Have an idea for improving access to information in your community? Knight News challenges wants to fund it # knc

Inventing to fund it. Simple as the.

A called the news challenge runs the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation grant competition.The news challenge Prices up to $5 million for innovative projects that use technology, to change the way and way communities send, receive and make use of news and information.

Applicant need only follow three rules:  

Use digital, (so many of us are already using open source technology) messages distribute open source technology in the public interest (hey is everything we do in the public interest!)One of four categories fit (look at number 2, shouts it practically information literacy or news Kompetenz.Und point 3, digital media lab anyone?)

The four categories - emphasis mine

Mobile: looking for projects that use to produce mobile devices to deliver, consume, share and otherwise engage with news The category reflects the fact that the mobile phone with 5 billion units in use, has become an important tool for news.Authenticity: looks for projects to help people better to understand the reliability of the information and news sources. We hope to identify promising ideas to support who negotiate our often chaotic media world.How we can help news, the validity and credibility of news and information better to evaluate user? how can we better to filter and assess the credibility of what we read and see?Sustainability: New economic models, news and information support hält.Neue means of establishing and consume new require journalism opportunities for bezahlen.Wir are open to ideas for generating sales than opportunities to reduce costs.Community: looking for breakthrough technologies that support messages and information specifically within defined geographical areas. This is used for Startup Repair work on technologies and approaches yet still opposed to the first three categories need in a geographical community not eingetroffen.Im submissions in this area are tested.

If you have questions, can reference the FAQ, check the archived chat transcript and/or participation in the second live chat on November 18 at 1: 30 pm EST

Deadline is midnight EST, 1.December.

Need inspiration?Take a look at some of the winners of the last years:

The front porch Forum, a virtual Town Hall space, helps share residents to discuss local news, build community and to increase engagement.Create local wiki this project improved tools for local wikis, a new form of media, which makes it easy for people to learn - and - share their own unique community know.Councilpedia: a wiki dedicated to local legislators Silverlight: a set of easy to use tools for everyone on any standard set of data, which the Government databases to demographics and statistics to use.Crowdsourcing Crisis Information - Ushahidi can help fill the gap, by creating a free Web map and timeline that journalists and citizens can use, contribute to several reports of great news events.CMS upload utility-create new and easy to use tools that allow the news organizations essentially drag & drop of articles on an online news site.Video Volunteers: 100 people in the rural India collectively be producers video train.Would be in stock: Encourage green life through an interactive Spiel.Mit social networking tools and real-time news and information, player able to track their impact on the environment would be discover the smallest imprint on their community how you stack against neighbors and team up in a friendly competition to leave.The Includer: the device is intended for people in rural areas with marginal online access so that messages physically from the places that can be connected to the Internet and transported

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Overdrive's mobile site updated; Improved access to the way apps & eBook

The digital library blog from Overdrive has announced, the mobile "virtual branch Web site provided to partner a facelift got."

The redesigned site is for the "virtual branch" mobile Web site, which (through partners) is available to all users without having to an app download. of course, user sees only title for your library available.

Is it very nice to see this Update.Warum?It is easy to forget that many mobile users access to apps or (for whatever reason) want to download.

The mobile Web site get another update in December, when Overdrive free apps for iPhone and Android and begin accessing some e Bücher.BlackBerry and Windows phone apps will follow.

Finally, starting today the mobile version of OverDrive "Virtual Library" automatically detects the mobile browser used will, and a page for the specific device optimiert.Wenn that new apps will be released the automatic browser detection also determine the e book materials available for a specific device.

Unfortunately some eBook formats are to make eBook access a bit more difficult only on certain devices available.

You can read the full text of the Overdrive announcement and see a screenshot of the new mobile Web interface here.

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Should Broadband Access be a Right? I Say Yes

And I’m not alone. Countries such as France, Greece, Estonia, Spain and Finland have already moved to make it a right for their citizens.

I know this can be a complicated topic to discuss,  as Ange Fitzpatrick points when cast against the civil rights and women’s rights struggles internet access seems laughable.

Thomas Jefferson admirably covers all bases when he describes the unalienable rights as including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but I think anyone would struggle to convincingly tack on to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and a high speed internet connection. What would be next- a flat screen TV?

Yet, there is so much more happening online, it is a huge source of information, a tool for communication. As Dr. Hamadoun Toure, secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union, states

“The right to communicate cannot be ignored,”

“The internet is the most powerful potential source of enlightenment ever created.”

“We have entered the knowledge society and everyone must have access to participate.”

He concluded that governments must “regard the internet as basic infrastructure – just like roads, waste and water”.  We can not look at internet access as a frivolous tool that allows people to update their Facebook status and watch YouTube videos all day.  A huge portion of life is moving online and not just the fun stuff, things like government forms, health care and banking. We need to take action.

Eric Newton, of the  John S. and James L. Knight Foundation points out:

In the past, we grew because we built the railroads and highways we needed to haul people and their physical things across this vast continent. Today, we will not grow unless we build the technology we need to haul our ideas and innovations around the world. Nearly two dozen other nations now rank ahead of the United States in high-speed broadband.

Minorities, senior citizens, people with disabilities, people with lower education levels, those with lower incomes, and the chronically ill are significantly less likely to have high speed internet access at home.  I think Knight Foundation’s President and CEO Alberto Ibargüen says it best:

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