Knight news announced the seven newest winners of their news challenge grants this week. For this round, the challenge focused on health data. The projects include a personal monitor which will allow people to do their own chemical analysis of their environments, and an online portal where people can volunteer their personal health information to aid in medical research.
German journalists at the online news outlet Mittendrin, in partnership with Open Data City, have developed an app that allows members of the public to alert a journalist when they witness a newsworthy event, like a police action or spontaneous demonstration. The ‘Call A Journalist’ app will contact a journalist and deliver your GPS information along with your report. The best part is that after your information is relayed, the app will let you know that a journalist is on the way. Now, why didn’t I think of that?
Forbes Media LLC, the owners of Forbes magazine, put the company up for sale in November. The financial documents being pored over by potential buyers are said to reveal a lot about the economic impact when established news brands make a foray into nontraditional business models. It’s a very good read.
A Brazilian environmental news agency, in collaboration with the team of developers known as ecoLab, have launched an interactive database of information on land use, construction, and environmental impacts in the Amazonian rainforest. The project is at BNDESnaAmazonia.org.
And finally, late pass me, but I just discovered Slate’s Interactives Lab page, featuring data journalism and infographics from Slate’s interactive archives. I took the Slate Starbucks Map Quiz, revisited the Carlos Danger name generator, and stopped by the Google Graveyard to leave a few virtual flowers for “dead” Google projects like Google Reader, Google Buzz, and Picnik. RIP Picnik.
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