ANNOUNCEMENT: Deadline for Knight News Challenge Approaching

Through the Knight News Challenge, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation will award $5 million in 2009 for community-focused projects, services, and programs that deepen community engagement, bring Web 2.0 tools to local neighborhoods, develop publishing platforms and standards to support local conversations, and/or innovate how we visualize, experience, or interact with information.

The competition has only four rules. Winning entries must:

   1. Use or create digital, open-source technology;
   2. Use news and information to serve the public interest;
   3. Benefit at least one specific geographic community;
   4. Be innovative.

Last year's winners included individuals, philanthropic organizations, and for-profit businesses. Ten winners were from the United States, while six were from Canada, England, Lithuania, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Russia.

The deadline for this year's competition is November 1. To learn more and/or apply, visit www.newschallenge.org.

-- Mitch Nauffts