Ashoka Changemakers’ Citizen Media Competition

The Ashoka Changemakers are running  "Citizen Media: A Global Innovation Competition", in partnership with Global Voices and with the support of Google. The goal of the competition is to identify and amplify new ideas for media that catalyze participatory citizenship.

Citizen media is participatory media content production by private citizens who are not professional journalists. The concept includes citizens creating content for anything from blogs and podcasts to radio and print media. The means of producing citizen media are now more accessible than ever but political or economic situations still prevent far too many of the world’s citizens from participating in the free flow of information. The winning ideas from this citizen media competition will give voices to these people and connect them to the wider community.

The competition is looking for ideas that

• Give voice to underserved, vulnerable populations, introducing them to media creation and distribution 
• Equip journalists and publishers with tools or channels to report important news that otherwise gets missed 
• Advance free speech and privacy protections 
• Address the financial sustainability of quality news 
• Help people better navigate information and ascertain content reliability and authenticity 

The competition is open to anyone working to improve the communication or access to news and information. There are four US $5,000 cash prizes to be won. The best entries will also be considered for an Ashoka Fellowship, which includes a three-year living stipend, international recognition, and access to their network of social entrepreneurs.

Ashoka is an organization working towards creating a world where everyone is a Changemaker - a social entrepreneur with innovative and practical ideas for solving the most difficult and pressing social challenges. Changemakers is Ashoka’s global online community for empowering Changemakers through inspiration, mentoring, and collaboration.

If you are some one who is working on revolutionizing citizen media - online, in print or on the radio - create a profile and enter. You will find written and video instructions for how to enter, and  tips for making your entry stand out. Hurry, the deadline for submissions is September 15.