[FoME] IPI News Innovation Contest 2012: Call for Applications Opens

[Werner.Eggert at intajour.com]

IPI News Innovation Contest 2012: Call for Applications Opens

VIENNA, 23 Jan. 2012 - A second round of applications is now being accepted for the IPI News Innovation Contest<http://www.ipinewscontest.org/>, a media innovation contest run by the International Press Institute (IPI) and funded by Google, Inc. The deadline for contest applications is 23 February 2012.

At the end of 2011, the IPI News Innovation Contest team granted awards totaling more than $600,000 USD to three projects<http://www.ipinewscontest.org/winners-2011.html>. This year, the remaining funds will be shared among a new set of winners.

As it enters its second year, the Contest enjoys the support of a top-notch international Advisory Board<http://www.ipinewscontest.org/advisory-board.html> whose expertise spans new media development, online media journalism training, press freedom, online economic models and other topics. The structure of the Contest has been fine-tuned so that we identify the most ambitious projects in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

This year, the IPI News Innovation Contest will have two categories:

·         News Platforms:<http://www.ipinewscontest.org/about-us/about-programme/news-platforms.html> Most of the projects we consider in this category involve ideas associated with the improvement and development of data-based investigative journalism; an increase in community engagement with professional journalists; enhancement of news gathering and delivery through new technological mechanisms; data visualisation, processing and analysis; and revenue models for online businesses. New ideas promoting the advancement of news platforms and online journalism development are always highly appreciated.
·         Training:<http://www.ipinewscontest.org/about-us/about-programme/training.html> The creation of this category was vital because of the lack of proper training in online media for journalists. It promotes initiatives that help traditional journalists transition into online media, by improving their technology skills and familiarising them with online news models. Once the training is completed they will be able to continue applying and improving the knowledge they have gained.

A third category, 'Sustainability', was eliminated this year because of the importance of News Platforms and Training and because all of the winning projects are expected to be sustainable. News Platforms will play a key role in the generation of revenue, the development of new economic models, and the use of existing ones, once the funding has been used up. Training programs must promote sustainability so that acquired skills can be shared among professional journalists and/or citizen journalists, and continuously applied.

This time, the contest will be more compact and the selection process has been accelerated so that winners can be announced at the beginning of April.

"Innovation nowadays is so fast-paced that ideas need to be seized upon right away if they are to stand a chance of bearing fruit," said IPI Grants Officer José Otárola-Silesky. "That's why the Contest has been compressed, and the guidelines are more specific and relevant, in terms of what 21st Century online media development requires."

IPI Executive Director Alison Bethel McKenzie said: "We are looking forward to the submission of new projects that we hope will advance the craft of journalism as well as press freedom in Europe, Africa and the Middle East."

IPI is a global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists dedicated to the furtherance and safeguarding of press freedom, the protection of freedom of opinion and expression, the promotion of the free flow of news and information and the improvement of the practices of journalism. Founded in 1950, at Columbia University in New York, IPI is the world's oldest global press freedom organisation.

Individuals, for-profit and non-profit organisations are invited to submit  applications. People of all nationalities - especially from the Middle East and Africa - with an innovative idea about improving online media are encouraged to apply. Participants from last year are also welcome to apply again, as new candidates.

More information is available at: www.ipinewscontest.org<http://www.ipinewscontest.org>.

For interviews and media requests please contact:
José Otárola-Silesky
Grants Officer
International Press Institute (IPI)
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