<html><head></head><body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><div>FYI<br><br>Sent from my iPhone</div><div><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><b>From:</b> Justin Arenstein <<a href="mailto:justinarenstein@gmail.com">justinarenstein@gmail.com</a>><br><b>Date:</b> 12 May 2012 08:13:20 GMT+03:00<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:hackshackers-nairobi@googlegroups.com">hackshackers-nairobi@googlegroups.com</a><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>Journalism Innovation Fund Offers $1m for African Projects</b><br><b>Reply-To:</b> <a href="mailto:hackshackers-nairobi@googlegroups.com">hackshackers-nairobi@googlegroups.com</a><br><br></div></blockquote><div></div><blockquote type="cite"><div>HI everyone,<div><br></div><div>I thought that the list might be interested in this opportunity. There is $1m up for grabs, in grants ranging from $12,500 to $100,000 for cool tech ideas to help the media. Shout if anyone needs help connecting with local journalists or dev teams.</div><div><br></div><div>Happy hunting!</div><div><br></div><div>Cheers,</div><div>Justin</div><div><br></div><div><b id="internal-source-marker_0.7872992283664644" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Times; font-size: medium; "><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">For Immediate Release: May 09, 2012<br class="kix-line-break">Contact: Sonja Matanovic, Communications Director<br class="kix-line-break">Telephone: 202.349.7624</span><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; "><br class="kix-line-break"><br class="kix-line-break"><br class="kix-line-break"></span><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Call for Entries: $1 Million African News Innovation Challenge<br class="kix-line-break"></span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Africa’s first major contest designed to promote the development of digital media products and innovations is now accepting applications.</span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br><a href="http://www.africannewschallenge.org/"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">African News Innovation Challenge</span></a><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; "> (ANIC) will provide grants from $12,500 to </span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">$100,000 for the best projects aimed at strengthening and transforming African news media. The contest is modeled on the highly successful </span><a href="http://newschallenge.tumblr.com/"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Knight News Challenge</span></a><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; "> in the United States. Grantees will also receive technical advice, startup support and one-on-one mentoring from the world’s top media experts.<br class="kix-line-break"></span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Of particular interest are proposals that improve data-based investigative journalism, audience engagement, mobile news distribution, data visualization, new revenue models and workflow systems.</span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">The </span><a href="http://www.africanmediainitiative.org/"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">African Media Initiative</span></a><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; "> (AMI), Africa’s largest association of media owners and operators, announced the contest last November as part of a pan-African initiative to spur digital experimentation and technology-driven projects and startups.</span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">“African media have a tremendous opportunity to leapfrog the business disruption faced by media in Europe and the U.S.,” says AMI chief executive Amadou Mahtar Ba. “The growing reach of mobile networks and improving Internet access is beginning to reshape the media landscape in Africa. We believe this competition will help African news organizations stay ahead of the curve.”</span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Contest partners include </span><a href="http://www.omidyar.com/"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Omidyar Network</span></a><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">, </span><a href="http://www.google.com/"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Google</span></a><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">, the </span><a href="http://www.gatesfoundation.org/"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation</span></a><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">, the </span><a href="http://www.knightfoundation.org/"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">John S. and James L. Knight Foundation</span></a><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">, the </span><a href="http://www.state.gov/"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">U.S. State Department</span></a><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">, the </span><a href="http://www.kas.de/wf/en/"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS)</span></a><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; "> and the </span><a href="http://www.wan-ifra.org/"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA)</span></a><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">.</span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">“Omidyar Network is delighted to be supporting the African News Innovation Challenge,” said Stephen King, partner at Omidyar Network. “Across the continent we are seeing innovative ways in which technology is providing people with greater access to information. This challenge is a great opportunity for journalists, entrepreneurs and technologists to join forces and help enable the African media to hold their leaders to account.”</span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Digital strategist </span><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://www.icfj.org/about/profiles/justin-arenstein">Justin Arenstein</a></span><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; "> is managing the initiative as part of his work with AMI and the </span><a href="http://www.icfj.org/"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">International Center for Journalists</span></a><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; "> </span><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">in Washington, D.C.</span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">HOW TO APPLY:</span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Entries must be submitted to the </span><a href="http://www.africannewschallenge.org/"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">ANIC website</span></a><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; "> by midnight (Central African Time) on July 10, 2012.</span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">WHO CAN APPLY:</span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Proposals may be submitted by news pioneers from anywhere in the world, but entries must have an African media partner who will help develop and test the innovation. Projects that are designed for Africa will stand a better chance of receiving support.</span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">PROJECTS OF GREATEST INTEREST:</span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">ANIC is seeking new ways to create, discuss and share news and make quality journalism sustainable. This could include new revenue or production models, new ways to gather, produce or distribute news. Ideas that can be scaled up across the continent or replicated elsewhere are of particular interest. Preference will be given to ideas that solve bottlenecks facing Africa’s media.</span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; "><br class="kix-line-break"></span><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">THE JUDGING PROCESS </span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Winning projects will be selected by an ANIC panel of judges, following public voting and a review by an international jury.</span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; white-space: pre-wrap; ">About ICFJ<br class="kix-line-break"></span><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">The International Center for Journalists is a non-profit organization that advances quality journalism worldwide. Its programs combine the best professional standards with the latest digital innovations. ICFJ believes that independent, vigorous media are crucial in improving the human condition.</span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; "><br class="kix-line-break"></span><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; white-space: pre-wrap; ">About AMI<br class="kix-line-break"></span><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">The African Media Initiative is the continent’s largest umbrella association of African media owners, senior executives and other industry stakeholders. AMI’s mandate is to serve as a catalyst for strengthening African media by building the tools, knowledge resources and technical capacity for African media to play an effective public interest role in their societies. This mandate includes assisting with the development of professional standards, financial sustainability, technological adaptability and civic engagement. <br class="kix-line-break"> <br class="kix-line-break"></span><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; white-space: pre-wrap; ">About Google Inc.</span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top Web property in all major global markets. Google's mission in Africa is to make the Internet an integral part of every day life in Africa, by increasing its relevance and usefulness, eliminating access barriers for potential users, and developing products that are meaningful for countries in the region. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.google.com/africa">http://www.google.com/africa</a>, see our Africa Blog, <a href="http://google-africa.blogspot.com/">http://google-africa.blogspot.com/</a> or follow us on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/googleafrica">twitter.com/googleafrica</a></span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; white-space: pre-wrap; ">About Omidyar Network</span><br><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Omidyar Network is a philanthropic investment firm dedicated to harnessing the power of markets to create opportunity for people to improve their lives. Established in 2004 by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam, the organization invests in and helps scale innovative organizations to catalyze economic and social change. To date, Omidyar Network has committed more than $500 million to for-profit companies and non-profit organizations that foster economic advancement and encourage individual participation across multiple investment areas, including financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, property rights, consumer Internet, mobile and government transparency. To learn more, visit <a href="http://www.omidyar.com">www.omidyar.com</a>.<br class="kix-line-break"><br class="kix-line-break">>>END<<</span></b></div></div></blockquote></body></html>