At a time when journalism is grappling with misinformation, shrinking trust, and rapid technological change, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: the next generation of solutions may come not from boardrooms or think tanks, but from students who see news data as both a challenge and an opportunity.
That belief is at the heart of Newsmatics’ 2026 Hackathon, returning Feb. 27–28 in Brno, Czechia, following a standout inaugural event that exceeded expectations and produced practical, working prototypes designed to solve real problems in the news ecosystem. The two-day competition gives student teams access to real-world news data, AI-powered tools, and mentorship — and challenges them to transform raw information into usable intelligence.
The event represents more than a coding competition. It’s a window into how emerging technologists are reimagining journalism’s infrastructure at a moment when the industry urgently needs new ideas, new tools, and new talent.
A hackathon built around journalism’s hardest problems
Newsmatics’ hackathon is deliberately focused on problems that news organizations, researchers, and the public are struggling with right now: detecting misinformation, forecasting news trends, structuring massive volumes of content, and supporting investigative reporting through data.
Student teams with backgrounds in IT, data science, and analytics are given access to Newsmatics’ extensive database of annotated English-language news articles, along with technical workshops designed to help them navigate and use the data effectively. From there, they work through the night to design and build prototype tools that could realistically be deployed in professional settings.
“This isn’t about hypothetical exercises,” said Jakub Leps, Chief Content Officer of Newsmatics. “We want students working with the same kinds of data and constraints that news organizations face every day. The goal is to see how fresh thinking, combined with real data, can lead to solutions that are actually usable.”
Projects in the 2026 competition will again focus on areas such as fake news detection, market and trend forecasting, advanced analytics, and tools that strengthen investigative journalism. The competition will begin Friday evening, Feb. 27, and conclude Saturday night, Feb. 28. Awards will be presented on February 28.
Lessons from a strong debut
Newsmatics’ first hackathon in 2025 offered preview of what’s possible when young technologists are invited into journalism’s problem space.
Held at Masaryk University’s Faculty of Informatics, the event drew 41 participants across high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels. Ten teams presented projects ranging from financial market tracking tools to sentiment analysis dashboards and fact-checking applications built on historical news data.
The winning team developed a market analysis application that mapped connections between news events and rapid price changes — a project that impressed judges with both its technical execution and its real-world applicability. Other teams tackled trend forecasting and misinformation detection, highlighting how news data can be repurposed into decision-support tools for journalists, businesses, and researchers alike.
“What stood out wasn’t just the technical skill,” Leps said. “It was how intuitively the teams understood the role news plays in shaping markets, public opinion, and civic life.”
That success directly informed the design of the 2026 event, which expands access to tools, refines project topics, and deepens the connection between student work and industry needs.
Why this matters now
The return of the Newsmatics Hackathon comes at a pivotal moment for journalism. Newsrooms are under pressure to do more with less, while misinformation spreads faster and audiences demand greater transparency and accountability.
For David Rothstein, Chief Executive Officer of Newsmatics, the hackathon reflects a broader responsibility within the news technology sector.
“If we want a healthier information ecosystem tomorrow, we have to invest in the people building the tools today,” Rothstein said. “Students bring a different perspective — they’re not constrained by legacy workflows, but they’re deeply fluent in data, AI, and systems thinking. That combination is incredibly powerful for journalism.”
Rothstein emphasized that the event is also about exposing students to journalism’s civic mission, not just its technical challenges. “These participants aren’t just learning how to analyze data. They’re learning why accuracy, context, and trust matter — and how technology can either strengthen or weaken those principles.”
From competition to community
While the hackathon is competitive by design, organizers stress that collaboration and learning are just as important as winning. Participants receive food, workspace support, and even sleeping accommodations to encourage sustained focus and teamwork during the 24-hour build.
Equally important is what happens after the event.
Newsmatics will provide post-event coverage for E&P Magaine, highlighting the winning teams, standout projects, and emerging ideas from the competition. That coverage will surface not just who won, but what worked, what surprised judges, and which concepts could realistically influence future newsroom tools and workflows.
For publishers, editors, and media executives, the event offers a rare look at how the next generation is thinking about journalism’s data challenges — and where innovation may be headed next.
A call to engage
Newsmatics’ 2026 Hackathon is open to student teams interested in data analytics, AI, journalism, and information integrity. Whether participants are motivated by competition, learning, or the chance to contribute to meaningful change, the event offers a hands-on opportunity to work with real data and real problems.
Registration details and event information are available online at:
https://www.newsmatics.com/news-index/hackathon-2026
As journalism continues to evolve, initiatives like this signal a growing recognition that the industry’s future depends not only on protecting core values — but on equipping new builders to carry them forward.
And in a world increasingly shaped by data, that future may be written not just in newsrooms, but in hackathons where students turn raw information into insight, clarity, and possibility.
About Newsmatics
Founded in 1995, Newsmatics is a global Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) company using AI to transform news into structured, scalable intelligence. With one of the world’s most comprehensive real-time indexing systems and a network of over 3,900 publications, Newsmatics powers smarter news distribution through platforms like EIN Presswire, Perspectify®, and Affinity Group Publishing. Celebrating 30 years of innovation in 2025, Newsmatics continues to lead in delivering trusted, bias-labeled, and highly targeted information at scale.
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