Hacks/Hackers Brighton June meetup: Mobile stories

Please note the venue of this meetup. Past meetups have taken place in The Eagle. This one is in 'the gallery', the room at the back of the Lord Nelson (down the hill from the station) as The Eagle is closed for refurbishment.

We have two fantastic speakers confirmed for June's meetup of journalists (hacks) and technologists (hackers).

Mobile stories

Both speakers will be discussing two very different aspects of mobile. One of the projects creates news to be read on a mobile, the other uses mobiles in newsgathering. Both projects use Tumblr, a free social blogging platform.

Creating a mobile-first site of 'topical funny stuff'

Tom Phillips (@flashboy (http://twitter.com/flashboy)), news editor, UsVsTh3m

Martin Belam was due to give this presentation but he is double booked.

UsVsTh3m has just launched (28 May). It is a site of 'topical funny stuff' designed to be read on a mobile phone.

The idea for the site came out of a one-day ideas workshop at Trinity Mirror (which publishes the Mirror newspaper) in April.

Five weeks after the idea was first discussed, the site is up and running, with the team of four/five based next to the Mirror's digital team.

Tom will talk about the launch and share any lessons learnt during the first couple of weeks of operation.

Using mobile tools to engage the world's hardest-to-reach communities in meaningful dialogue

Libby Powell (@Libby__Powell (https://twitter.com/Libby__Powell)), director of Radar (@OnOurRadar (https://twitter.com/OnOurRadar)) and freelance journalist

Libby has recently been to Sierra Leone and to Kenya to lead projects involving training people in how to report news via SMS. (You can find out about the Sierra Leone project here (http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/citizen-journalists-report-sierra-leone-elections-by-sms-/s2/a551240/).)

Communication as a right: Mobile at the cross-roads between inclusive media and freedom of expression.

Opportunities for using mobile tools for newsgathering from beyond the radar - breaking news; whistle-blowing; election tracking; disease mapping; crowd sourcing reactions.

Case studies:

Sierra Leone: Disabling barriers - youth take a lead in digital election tracking

Kenya: Mobilising female reporters - boosting female voice in Africa's mobile/tech hub

India: Sharing the unspeakable - mobile mapping of acid attacks on Dalit (untouchable) women and girls

All are welcome to attend Hacks/Hackers meetups.