Mobile Media Toolkit

A new project from the Mobile Media Toolkit lets us test mobile media tools with Al Jazeera reporters, and share the lessons and tools with you, on an SD card!

Ashoka Changemakers announces today the 11 finalists for the Citizen Media competition. 

The competition asks for promising innovations to boost media access and participation around the world. Media helps connect people, gives voice to their ideas, and equips them with knowledge to improve their lives and communities.  Finalists were chosen from a pool of 426 entries from 75 countries.

Mobile Journalist on an SD Card

Our entry from the Mobile Media Toolkit is the Mobile Journalist on an SD Card. We think one of the most promising and innovative ways to boost media access and participation around the world is via mobile phones. 

Most citizen journalists and reporters already use mobiles phones, but the sheer number of tools available makes it difficult to know the best way to use them. Mobile Journalist on an SD Card tests and makes accessible the best of the tools for journalists and citizen journalists, downloadable and on SD cards ready to plug into any phone. Tools will span from basic feature phone to smartphones, and will be selected to work in varying situations, including low-resource reporting environments where Internet access is unreliable. 

Here's what we'll do.

First, it is important to have reporters test these new tools in the field. We draw from our expertise and the resources of the Mobile Media Toolkit to share suggested tools with Al Jazeera reporters, working in the field around the world. 

After the reporters try out the tools, we’ll hear from them their experiences. What worked? What helped you to streamline your current work? What tools helped you add new tricks or content to your reporting? We’ll make these lessons, along with the tools, available on an SD card. 

Why SD card delivery?

Micro SD cards can hold lots of apps and content. The cards can plug directly into a mobile phone and are easily shared with you. Hence, Mobile Journalist on an SD Card! In this way, you can have a tried-and-tested, ready to go set of tools to help you in your work as a citizen journalist or trained reporter. 

How to vote!

Beginning today, though November 23, you can vote for your favorite project. The public votes online to select four winners. 

You can locate an entry in the window above, vote via Facebook, or on Changemakers.com. Remember, our entry is the Mobile Journalist on an SD Card. Thanks for your vote!

What are other mobile projects for citizen reporting?

We’re not the only ones focusing on mobile tech for citizen media in this competition. 

Serval Project. Serval lets mobile phones work without infrastructure, such as during disasters or in times of internal crisis, by using your existing phone number. The group created open-source software that uses the WiFi radio in cell phones to create a P2P telephony and data service that behaves just like a regular cellular network, including using existing phone numbers.

CGNet Swara. CGNet Swara is a voice-based portal, accessible by mobile phone, that allows anyone to report and listen to stories of local interest. Reported stories are moderated by trained journalists and made available for playback online as well as over the phone. Check out our case study on CGNet Swara. 

Global Participatory Journalism with FrontlineSMS. This project uses FrontlineSMS software to aggregate messages that are sent to a newsroom or other hub. Hosts and journalists will be able to sort through, curate, and verify primary sources, and can send selections of this content to mobile devices.