Idea Lab

Pew Studies the Power of Text-Based Donations After Haiti Quake

by Anne-Ryan Heatwole
2009 Knight News Challenge Winner

A simple text message can have a big impact. Mobile giving makes it easy to donate almost instantaneously after disaster strikes -- users authorize a mobile donation by texting a keyword to a specific short code, and the donation is then billed to the donor's mobile phone bill, eventually ending up with the nonprofit of choice. Following the devastating Haitian earthquake of 2010 that left more than 200,000 people dead and more than 1 million Haitians homeless, mobile donations to Haiti totaled more than $43 million -- the first time mobile giving went mainstream in the United States on a...

• January 12, 2012
• comments

Sudan Radio Service Solicits Feedback via Text Messaging

by Anne-Ryan Heatwole
2009 Knight News Challenge Winner

From January 9 to 15, Southern Sudan held a referendum to decide if the region should become an independent state. Although results have not yet officially been announced, estimates indicate that the referendum will pass with an overwhelming number of pro-independence votes. (Read MediaShift's recent report from Simon Roughneen on the ground in Sudan.) It's essential to keep citizens informed of new developments during the voting period -- and one of the best ways to reach large numbers of people is through radio. The Sudan Radio Service, which has been operating since 2006, recently began incorporating mobile technology into its...

• January 28, 2011
• comments

South African Paper Uses Mobile Services to Engage Readers

by Anne-Ryan Heatwole
2009 Knight News Challenge Winner

In Grahamstown, South Africa, getting and sharing news is a mobile experience. Grocott's Mail, a local paper, incorporates mobile phones into many aspects of its news service -- from disseminating headlines via SMS, to encouraging readers to text in their opinions and making it a part of a Knight News Challenge-winning citizen journalist training program. The paper, which sells 6,400 copies each week, is a good example of how mobiles can create a richer news experience for both readers and publishers. Idea Lab contributor Harry Dugmore, is a professor at the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University....

• July 19, 2010
• comments

How 'This American Life' Attracted Donors with Mobile Giving

by Anne-Ryan Heatwole
2009 Knight News Challenge Winner

Those of us at MobileActive have written before about mobile giving during disasters, and the dramatic results these campaigns can have. But mobile giving can also be used for non disaster-related fundraising drives, and the popular public radio show "This American Life" is one of the latest organizations to embrace this trend. The weekly radio show tells stories about the experiences of everyday people. It's distributed by Public Radio International and attracts 1.7 million listeners each week. Its free podcast generates 600,000 weekly downloads, creating significant bandwidth charges. As a result, "This American Life" holds twice-yearly pledge drives in order...

• April 29, 2010
• comments

The Namibian Turns Text Messages into Letters to the Editor

by Anne-Ryan Heatwole
2009 Knight News Challenge Winner

Many news organizations use SMS to send out news alerts, but the Namibian, a daily paper in Namibia, has set up pages in its print edition and on its website to publish text-message letters to the editor submitted by readers. The Namibian is an independent newspaper with newsstand sales of 27,000 a day (with an estimated 10-person pass-along rate), and a popular web edition. It launched the SMS pages in August 2007. The SMS program originally started as a way for readers to respond to specific articles. The editors would place an image of a mobile phone beneath certain stories...

• April 13, 2010
• comment

News Service Uses Mobile Voice Messages to Inform Rural India

by Anne-Ryan Heatwole
2009 Knight News Challenge Winner

One call can bring news to hundreds in rural villages in India. Gaon Ki Awaaz, which means "Village Voice" in the Avhadi language, sends out twice-daily news calls to subscribers directly over their mobile phones. Launched in December 2009, the project recently expanded to 250 subscribers spread over 20 villages. What Does Gaon Ki Awaaz Do? Sunil Saxena, dean of the International Media Institute of India that launched the project, said that Gaon Ki Awaaz was developed in order to meet the needs of rural populations. Gaon Ki Awaaz has two reporters, Divyakar Pratap Singh and Priya Gupta, who produce...

• March 25, 2010
• comments

Reviewing "The Big Thaw" - Where is Media Going?

by Anne-Ryan Heatwole
2009 Knight News Challenge Winner

In July 2009, The Media Consortium published Tony Deifell's The Big Thaw -- Charting a New Future for Journalism. The comprehensive review not only examines the current state of journalism, but also maps out potential ways the media can adapt for the future. Written in three volumes ("Dissonance and Opportunity," "New and Emerging Realities" and "The Future"), the report dissects the problems of current media organizations and explores solutions. Through interviews with dozens of media and technology experts, Deifell attempts to explain not only where the media industry is today, but how it got there and where it might be...

• December 10, 2009
• comments