Journalism

Knight News Challenge on Elections closes with more than 1,000 entries

The Knight News Challenge on Elections is now closed. We received more than 1,000 submissions. Thanks to everyone who entered and joined the conversation at newschallenge.org. Here’s what happens next.

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“Knight News Challenge: Elections Mixtape” by Knight Foundation

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“To improve civic participation we need transparency” by Chris Gates on Knight Blog, 2/26/15

“Civic engagement essential to strengthening democracy” by Kelly Born on Knight Blog, 2/25/15

“Knight News Challenge on Elections offers more than $3 million for innovative ideas” – press release, 2/25/15

“Knight News Challenge on Elections opens for ideas” by Chris Barr and Shazna Nessa on Knight Blog, 2/25/15

“Knight News Challenge to focus on Elections” on Knight Blog, 2/12/15

Through April 13, we’ll be in the “feedback” phase where we review the submissions. Whether you submit an application or not, please join us and our team of reviewers in asking questions and giving feedback on the ideas. The questions often help applicants improve their ideas, but applause and views will not affect our decision; we’re looking for the best ideas not the most popular.

We read every application we get, but we’ve also asked 13 people to join us as readers. The readers will go through each application and advise us as we select the semifinalists. You can identify them on the newschallenge.org site by the “reader” tags on their profile photos.

When someone has a comment or a question about your submission, they’ll ask it on the site and you’ll receive an email about it. The readers cannot answer logistical questions about the News Challenge; please e-mail those to us at [email protected].

Through the end of the feedback phase on April 13, applicants can edit their entries. If you’ve submitted an entry, please respond to questions and feedback in the comments section and, if necessary, incorporate any changes into your entry. Not every idea will receive questions or comments, but if you do change your entry in response to feedback do it sooner rather than later; you don’t want to risk making significant changes that the readers never see.

By April 14 we’ll send notices to the submissions we select as semifinalists, with an additional set of questions about each project due by April 20.

On May 1 we’ll gather a set of outside advisers to help us select the finalists, whom we’ll interview in person. We will notify that group by May 5.

On June 8 we will recommend a group of Knight News Challenge candidates to the foundation’s board of trustees. We will announce the winners in July 2015.

Thanks to our partners in this challenge: the Democracy Fund, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Rita Allen Foundation. Thanks to everyone who applied, and thanks to those of you who are contributing your comments and thoughts on newschallenge.org. We appreciate the feedback. We also want to thank the many people who shared inspirations on Knight Blog.

Here’s the list of people who will be reading the applications on newschallenge.org during this next phase (but if you have specific questions please e-mail those to us at [email protected]). Readers

Chris Barr is director of media innovation and Shazna Nessa is director of journalism at Knight Foundation.

Knight Foundation is partnering with the Democracy Fund, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Rita Allen Foundation on Knight News Challenge: Elections, which asks the question, How might we better inform voters and increase civic participation before, during and after elections? The best nonpartisan ideas will share in more than $3 million. Winners will be announced in July 2015.

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