The 2011 Knight News Challenge is open to accepting applications for ideas to use digital platforms to deliver news and information to geographically defined communities. This year, Knight Foundation has received a grant from Google Inc. which will be partially used to increase the prize money by $1 million.
Knight Foundation offers $5 million each year in cash awards for ideas to use digital platforms to deliver news and information to geographically defined communities. For the first time this year, the Knight News Challenge will focus on four categories: Mobile, Authenticity, Sustainability and Community.
The Knight News Challenge seeks innovation in the use of digital technologies that advance the foundation’s goal of informing and engaging communities. In its first four years, $23 million has been awarded or committed to 56 media innovators chosen from more than 10,000 entries.
Individuals, schools, nonprofits, governments and businesses all may enter.
Through the Mobile category, the 2011 News Challenge seeks innovative ideas for news and information on all types of mobile communication devices. In the Authenticity category, the contest offers funding for projects that help people better understand the reliability of news and information sources. The Sustainability category is for consideration of new economic models supporting news and information that helps citizens run their communities and their lives. The Community category seeks groundbreaking technologies that support news and information specifically within defined geographic areas.
In the Mobile, Authenticity and Sustainability categories, the foundation prefers media innovation entries with a community focus, Bracken said. However, in the Community category a place-based focus is a requirement. Entries have to detail in what specific geographic community the media innovation will be tested.
The deadline to submit ideas is 1 December 2010. For more information, visit this link.
