MIAMI — Innovators from around the globe have two more weeks to submit an application to the 2009 Knight News Challenge digital innovation contest. Applicants have a chance to win up to $5 million. The deadline is Nov. 1.
The worldwide competition seeks innovative ideas that use digital experiments to transform community news and information exchange. Ideas should push the edge, whether that involves bringing Web 2.0 tools to local neighborhoods, improving online news or creating publishing platforms to inspire conversations in specific geographic communities.
There are only four rules. Winning entries must:
- Use or create digital, open-source technology;
- Use news and information to serve the public interest;
- Benefit at least one specific geographic community;
- Be innovative.
This is the third year of the News Challenge, a $25 million initiative of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. For the first time, the contest offers more than 50 coaches standing by online in the “News Challenge Garage” at www.garage.newschallenge.org to help innovators apply.
Last year’s winners received prizes ranging from $15,000 to $876,000. They included individuals, philanthropic organizations and for-profit businesses, such as the Bakersfield Californian newspaper. Ten winners were from the United States, and six were from Canada, England, Lithuania, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Russia.
To apply, or find detailed information about past winners and answers to frequently asked questions, visit www.newschallenge.org.
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation invests in journalism excellence worldwide and in the vitality of U.S. communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. Since 1950, the foundation has granted more than $400 million to advance quality journalism and freedom of expression. Knight Foundation focuses on projects with the potential to create transformational change. For more, visit www.knightfoundation.org.
Note to editors: Internationalized information on the Knight News Challenge is available on the www.newschallenge.org site in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Arabic, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish.