MIAMI (Aug. 29, 2012) – The Knight News Challenge: Mobile opens today, seeking innovative ideas that harness mobile technology to inform and engage communities.

“With 6 billion mobile phones worldwide, mobile devices have become an important tool for creating, sharing and learning about what’s going on around us. Yet media companies large and small continue to struggle with their mobile strategies,” said Michael Maness, vice president for journalism and media innovation at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which runs the challenge. “Through the News Challenge, we hope to learn new approaches, share insights and build the foundation for future media projects that improve news, information, democracy and communities.”

The News Challenge application process is simple – answer eight questions briefly on the newschallenge.org Tumblr by noon EST Sept. 10. Winners will receive a share of $5 million in funding and support from Knight Foundation’s network of influential peers and advisors to help advance their ideas.

The Knight News Challenge accelerates media innovation by funding the best breakthrough ideas in news and information. Innovators from all industries and countries – for-profit and non-profit – are invited to participate. The challenge’s definition of news is broad, encompassing any mobile idea that helps provide communities with the information they need. Read about challenge guidelines in our FAQ, and about why the challenge is focusing on data on our Tumblr.

This is the third and final round of the News Challenge running in 2012, under a revamped model designed to more closely match the pace of innovation than the previous once-yearly format.  Winners of the first round on networks were announced June 18; winners of the second on data will be announced Sept. 20.

Winners of Knight News Challenge: Mobile will be announced in early 2013.

If you have a question about the challenge, ping Knight Foundation on Twitter via @knightfdn and #newschallenge or through email at [email protected].

About Knight Foundation

Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit www.knightfoundation.org.

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Contacts:

Andrew Sherry, Vice President/Communications, (305) 908-2677, [email protected]