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How do start-ups use digital innovation to support freedom of expression?

How do start-ups get started? What challenges do they face? And what conclusions should media developers be drawing? Five takeaways from the DW Akademie panel at the Global Media Forum 2016.

How do start-ups use digital innovation to support freedom of expression?

Anya Schiffrin, Director, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, USA

During the research for our study, "Publishing for peanuts: Innovation and the Journalism Start-up", we noted that most media startups arose from journalistic commitment rather than any economic ambition. These entrepreneurs are idealists, they want to bring about change, fill a gap in the media landscape or draw attention to failings in their society.
How do start-ups use digital innovation to support freedom of expression?

Kanaka Sandhya Yatirajula, Assistant Coordinator, SAHAYOG, India

Our project allows women to report corruption in the Indian health system via their mobile phones. We have learned that while the technology is useful, it's very much a means to an end. We're encouraging women to use the service, but you can't force innovations upon others. It’s the women themselves who decide whether to take up ideas and develop them further.
How do start-ups use digital innovation to support freedom of expression?

Oludotun Babayemi, Co-founder, Connected Development [CODE], Nigeria

We use open data to track aid funding in Nigeria. Used on its own, however, open data isn't the solution. Organizations like ours need to be able to present the data in a form that's easy for everyone to understand. Our target audiences have no Internet. We use radio and TV broadcasts, and visit the communities directly and set up feedback groups there.
How do start-ups use digital innovation to support freedom of expression?

Steffen Leidel, Acting Head, Digital Innovation and Knowledge Management, DW Akademie, Germany

Open data, crowdsourcing, mapping - there's a worldwide surge in initiatives aiming to use digital technologies to enhance freedom of expression and access to information. The stakeholders are many and varied, from private individuals to independent media or human rights organizations.
How do start-ups use digital innovation to support freedom of expression?

Erik Albrecht, Author, DW Akademie, Deutschland

In the media sector, a new set of players has entered the field: the computer specialists. These days media workers not only need the skills of a journalist, they also need to know how to communicate with IT specialists and programmers. We, as a media development organization, need to acquire this expertise as well, so that we can better support the partners we are working with.

How do start-ups use digital innovation to support freedom of expression?

Anya Schiffrin, Director, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, USA

During the research for our study, "Publishing for peanuts: Innovation and the Journalism Start-up", we noted that most media startups arose from journalistic commitment rather than any economic ambition. These entrepreneurs are idealists, they want to bring about change, fill a gap in the media landscape or draw attention to failings in their society.
How do start-ups use digital innovation to support freedom of expression?

Kanaka Sandhya Yatirajula, Assistant Coordinator, SAHAYOG, India

Our project allows women to report corruption in the Indian health system via their mobile phones. We have learned that while the technology is useful, it's very much a means to an end. We're encouraging women to use the service, but you can't force innovations upon others. It’s the women themselves who decide whether to take up ideas and develop them further.
How do start-ups use digital innovation to support freedom of expression?

Oludotun Babayemi, Co-founder, Connected Development [CODE], Nigeria

We use open data to track aid funding in Nigeria. Used on its own, however, open data isn't the solution. Organizations like ours need to be able to present the data in a form that's easy for everyone to understand. Our target audiences have no Internet. We use radio and TV broadcasts, and visit the communities directly and set up feedback groups there.
How do start-ups use digital innovation to support freedom of expression?

Steffen Leidel, Acting Head, Digital Innovation and Knowledge Management, DW Akademie, Germany

Open data, crowdsourcing, mapping - there's a worldwide surge in initiatives aiming to use digital technologies to enhance freedom of expression and access to information. The stakeholders are many and varied, from private individuals to independent media or human rights organizations.
How do start-ups use digital innovation to support freedom of expression?

Erik Albrecht, Author, DW Akademie, Deutschland

In the media sector, a new set of players has entered the field: the computer specialists. These days media workers not only need the skills of a journalist, they also need to know how to communicate with IT specialists and programmers. We, as a media development organization, need to acquire this expertise as well, so that we can better support the partners we are working with.

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