The International Press Institute (IPI) has announced the winners of its 2012 News Innovation Contest, sponsored by Google Inc. The projects will collectively enhance online journalism and innovation efforts via news platforms and training across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
The fourteen projects selected this year will be awarded more than $1.7 million. In 2011, 3 additional projects also received more than $600,000 in total. All of these awards were made possible by a grant from Google Inc. During February and March of this year, applications were received and reviewed by a 6-member, worldwide panel of prominent industry experts.
IPI Executive Director Alison Bethel McKenzie said: “We are delighted to finally have all the winners of the IPI 2011-2012 News Innovation Contest. Now the hard part begins. Over the next one to two years, the deserving winners will – through some very innovative projects in Europe, Africa and the Middle East – make a significant imprint on media, particularly in developing countries, and impact how journalists from all mediums do their jobs in the 21st century. It’s an exciting time, and IPI is happy to be a part of it.”
This year’s projects focused on issues such as: the development of data-based investigative journalism; increasing community engagement with professional journalists; the enhancement of news gathering and delivery through new technological mechanisms; data visualisation, processing and analysis; and revenue models for online businesses.
“This contest has been a tremendous success, both for IPI and our winners,” said IPI Grants Officer José Otárola-Silesky. “As the contest has received increasing worldwide attention, the quality, competitiveness and professionalism of the submissions we received has grown significantly too. Our ability to help these winners open new paths to innovative new journalism practices in the digital era would simply not have been possible without the incredible support we’ve received. We’re very grateful to Google, and to all of the organisations that have participated.”
The winners are:
Project Title: Digital Media Training in Upper Egypt
Organisation: Mandara Media Foundation
Category: Training
To be implemented in: Egypt
Project Title: Citizen Photojournalism UK
Organisation: Media Trust
Category: News Platforms
To be implemented in: United Kingdom
Project Title: Africa Check: A project to develop an African network of factchecking websites and train future African journalists in factchecking.
Organisation: AFP Foundation
Category: News Platforms
To be implemented in: South Africa
Project Title: Mobile Reporter (MR) – Mobile-funded Investigative News Network
Organisation: Reporters for Interactive, Collaborative and Specialized Information (RICSI)
Category: News Platforms
To be implemented in: Italy
Project Title: The New Tricks Project: Re-Training For the Middle East’s Established Journalists Through Workshops and How-To Videos
Organization: IREX
Category: Training
To be implemented in: Tunisia
Project Title: CheckDesk: Collaborative Workbench for Fact Checking Citizen Media
Organization: Meedan
Category: News Platforms
To be implemented in: Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, wider Middle East
Project Title: Next Step Media: The Arab Spring and Beyond
Organization: The Poynter Institute
Category: Training
To be implemented in: Egypt
Project Title: Feowl
Organization: Journalism++
Category: News Platforms
To be implemented in: Cameroon
Project Title: The Stories Behind the News – the Reading Radar
Organization: Medialynx
Category: News Platforms
To be implemented in: Netherlands
Project Title: GIS and Journalism Serious Tools for Serious Storytelling
Organisation: Poverty Alleviation Network & Self Dependence Initiative
Category: Training
To be implemented in: Nigeria
Project Title: Digital Generations: educational program on new media and data journalism
Organisation: Mediacentar Sarajevo
Category: Training
To be implemented in: Bosnia & Herzegovina
Project Title: Visual Investigative Scenarios (VIS)
Organisation: Journalism Development Network/Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project
Category: News Platforms
To be implemented in: Romania and Balkan countries
Project Title: Digital Journalism Training Boot Camp
Organization: AWAN, Arab Media Consultants
Category: Training
To be implemented in: Jordan
Project Title: Contributoria: A peer-based funding platform for
storytellers
Organization: The Guardian
Category: News Platforms
To be implemented in: United Kingdom
For more information on the winners please contact:
José Otárola-Silesky
International Press Institute (IPI)
jotarola(at)freemedia.at
Tel: + 431 512 90 11
Mobile: + 43 676 733 7202
