Why journalism needs blockchain

Come to the Crypto Cafe to learn about Civil, blockchain technology, and the future of journalism from Úrsula O'Kuinghttons, Mariana Santos, and James Beck. Úrsula is the regional lead of The Civil Media Company, and has long been interested in the intersection of technology and society as a journalist at Reuters News Agency, and then the Spanish paper El País. Mariana Santos founded Chicas Poderosas. She is a visual storyteller doing groundbreaking work as a member of the interactive team at The Guardian in London. James Beck is the Global Public Relations lead at ConsenSys, a 1,100 person company building technology on Ethereum. Before joining ConsenSys, James lived in China, working with a Hong Kong foundation to bring U.S. journalists on trips to meet government officials, lawyers, artists, and academics in China.

1:30 -- Light lunch, wine, and networking 2:00 -- Why journalism needs blockchain 2:45 -- Q & A 3:15 -- Drinks on the terrace

Civil

If twenty years ago someone asserted that a newly emerging internet would decimate the newspaper industry, you might have dismissed them. Yet the advent of online advertising controlled, mostly by Facebook and Google, bankrupted the traditional subscription and delivery model. To stay alive in this new media era, publishers must to play to a cash-for-click model, increasingly blurring the lines between investigative and sensationalized reporting.

The new technology collectively called “blockchain,” promises to restore power to the readers and newsmakers. The innovation is the system’s ability to globally record and distribute data updates without relying on a trusted centralized entity. It allows for an entirely new business model — one where there is no central controlling company, instead of shared contributions and ownership by all involved.

Just as internet transformed journalism, Civil sees blockchain technology as an ability to make investigative, niche and local journalism viable again. Originality and accuracy will be rewarded, all without resorting to ad-based monetization. The result is a completely unbundled and decentralized news ecosystem where simultaneously anyone can create, contribute and support only what they want, and where trolling, echo chambers and misinformation are economically infeasible.

Chicas Poderosas

Since Mariana Santos started Chicas Poderosas in 2013, the goal has been to help Latin American women succeed as new media leaders. Her vision has been responsible for inspiring thousands of women in Latin America and throughout the world.

Chicas Poderosas continues to provide digital and new media skills and leadership training to Chicas’ ambassadors, to facilitate professional mentorships, and to provide fellowships to Chicas so they can learning from innovative news and media organizations.

With the quickly evolving funding and organization mechanisms of blockchain technology, it is important to share this knowledge to keep its foundations inclusive for newsmakers and consumers alike.

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A Web Summit ticket is not necessary to attend this event.