Cool StuffPlaying the News
An ONA pre-convention workshop on news games and interactive exercises.
Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008 • 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Capital Hilton • Washington, D.C.
Sponsored by J-Lab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism.
Supported by the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation.
When does a news "experience" tell the story better than a news "story"? This daylong workshop focuses on what's happening in the world of news games – from election, budget, environmental and other exercises. We'll look at the creation, usefulness and ethics of news games and searchable databases. And we'll hear from both the journalists and the programmers who build the games.
Agenda:
(click speaker names for full bios)
| 9 to 9:30 a.m. | If We Can Do It, So Can You |
Long before the Gotham Gazette got a Knight Challenge grant, it was creating news games on NYC issues. Here how and why they do it. | |
| 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. | Loop d' Loop |
American Public Media, home to Marketplace, Minnesota Public Radio, A Prairie Home Companion and Gather.com, has learned that games not only educate news consumers, they inform journalists, too. | |
| 10:15 to 10:30 a.m. | Short Break |
| 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. | Educational Exercises |
KQED in San Francisco has revived its successful You Decide, an online devil’s advocate that enables users to dig deeper and to clarify their positions on hot-button political issues. | |
| 10:50 to 11:30 a.m. | Predicting the News |
PlaytheNewsGame.com is an online interactive game uses real news footage and invites players to predict the outcome or events in the news and decide what they think should happen. | |
| 11:30 a.m. to Noon | Learning from Gamers |
Eyetracking research can provide clues to how we use games, what turns us on and turns us off. | |
| Noon to 1 p.m. | Luncheon Keynote Speaker: Ian Bogost Author, "Persuasive Games: The Expressive Power of Video Games," Creator of “Fat World” for ITVS, watercoolergames.com. |
| 1 to 1:30 p.m. | Augmented Reality Games |
What happens when news organizations take games from the virtual to the real world? | |
| 1:30 to 2 p.m. | Games for Social Change |
Some of the best news games are being produced by media on a mission. A quick tour of the non-profit, public interest and social issue gaming world. | |
| 2 to 2:15 p.m. | Short Break |
| 2:15 to 3 p.m. | Ethics of Gaming |
Does gaming lead to advocacy? Does that improve or compromise their journalistic value? Are turning news into voyeuristic entertainment? In a world of serious challenges, is it wrong to have fun? Are some issues too grave for gaming? PANEL DISCUSSION: Jan Schaffer, Ian Bogost, Nora Paul, | |
| 3 p.m. | Adjourn |
DATE(S): Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008 - Washington, D.C.
COST: $60, includes lunch.
REGISTRATION: Limit 90 people.
About J-Lab
J-Lab helps journalists and citizens use digital technologies to develop new ways for people to participate in public life with projects on innovations in journalism, citizen media, news games, interactive stories, entrepreneurship, research, training, and publications.
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