In the evolving landscape of online media, journalists are in need of more sophisticated yet agile tools for both managing content and gathering data — from the articles to photos to contacts. Many newsrooms are building simple solutions to make it easier to archive the stories we tell and share them with the world. But what does our data look like from the backend?

On Nov. 30, Hacks/Hackers NYC will have technologists from three very distinct news organizations — The New York Times, Forbes and Business Insider — come discuss the guts of data storage.

In addition, we will have folks representing MongoDB, a leading NoSQL database systems, talk about the way their technology is being used to organize news and information.

Focusing on systems architecture and journalism use cases, our speakers will discuss how and why data storage makes for better storytelling every day. This is a pretty geeky event, but if you're a hack (rather than a hacker), come understand how data is going to become a key element in news organizations going forward.

Presenters include:

- Pax Dickinson, chief architect of Business Insider, will discuss the architecture of designing a site that puts a premium on speed. To build a quick and reliable site, Business Insider's tech team developed a different approach to data storage, using MongoDB for the fastest responses. In their development, they coupled Solr and MongoDV to fit different tasks and work more effectively with data.

- David Dunlop and Taylor Buley, manager of software engineering at Forbes.com, will discuss how Forbes stores articles and company data in a distributed workforce. They use MongoDB and also actively develop against relational databases (MySQL and H2). In their talk you will learn how Forbes’s data, including lists of billionaires, flows through the system architecture from creation to serving a user.

- Jacqui Cox and Erik Hinton of the Interactive News Team atThe New York Times will talk about the various approaches that the team uses to store data, including NoSQL databases.

To join this deep dive into data storage for news orgs, RSVP today ($10, payable in advance) to attend the Hacks/Hackers NYC meetup — this will help cover food and drinks. If the $10 fee is beyond your budget, please email nyc[at]hackshackers[dot]com and we'll work things out with you.

Schedule:

6:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.: Doors and dinner (suggestions? Let us know)

7 p.m.: Presentation and Q&A

~8:15 p.m. -  9 p.m.: Networking and socializing

We need your help!

Volunteer to help check people in (it's a great way to meet everyone), photograph or blog the presentation by emailing us at nyc[at]hackshackers[dot]com. (If you want to blog, this is a fairly technical presentation, so you must be able to handle that!)

Have an idea for future Hacks/Hackers topics, speakers and events that meet the at the intersection journalism, technology and innovation? Let us know at j.mp/hhnycInput.

We hope to see you Nov. 30!

About the Host: NWCU
This event is part of NWCU, community-powered learning driven entirely by member participation. NWCU is a curated collection of classes, workshops, Meetup groups, and hackathons, all sharing one core common goal: help existing and aspiring independents build, learn, and share with one another, so more people can lead better, happier lives working for themselves.

NWCU is made possible by New Work City, amazing supporters of independents and innovation.

About New Work City
New Work City is a coworking space and community center for independents in Manhattan. We gather in a cozy shared environment to work, collaborate, learn, and socialize. All you need is some work to do and a friendly disposition!