Hacks/Hackers Unite: Our first storytelling/hacking event, May 21-23

Hacks/Hackers began as a meetup, but the vision for the group is about more than social gatherings. There’s already been so much talk about the future of journalism. We wanted to create a community of people leading the charge and building that future.

We’re moving ahead with more of that plan. Hacks/Hackers is partnering with KQED, the leading public radio station in the country, to host its first workshop event May 21-23. Hacks/Hackers Unite will be a hands-on gathering to build storytelling applications for tablet devices, such as the iPad. We’re still working on the full program, and guests will include KQED and NPR developers and on-air personalities.

The event is called “Unite” because we want to unite hacks and hackers and bring together the best of journalism and technology. For that reason, the event will focus on storytelling, unlike a typical “hack day.” This format aims to bring journalists and developers together for all stages of the media production process to share ideas and inspiration.

We have set up a Google Moderator site for people to propose ideas and find teammates ahead of the event. We hope you’ll come prepared with stories to tell and applications to build. There will also be matchmaking at the event for people to pitch projects and find collaborators.

Please register at http://unite.hackshackers.com and join us!

Hacks/Hackers goes nationwide

I’m excited to announce that we’re joining forces with some industry leaders working at the intersection of journalism and technology to help expand Hacks/Hackers into a wider community. Rich Gordon, associate professor and director of digital innovation at the Medill School of Journalism, and Aron Pilhofer, editor of Interactive News Technologies at The New York Times, will be helping to build Hacks/Hackers.

We all felt this is the right idea at the right time, and look forward to bringing our different perspectives on the issue to help foster this community. We’re hoping to plan events in other cities and also create more online resources. Please feel free to contact us if you’re interested in helping or taking part.

More details on how this came about are on the revised About page, and here’s a post Rich wrote for PBS Mediashift about our collaboration.