INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGYINNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY
Why does it matter?  

The past few years have seen the digital information revolution take off at great speed; this challenges ‘conventional’ media to embrace new ways of working in order to remain relevant and to ensure the added-value of traditional journalism prevails in the digital space. New Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are revolutionising the reporting of conflict, democratic accountability models, emergency communications during crises and, perhaps most importantly, the opportunities for ordinary citizens to participate and have their voices heard. The digital revolution also brings news challenges in the form hacking and attacks on digital security.

How do we work?  
  • Train and equip professionals in conventional media with the most appropriate new technologies to improve their work
  • Provide specialist support in the development of digital security and resilience of independent online journalism
  • Develop innovative communication platforms and systems, appropriate for local contexts and the most pressing communication needs 

Internet users are producers as much as consumers of information and, in today’s virtual world, everyone needs to understand the opportunities and the limits associated with online media. Internews Europe supports efforts to improve the interactions between online publications and their audiences, create better public awareness around issues of digital security and give audiences the opportunity to vote through online social networks.

“Mobile telephony will be the world’s first ubiquitous communication platform and it is getting faster than anyone expected.(…)This holds unprecedented opportunities for media in developing countries to engage their core audience more deeply, reach new audiences on the edge of their current footprint and provide interactive and customised information services that are both profitable and life improving.”
The Promise of Ubiquity, John West, Internews Europe 2008
What difference does it make?  

Internews Europe helped hundreds of journalists and media outlets to get up to speed on the use of new technologies in their work. We have supported the launch of online or mobile media outlets and contributed to the development of high impact technologies that are relevant to the current information era.  Thanks to Internews’ support micro-entrepreneurs in Kolkata, shepherds in the Mongolian steppes, disaster affected populations in Haiti and citizens in closed countries can all benefit from accessing information that literally speaks to them on the phone, through platforms such as FreedomFone.




Projects

Integrating Local Media and ICTs into Humanitarian Response in Central African Republic

This project aims to build an innovative system that will foster a bounded network of trusted local media organisations in CAR to gather real-time first-hand information from populations affected by humanitarian emergencies. This will eventually create a two-way communication flow between international humanitarian agencies that should improve emergency response, community participation & resilience.


 

Big Picture Digital Journalism

The Big Picture Digital Journalism project will strengthen African journalists’ capacities to use crowd-sourcing approaches in modern newsgathering. It aims to support the use of Information and Communications Technologies, which empower journalists but also Civil Society Organisations and communities. Big Picture Digital Journalism will be based in Kenya with supporting activities in Ivory Coast, Uganda, Rwanda and Central African Republic.