By Stephanie Zucarelli
Media Party facilitates the intersection between the world of technology and the journalism, and it seemed natural to us to partner with Chi Hack Night upon its arrival in Chicago. Chi Hack Night, responsible for building a breeding ground that provided a space for journalists, developers, and community members to collaborate on new digital projects that enhance data literacy.
The community event, which takes place every Tuesday night, has been a crucial space for skill sharing the last decade. The community behind Chi Hack Night features workshops and hackathons led by specialists in every area and provides a platform for cross-disciplinary collaboration. Participants have the opportunity to work on projects that address civic issues, from open data initiatives to community engagement efforts.
Chi Hack Night was the place where the Chicago Reporter’s Police Data Initiative emerged. The project, which started in 2015, aimed to make police data more accessible and transparent to the public. With the help of Chi Hack Night participants, the team created a user-friendly web application that allows people to search and analyze data on police misconduct and use of force incidents.
The event also hosted the developers of “Property Tax Simulator”, a tool that generates historic tax bills for any Cook County property from tax years 2006 to 2020. This simulator explores property tax scenarios and can be used to better understand its costs. It can also be used to safely calculate the impact of tax policies and what consequences could bring to citizens.
Chi Hack Night has created a supportive platform for people who are passionate about using technology to create positive change in their communities. If you want to know more about their work, come to Media Party Chicago (8–10 June).
More information at https://mediaparty.org/.
