EJ Innovator of the Year Award 2010
It’s your time to shine. Have you come up with an innovation that is changing the way environmental information and news is communicated to the public? Social media idea? iPhone application? Technology? Economic model? A new type of environmental news coverage? Something we haven’t thought of?
If your innovation is the winner, you will receive $1,000 from the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism and your expenses will be paid to speak about your idea at a conference at Michigan State University to celebrate the School of Journalism’s 100th anniversary the weekend of October 22 to 24, 2010.
How do you win?
Submit a proposal by April 30, 2010 to the Knight Center via e-mail at ej@msu.edu or by mail to:
EJ Innovator of the Year Award
Knight Center for Environmental Journalism
Room 382 Communication Arts Building
East Lansing, MI 48824-1212.
Download and fill out an application form (DOC or PDF). We are looking for innovations that are actually being tried or experimented with. Tell us in no more than 1,000 words your idea. Include three letters of recommendation. A panel of distinguished judges will evaluate the idea and determine the winner. Entries must be either submitted via e-mail to ej@msu.edu by midnight, Friday, April 30, 2010 or postmarked by April 30, 2010.
The contest is supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
Frequently asked questions:
Q: What are you looking for in an entry?
A: We seek examples of new technology, journalism techniques or other innovative efforts that advance environmental reporting and the public understanding of environmental issues. It could be a new way of financially supporting environmental journalism. It could be something that tells an environmental story that otherwise would not be told. It could be a new way of publicly reporting an environmental issue. It could be a new way of engaging people to help report credibly on the environment. It could be something else. We’re looking for innovations and you may have tried something that doesn’t fit into any neat categories.
Q: That’s hard to envision. You got an example?
A: Hey, if it were easy there wouldn’t be an award for it. But maybe this will give you a bit of the flavor: Last year journalism students at Northwestern University developed a measure of how green the Congressional elections were swinging as the votes came in. Something like that would have been given consideration if we had the award then.
Of course, if you figure out a new way to financially support environmental journalism, all of us win much more than this award.
Q: What don’t you want?
A: This is not a contest for the best environmental news story of the year.
Q: Can it be an idea for an innovation?
A: No. It must be something that has been actually tried or experimented with between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of 2009.
Q: Must it be created by a news organization?
A: It can be. But we also encourage entries from people or organizations that are not necessarily affiliated with journalism. Anyone is eligible to enter.
Q: Can it be a Web site?
A: C’mon, we’re looking for innovation. The Web has been around more than a few years. A Web site might be the delivery platform, but the winner will have to do more than simply report environmental stories online.
Q: What can I win?
A: $1,000 and a handsome plaque.
Q: Will this contest continue in the future?
A: We hope that it will be an annual event. A lot depends upon what happens this year and whether we can obtain funding to support this competition in the future.
Q: Will I win anything else?
A: Yes. Winners will be asked to discuss their innovation with students and faculty at Michigan State University’s School of Journalism during the J-School’s centennial celebrations the weekend of Oct. 22 to 24, 2010. All of your expenses will be paid.
