Mobile Projects To Share $5M In Knight News Challenge

Gail Chiasson, North American Editor

Knight Foundation is offering a shot at funding for mobile projects through the Knight News Challenge, which accelerates breakthrough ideas that improve news, information and 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,” says Michael Maness, vice-president for journalism and media innovation at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which runs the challenge. “Yet media companies large and small continue to struggle with their mobile strategies. 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 Foundation is asking just eight questions briefly on newschallenge.org Tumblr briefly for a share of $5 million, and anyone, anywhere can apply – whether it’s a nonprofit or for-profit venture. It’s looking for mobile projects that help people deliver, share and create news and information. Applications are due by noon 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.

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.


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