Here at Knight Foundation, some of my colleagues have begun to make fun of me for my frequent use of the term “pivot.” I probably have been over-using the word - but I’ve been using it emphasize the need for us (the foundation, our partners - all of us working in the field, really) to adjust what we’re doing based on what we learn. At the orientation for the 2011 Knight News Challenge winners, I urged them not to hesitate to come to us with proposed re-directions of their projects. I’m less concerned by projects that come to us proposing tweaks and re-directions than I am by those that stay the course from proposal to completion.  And this need for flexibility and retooling applies to our own work: later this week, we’ll announce our own “pivot” of the Knight News Challenge.

As for OpenNews, this year it will do more - and be faster and better than before. A series of hack days and fellowships will be the core of the project. If you’re a news organization, here is your chance to accelerate the use of code in your newsroom. If you’re a developer with an interest in helping to ensure people remain informed and engaged in the world around them, apply to be a Knight Mozilla Fellow. And keep an eye on OpenNews and @knightmozilla’s ongoing attempts to “help journalism thrive on the open web.”

By John Bracken, director/journalism and media innovation at Knight Foundation