BarCamp NewsInnovation Chicago, 2.21.09

I’m in search of a word that adequately describes the intersection of technology and journalism, but have yet to reach success. I’m going to keep working on it, though. I’m aiming for something like The Medici Effect or The Element, but my sights may be too high.

Regardless, there is an event I’m proud to be a part of that aims to continue the intersection of those two disciplines, and who knows a catchy word or phrase to describe it may come out of it.

I am happy to announce that BarCamp NewsInnovation Chicago will be held Saturday, Feb. 21 of Northwestern University’s Medill Graduate School of Journalism newsroom at 210 S. Clark St., in downtown Chicago. Register now to take part

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I want to thank Northwestern University, the Medill School of Journalism, Rich Gordon and Beatrice Figueroa for their help in making this event happen. It’s a great location and great partners to have.

Join this group for a one-day un-conference to experience the creativity and energy that occurs when technologist, programmers, web developers, designers, hackers and information architects teams to do cool stuff with journalists, entrepreneurs, tech business dudes, students, professors and others with interest in news and information.

This ad hoc event will be a place to not only talk about how technology is influencing journalism, but participants will be given the opportunity to brainstorm an idea and hack it out by the end of the afternoon.

Rich Gordon and the Medill school know, maybe better than anybody, the importance of getting journalists and technologists working together. The two, funded by the Knight Foundation, put together a scholarship program encouraging skilled computer programmers and web developers to earn a master’s degrees in journalism.

We are offering the equivalent of nine full scholarships over three years to Medill’s journalism master’s program to people with degrees and/or experience in computer programming and Web development. The goal is to bring the skills and mindsets of programmer-developers into the world of journalism, expose them to the theory and practice of journalism, and challenge them to find interesting ways of melding journalism and technology. – Rich Gordon in an interview with Robert Niles

The first such crop of master’s students produced – among an array of other cool stuff that Gordon has written about - NewsMixer.us.

I would like for BarCamp NewsInnovation Chicago to build on that momentum and see where it leads.

The idea is simple. It is an attempt to get technologist, web developers, entrepreneurs, journalists, tech business dudes, students, professors and any other interested people together to spur ideas, see what creativity erupts and do cool stuff what it comes to sharing, consuming and monetizing news and information.