On November 24 and 25, the Global Editors Network, Pan-Atlantic University and OSIWA (Open Society Initiative for West Africa) invited 11 teams from the Nigerian media to participate in a competition on media innovation called #HackAgainstEbola, in partnership with ICFJ (International Center for Journalists). The 2-day programme was sponsored by Google. Each team was composed of a journalist, a designer and a developer, and they had two days to build a prototype on a specific theme: ‘How to better cover and prevent Ebola’. It is part of a global programme called Editors Lab, a series of international hackdays. The competition was won by the team from Vanguard, with a prototype called Ebola Go information apps which gives the users all the relevant information needed on Ebola. Such information as news, write ups, photos, videos,data etc. The project is web, mobile and SMS based. There is also a short code for Phone users where there is no internet. It also connects the users to doctors and doctors to users as well as hospitals. The apps ‘draws information from all relevant sites that have things to do with Ebola and other health issues.’ As one of the jury, Evangeline de Bourgeoning explains : ‘It is an extremely simple and efficient system: without any internet connection and in just a few clicks the users have access to the most important info about Ebola. This quick and cheap platform has the potential to become a broadly used tool in West-African countries.’ The 2nd prize went to Voice of Nigeria, with Hack Against Ebola and the 3rd prize to UNILAG with Ebola Shield. Other media houses that participated were YES INTERNATIONAL!, TVC, The Nation, etc.
You Might Also Like
TAGGED:
#HackAgainstEbola, channels TV, Ebola Go, Ebola Shield, Editors Lab, Evangeline de Bourgeoning, Global Editors Network, Google, Hack Against Ebola, ICFJ (International Center for Journalists), Nigerian Media House, OSIWA (Open Society Initiative for West Africa), Pan-Atlantic University, The Nation, TVC, UNILAG, Vanguard Newspaper, Voice of Nigeria, West-African countries, YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine
editor