GREDIA

This blog, the trip,  research and interviews that are a vital part of it, have all been made possible with the aid of the EC-co-funded Research & Development project GREDIA (for more information on the GREDIA project see the project homepage). GREDIA is concerned with, among others, Grid technology and sharing large amounts of data in a fast and secure way. The role of Deutsche Welle is to investigate media scenarios and usage of such technologies for media organisations. Hence, we also want to know and be fully aware of what is happening in the area of digital / mobile journalism to meet media organsiations’ needs and demands, now and in the years to come.

The internet is opening up new opportunities for the distribution of content. If, for example, someone updates a webblog in Berlin, the text, pictures or videos contained in the post can be read in New York or Sao Paulo immediately afterwards.

As a result, traditional journalism is undergoing fundamental change. But to which extent is this the case, and is it for better or worse? These are just some of the questions that need to be answered.

While many publishers embrace the new opportunities available, many experienced journalists point out that the media profession is not only defined by speed and the willingness to publish. Core journalistic skills such as accuracy, un-biased reporting, thorough research, collecting background information and complying with ethical standards are of increasing importance in an environment in which literally anybody can be a publisher.

In order to better understand the changes that are going on in the digital media world, this blog presents the results of a series of interviews and discussions with journalists and other media experts who are on the cutting edge of what is defined as ‘digital journalism’. The experts portrayed here have already left their mark by producing, presenting or publishing content in novel ways and formats. By sharing their experiences, observations and opinions, the authors of this blog hope to capture some of the major issues that concern the future of journalism from various angles, and trigger conversations and discussions about it.

• MediaStorm (www.mediastorm.org)
• Beet TV (www.beet.tv)
• Reuters Labs (www.reutersmojo.com)
• Pulitzer Center (www.pulitzercenter.org)
• Wall Street Journal (www.wsj.com)
• City University of New York – Graduate School of Journalism (www.buzzmachine.com and journalism.cuny.edu)

Details of the interviews, plus much more on the state of digital and mobile journalism, can be found in the interview section of this blog.

The 4 MoJos

Stay tuned to follow them on their, possibly epic, journey