Sensor Journalism: tools and tricks

sensors, apps, tools & journalism

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@hillevanderkaa

sensors & journalism

“Sensor Journalism refers to the use of sensors to generate or collect data, then

analyzing, visualizing, or using data to support journalistic inquiry. This is related to but

distinct from data journalism. Whereas data journalism relies on using historical or existing data, sensor journalism involves the creation

of data with sensor tools.”

Wikipedia  

journalists using sensors

people using sensors

existing sensor networks

mobile sensing

wearables and data donation Bui (2014)

journalists using sensors

to retrieve field data, independently or with a collaborator & analyze the data and

deliver a report or a more visual presentation of the data

In the months leading up to the 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing’s poor air quality was a major source of concern. The host city struggled to fulfill its

commitment to provide the best environment for athletes and visitors.

Associated Press journalists were assigned with handheld monitoring devices and GPS units which tracked both the air quality and the journalists’ location

as they moved throughout the city in the course of their daily reporting.

The Houston Chronicle tested the air in public parks, playgrounds and

neighborhoods bordering. They found the air in the Manchester area so laden with toxic chemicals that it was dangerous to breathe.

“Until the Chronicle monitored for air pollution at her house this summer, Hildegard Bruce, who has lived on

Gober Street for nearly 50 years, didn't know for certain that the air in her back yard was contaminated.

There were hints: the odors, the dish-rattling boom of a flare burning off chemicals at the nearby plant, and the times the company came around asking questions or

offering a free turkey for Thanksgiving.

Her eyes welled tears when she was told her house was among the most polluted in the study.”

people using sensors

engage supporters or followers by either providing them with sensors or by asking

them to build their own assignment specific sensors

The iSPEX team, led by Frans Snik of Leiden University, analyzed all

measurements from three days in 2013 and combined them into unique maps of dust particles above the Netherlands.

The Cicada Project was among the first large scale experiments to use data that is collected by tiny, inexpensive bits of hardware. The Cicada Tracker

received nearly 1,500 temperature readings from listeners.

existing sensor networks

journalist gets access to sensor networks that are already

embedded in the public space

The Sun Sentinel was awarded the prestigious Pulitzer Prize Gold Medal for

its investigation of off-duty police officers endangering the lives of citizens by speeding.

The newspaper launched its investigation after an off-duty Miami police officer was pulled for driving 120 mph in the fall of 2011. They used data

collected from SunPass toll booths to calculate the officers' speed.

water weather pollution

The Air Quality Egg, founded by a Kickstarter campaign, is a sensor system

designed to allow anyone to collect readings of NO2 and CO concentrations outside of their home. It creates a community-led air quality sensing network.

mobile sensing

projects that are wrote based on the data that is reported by any of the sensors that

are build-in to our mobile phones

SeeClickFix is a civic app that allows users to report non-emergency issues. In Detroit, residents use SeeClickFix to report damaged water pipes that need

repair to the City of Detroit Water and Sewage Department.

The problems are usually mapped and logged in a news feed. Ideally, an app

like this enables a platform on which citizens and cities can collaboratively identify issues.

StreetBump is an app that logs accelerometer data as bikers and drivers

commute to help report on potential potholes and inconsistencies on public roads.

wearables and data donation

it’s possible for someone (or more than one person) to co-opt an individual’s

data stream for secondary use

ProView tells the story of your favorite runner, based on real time sensor information and live GoPro footage. It is up to the viewers to choose the

story they like the best on this second screen application.

Runkeeper Live uses the GPS radio of an iPhone to track running any other exercise that gets one moving around. That data is used on the RunKeeper website to map your route, log your speed, elevation and more in real-time.

GPS (speed, acceleration)

sound (noise measurement)

light

altimeter

vibration meter (earthquakes)

live GPS tracking Trackr - Greenalp

sound (noise measurement)

Db volumemeter – TooLoud?

light

light sensor

altimeter

DS Altimeter

vibration

vibration meter

pothole detector

apps, tools & journalism

20 tools

20 minutes to play

20 minutes to share

six tools to build a framework

‘Storehouse turns your iPad into a visual storytelling tool with which you can share your life experiences through a blend of text and multimedia content.’

Racontr aims to be a a place to gather, create and share web-documentaries, interactive videos, websites and mobile apps, interactive comics, long-form

articles and all those formats defining the future of storytelling.

‘Interactive photography’

‘Allow users to unlock narrative elements, directly from your image.’

‘Beyond text, video, images and quizzes, Versal offers an array of

customizable and interactive gadgets – so learning is not only effective but fun.’

two tools to build animations

four tools to make timelines

Timemapper

three tools to create infographics

visme

easel.ly

icharts

two tools to create maps

batchgeo

‘Think of our platform like building blocks: add custom markers and tooltips, give turn-by-turn directions, and then add your map to your website or

mobile app.’

and: live streaming

live stream apps

20 tools

20 minutes to play

20 minutes to share

20 tools

20 minutes to play

20 minutes to share