an international development non-profit. Here in Canada, they have a mandate to encourage global perspective. One initative they run is journalism fellowships for reporters working on international development stories.   

   

  #caj16 #CAJ16code

  by Dali Carmichael 5/28/2016 6:47:23 PM
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  Gicheru's organization Code for Africa has multiple outlets across the continent. It focuses on citizen engagement by providing them with actionable data with personalized, localized information and feedback tools. 

   

  #caj16 #CAJ16code

  by Dali Carmichael 5/28/2016 6:54:05 PM

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  Started looking at budgets in Kenya because how the country's money is spent is what matters to people. Also easy for the journalists or citizens to narrow down. Launched PESA Check about two months ago as a fact-checking tool for the country's finances.   

   

  #caj16 #CAJ16code

   

  

  Pesa Check

  MediumA fact checking initiative to verify the financial and other statistical numbers quoted by public figures in Kenya, supported by International Budget Partnership - Kenya and Code for Kenya

  by Dali Carmichael 5/28/2016 7:01:52 PM
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  For one project, Code for Africa used a drone to get photos of the largest dump in Kenya. They got a 3D image of the largest dump in Kenya, looking at how medical waste is being disposed of in the dump site. Hoping to have story out in the next few months. 

   

  #caj16 #CAJ16code

  by Dali Carmichael 5/28/2016 7:04:40 PM

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  Next up, Gicheru is talking about a.ctionable data. Example: She is talking about a project that started because someone got sick while visitng Kenya. The hotel called a doctor who made reccomendations, but the guy never got better. Journos decided to look into who this doctor was. Brought up questions - how do you know your doctor is really a doctor? How are they registered? Code fo Kenya decided to set up a way for people to see if their doctor is really a doctor.  

   

  #caj16 #CAJ16code

   

  Check out the site: http://health.the-star.co.ke/ 

  by Dali Carmichael 5/28/2016 7:11:34 PM
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  "Would we have done it without techies? Probably not. We didn't know how." 

   

  Intend to set up a similar system to check legitimacy of lawyers.

   

  #caj16 #CAJ16code

  by Dali Carmichael 5/28/2016 7:13:06 PM
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  GoToVote! A Coding for Kenya project established after the 2013 election to help eligible Kenyan citizens to register to vote by showing registration locations and giving overview of information to citizens. 

   

  #caj16 #CAJ16code

   

  

  by Dali Carmichael 5/28/2016 7:19:26 PM

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  Wazimap a tool to help citizens and journalists dive into census data, some of the "cleanest data we can get." Used to to compare information and look at patterns, for example, cholera rates vs. location and availability of toilets. Leads journalists to the questions they need to ask. Available in South Africa, Gauteng and Western. Is being adapted for Kenya and Nigeria.

   

  #caj16 #CAJ16code

   

  Take a look here: https://wazimap.co.za/

   

   

  by Dali Carmichael 5/28/2016 7:25:57 PM

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  Getting techies into newsroom: biggest challenge for Gicheru is getting them to understand who she am as a journalist, to see the fine line journalists have to walk between personal safety and telling the truth.  

   

  #caj16 #CAJ16code

  by Dali Carmichael 5/28/2016 7:28:30 PM

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  Question: Freedom of information laws coming out of some Africa countries are great - do you use those?

   

  Freedom of information laws in Kenya have been gutted. MPs removed a lot of things that could have made it a more useful law. Politicians are kind of scared about the power of information.

   

  Supreme court threw out our position of the new law which means. If someone says you defamed them, or report on some things without permission, you are liable to pay a fine - $500,000 for a person or $1 million as an organization. This happened within the last few weeks.  

   

  #caj16 #CAJ16code

  by Dali Carmichael 5/28/2016 7:33:37 PM
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  This is the end of this session, but Gicheru is very open to answering questions. Find her on Twitter @cgicheru1 #caj16 #CAJ16code

  by Dali Carmichael 5/28/2016 7:34:36 PM

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