2324.ch | Hyper-local news to write yourself!

About the job

April 2016

2324.ch | Hyper-local news to write yourself!

Last Tuesday we launched 2324.ch, our platform for hyper-local news. We are Mauro Bieg (27, MSc. Computer Science ETH) and Amanda Sauter (25, B.A. Communication Design HTWG Konstanz).

As recently as last September, it was just an idea. In the ICT4Good Fellowship of the Impact Hub, we suddenly had to formulate the concept as concisely as possible, deal with critical questions, and, what we find almost most important: we were confronted with deadlines. While pondering ideas and possibilities is fun, it does not bring a project closer to reality. Without the deadline of the final jury presentation on December 1, 2015, we probably would not have managed to call the first municipalities and develop a go-to-market strategy for a long time. The temptation to clarify all details and perfect the concept based on untested assumptions would have been too great. Even now that we are live, not every pixel is perfect, but we have a functioning MVP (minimal viable product) that we continue to refine and with which we can gain experience.

2324.ch online

We want to change how local news is spread and matters are discussed. 2324.ch is an online platform for hyper-local news that promotes dialogue between the population, clubs, and the municipal administration. On the one hand, it is a kind of online local newspaper with official announcements; on the other hand, it is a social network where active dialogue can take place. On 2324.ch, users can create their own posts, also on behalf of their clubs or other local organizations. We believe that only a contemporary information medium can motivate the population to participate in local affairs.

Thanks to the fixed deadline, we were able to present a convincing concept on December 1 and also recruit the city of Winterthur as a pilot municipality. This convinced the jury and we won the ICT4Good Fellowship of the Impact Hub, sponsored by Swisscom. The prize money and an additional nine months of Hub membership now allow us to continue working on 2324.ch and kickstart the project.

Next steps

In the following months, we worked diligently on programming and design, so that we have now dared a soft launch in our pilot municipality Winterthur with a first prototype. (Feedback and suggestions for improvement are always welcome!) Here we work with the communications department of the city: so you can already read and respond to all city announcements on 2324.ch/winterthur in an attractive format. Now it is our task to convince as many organizations, clubs, and private bloggers as possible in Winterthur to write and publish on 2324.ch. As soon as we have enough content for our Winterthur readership, the website will also be officially launched.

After having had the opportunity to refine the concept in Winterthur, it should be applicable to all 2324 municipalities in Switzerland. Are you in the municipal administration or similar and want 2324.ch for your municipality? We would love to work with you! We are also looking for reinforcement in our team in the area of marketing/communication. Leave a comment on our channel on 2324.ch or write to us at info@2324.ch.