Monday, October 8, 2007

maps.google.com While doing field reporting on unfolding events, would it help to see participants' live reports on the action?

This weekend 436 people were arrested in Copenhagen when young activists tried to occupy a house. Modkraft.dk, which has always supported activists, launched two tools to help publish eyewitness reports to a wider audience.

The first is a Google map on which small figures moved around to show the positions of eyewitnesses moved. The second tool is a simple list of text messages. The site reported from six to nine hours about police movements, various demonstrations, and sub-groups of activists that tried to penetrate police barriers.

This combination of simple "moblogging" (mobile blogging) tools and map-tools allows participants to tell their side of the story unfiltered. My guess is that journalists covering such a story in the field could probably improve their own coverage if they have phones with Web access that lets them keep up with such live eyewitness reports to see where the action is at that moment.

(Thanks to Lars Michael Sorensen for the tip.)

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