If you’ve ever thought that you could do news better than the large media companies or had an idea to revolutionize the way people receive and consume information, the James L. Knight Foundation is looking for you.
The foundation is hosting the Knight News Challenge and is inviting anyone and everyone with an innovative idea or technology to participate by sharing, testing, and submitting their ideas to the competition.
The best ideas could receive up to $5 million in funding to turn an idea into a reality. The only requirements are that the product or technology has to be open source and digital, serve the public interest, and work to benefit local communities. The Foundation is accepting submissions until Nov. 1, 2008, so you better move fast.
The goal of the Knight News Challenge is to serve as an incubator for new ideas and technologies that can change the face of traditional media. For example, contestants can submit new blogging technology, social bookmarking services and networks, or interactive Web applications that get people more involved with the news that shapes their world.
There are only three rules to participate in the competition: the participant has to base their technology on an open-source code base, the tool has to work to serve the public interest, and the idea has to benefit a geographic community–whether it’s your neighborhood or your country. Applicants and their technologies will be judged on their level of innovation.
Photo by newschallenge.org.