Matt Waite, professor of practice at the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, is one of 90 people chosen to participate in a media innovation “hackathon” sponsored by Al-Jazeera Nov. 29 through Dec. 1 in Doha, Qatar. Waite was one of 1,000 applicants.
“I’m honored to be chosen among a truly diverse group of technologists, artists and journalists who care about informing people,” Waite said. “It’s a rare opportunity to collaborate with a global community of journalism thinkers.”
Al-Jazeera has selected designers, developers, journalists, media professionals, technologists, inventors and others to compete for $50,000 in prizes and awards at the hackathon.
The organizers are creating a space to explore and invent solutions to challenges that advance humanity while also pushing forward media and open-source technologies. Participants will be able to collaborate with some of the most innovative minds in media and journalism to imagine the future of news and information.
Waite completed an application laying out his qualifications and ideas regarding the intersection of technology and journalism. He said he hopes to learn from people interested in how areas like information architecture and data science can enhance human-driven storytelling.
The inaugural hackathon is all about “Media in Context.” The 12 challenge topics include: Giving Voice to the Voiceless with Data; What’s in the Papers Today, Hal?; Putting Things Back in Context; Mapping and Understanding; Media on the Move; Looking at the Numbers; Smarter Headlines; Archive Archaeology; Think Outside the Comment Box; Discovering History and Culture; Fully Immersed in Media; and Do You Trust Your Media.
In July, Al-Jazeera launched an Innovation and Research Group. According to the Al-Jazeera website, the group’s purpose is exploring and creating concepts, products and ideas at the intersection of media, technology and popular culture.
Inspired by Al-Jazeera’s heritage of innovation, the group plans to build a network of innovators in technology and media culture, set to grow through a series of conferences, local events, publications and community-building platforms, including the hackathon.
Waite is the founder of the college’s Drone Journalism Lab and conducts Maker’s Hours. From 2007-2011, he was a programmer and journalist for the St. Petersburg Times, where he was a part of a team that developed the Pulitzer Prize-winning PolitiFact website.
