# Deadline nears for international award for digital community news ideas - Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2007/09/24/deadline-nears-international-award-digital-community-news-ideas/ - Published: 2007-09-24T23:00:00+01:00 - Author: Howard Lake Earlier this summer the Miami-based John S. and James L. Knight Foundation launched Knight News Challenge, an international awards programme offering up to $5 million for innovative ideas using digital experiments to transform community news. Applications close on 15 October 2007. With the slogan “You Invent It. We Fund It!” the contest is open to community-minded innovators worldwide, from software designers to journalists to citizens and students of any age. The Knight News Challenge contest aims to use digitally delivered news and information to enhance physical communities and improve the lives of people where they live, work and vote. It is open to individuals, nonprofits/charities, and for-profit businesses. Last year was the first time the contest had been run. Grants were made to 25 individuals, private and public entities ranging from MIT to MTV. ## Advertisement [⌊Posthub advert. You create the campaign. We'll handle the postal journey. Get started at post-hub.co.uk.⌉](https://fundraising.co.uk/ads/posthub-20261007-300x250/) Some first-year winning projects included: New software that links databases, allowing citizens to learn (and act on) civic information about their neighborhood or block. Cell phone distribution of video news reports from mobile young journalists on the 2008 presidential election. Online games to inform and engage players about key issues confronting New York City. An online environment which lets citizens “play” through a complex, evolving news story through interaction with the newsmakers. Digital newscasts for Philadelphia’s immigrant community distributed through a new citywide wireless platform. To be eligible, entries must involve use of a digital medium and delivery of news or information on a shared basis to a geographically defined community. Although there is a category for commercial applications, most entries are “open- source” and must share the software and knowledge created. This year, for the first time, the web site will allow entrants to invite public comment that will help improve their entries. So far 87 applications have been submitted, which suggests a good chance of success for anyone applying. Gary Kebbel, Knight journalism program officer and the contest’s coordinator, said:“ Virtual communities spring up every day. They don’t need our help. Geographic communities are the building blocks of democracy. They do need help.” The foundation plans to invest at least $25 million over five years in the search for bold community news experiments. * **[Guide for funders in assessing capacity of grant recipients](https://fundraising.co.uk/2007/09/25/guide-funders-assessing-capacity-grant-recipients/)**( 25 September 2007) * **[Trust donates 100 fiction books to children's charity](https://fundraising.co.uk/2007/09/26/trust-donates-100-fiction-books-children039s-charity/)**( 26 September 2007) * **[Midas offers course on funding social enterprises](https://fundraising.co.uk/2007/09/27/midas-offers-course-funding-social-enterprises/)**( 27 September 2007)