Platform for citizen photojournalism offers map of local content

Mobile platform Tackable enables reporters and editors to create photo assignments for readers to complete using their smartphones.

From the New York Times’ The Local to CNN’s Open Stories, recent years have seen citizen journalism become more and more integrated with professional news reporting. Now, new mobile photojournalism platform Tackable enables reporters and editors to create photo assignments for readers to complete using their smartphones, with the aim of helping them write better articles, faster. Due to launch this year across 34 newspapers in the San Francisco Bay area, co-founder and former journalist Luke Stangel describes Tackable as “cutting up your newspaper into 10,000 pieces and placing the best of the best articles, deals, ads, events and coupons on a map”. Where Trackable differs from other similar services however, is that as well as photojournalist being able to respond to tasks set by journalists and editors, the app also allows the public to upload interesting things they see as they see them, which get placed on a live map instantly. This means citizen photos not only add breadth to existing news stories but can also generate new ones. Recognizing user location, the app pulls news and events from the neighborhood, displaying images and comments from those who are there. The platform is multi-layered so users can select and search for what they are interested in, be that photos, professional stories, deals or user-generated content, and users can also post comments. Tackable’s revenue will be driven by deals and ads, which can target users by location and time of day. Stangel hopes the app will help and change journalism. Combining the explosion of mobile app usage with the news generating abilities of the public, more stories can be covered in more detail, instantly. In an industry still exploring the path from print to digital, could this be a model for success? Spotted by: Katharina Kieck