Google Supports The Citizen Media Global Innovation Competition

[Cross-posted from the Google for Nonprofits Blog]

Media is an integral part of how people understand, access, and share information about the world around them. Communication channels including newspapers, television, blogs, and online videos have tremendous potential to empower and influence individuals across the globe. Yet, millions of people still face barriers that limit them from tapping into these resources. They are marginalized by political and economic situations and other limitations that deprive them of the full citizenship made possible by access to news, information, and connections to people outside of their immediate environments. That’s why we’re working with Ashoka to find and support the best, most innovative ideas out there that will help people around the world unlock the power of media and participate more fully in society.

Today marks the beginning of a new initiative run by Ashoka’s Changemakers, with support from Google, to source innovations that will boost media access and participation globally: Citizen Media: A Global Innovation Competition. What do we mean by this? Well, we’re waiting for you to tell us, but here are some initial ideas for what strong entries might hope to achieve:

• Give voice to underserved, vulnerable populations, introducing them to media creation and distribution, and showcasing their messages
• 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

Nominate your idea or suggest another innovation starting today! Submissions are due on September 14th, and finalists will be selected by a panel of expert judges including Michael Maness, VP of Journalism and Media Innovation at the Knight Foundation, Esther Wojcicki, Vice Chair for Creative Commons, and Jared Cohen, Director of Google Ideas. Then, Ashoka will invite the public to vote on four winners who will receive cash prizes of US $5,000. Top qualifying entrants will also be considered for an Ashoka Fellowship — complete with a living stipend, international recognition, and access to a network of systems-changing social entrepreneurs. To encourage a breadth of global applications, the competition is being launched in nine languages: Arabic, Mandarin, English, French, Indonesian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Thai.

We’re excited to see the ideas submitted to this competition and to help social entrepreneurs advance their innovations.

This competition is run by Ashoka with sponsorship from Google. Submit your idea on: http://www.changemakers.com/citizenmedia.

Posted by Mimi Kravetz, Google.org Team

Contest Chooses World's Greatest Salesperson

An online businessman from Edmonton, Canada, has been named the world's greatest salesperson in a competition sponsored by advertising agency OgilvyOne.

Todd Herman defeated two other finalists in Cannes, France on Monday by giving a sales pitch for a simple telephone. An estimated 230 contestants had previously been challenged to upload a video of a sales pitch for a red brick. Herman's pitch can be seen below. The Edmonton Journal reports his strategy is to focus on one simple message and believe in the product.



User name: toddherman1
Location: Edmonton, Canada
Date uploaded: March 30
Views: 8,576
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Win-a-Trip with Nick 2010

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof just announced his fourth annual "Win a Trip" contest, in which a lucky winner will get the chance to travel to Africa. Kristof will select one university student to accompany him as he embarks on a reporting trip for 10 days to a yet-to-be-disclosed location in Africa. The winner will write blog posts for nytimes.com as well as send video reports from the field that will be posted to Nicholas Kristof's YouTube channel.

So, if you're a student 18 or older currently enrolled in an American university, you're eligible to win if you write an essay and/or submit a video up to 3-minutes long. All videos must be attached as a video response to this call-out video (just click on the text "Post a Video Response" right above the comment section, or click on this link)

Read more about the contest and the official rules on Kristof's blog.

If Only Every Homework Assignment Had Prizes Like This...

As a new school year unfolds, here's an assignment for America's students from the U.S. Department of Education and YouTube: in two minutes or less, make a video showing the nation and the world how education will help you achieve their dreams, and upload it to the submission platform on the Department of Education's YouTube channel.

The good news is that there are no failing grades and the top three submissions, as voted by the YouTube community, will each be issued a $1,000 prize by the DOE. Learn more about the "I Am What I Learn" video contest from Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education:



The contest is open to U.S. middle, high school, college and post-grad students, ages 13 and up, and the deadline to submit is October 20. For complete rules and FAQs, please visit www.ed.gov/iamwhatilearn.

Another government PSA? Zzzzz....No, wait! This is YouTube.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) wants you to take an active role in sharing information about the prevention of H1N1 flu, or swine flu. That's why, today, they've launched a YouTube contest asking citizens to create PSA's that increase public awareness about the flu and ultimately reduce the number of H1N1 cases.

The person who creates the most compelling PSA will receive $2500 and will have their PSA run on national television. A panel of judges from the government, public and private sector will pick the video finalists, but public voting will decide the ultimate winner. Here's HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius with more information about the contest:



Whether your video is a funny sketch about how to wash your hands, or a serious piece about the importance of staying home if you contract the flu, you're encouraged to submit it now as a video response to this video. Just make sure you mention www.flu.gov in your video as an information resource. The contest ends on August 20, 2009.

The New York Times is doing really cool stuff with video

The New York Times is doing really cool stuff with video

Just a quick hat-tip to the New York Times, which is really getting into a groove with its YouTube channel. Three highlights of late:

1) Nick Kristof launched his "Win a Trip" with Nick contest, which invited students to apply to accompany him on his next reporting trip and used YouTube as a submission platform. The lucky winner was announced a few weeks ago.

2) The Times started a series called "The New Hard Times," which is focused on collecting memories and advice from Americans who lived through the Great Depression. They are inviting the community to submit videos of themselves or friends or family sharing their experiences from the Depression and offering insight for how to deal with today's difficult economic climate.

Here's a video from June Reifstroffer Hammer, who was interviewed by her 13-year-old grandson, Samuel. Her account gets pretty emotional about 40 seconds in.



3) And finally, the Times did a "behind-the-scenes" look at President Obama's prime-time press conference from earlier this week. They gave those of us not able to attend the event in person a little taste of what it's like before the live, televised portion begins -- providing access where previously there's been none.




Definitely worth subscribing and keeping an eye on what these savvy video journalists and their editors are up to next...

Food Bank Takes Top Prize in Obama Service Day Contest

The results are in from the Renew America Together YouTube contest, which asked Americans to create videos about how they are planning to spend today, Martin Luther King Day, serving their communities. First prize went to this entry, titled "Yes, We're Cans," from the Second Harvest Food Bank in Tennessee:



The contest may be over, but don't worry -- you can still sign up to volunteer in your area today and post footage of your service experience to YouTube.

McCain YouTube Contest: Calling All Average Joes

It now looks like Joe the Plumber, the now-famous Ohio resident who challenged Senator Obama on his tax plan and was catapulted onto the national stage during last week's presidential debate when both candidates referenced him a combined 26 times, will remain in the spotlight just a little bit longer.

This morning the McCain campaign launched an, "I'm Joe the Plumber" video contest. The contest asks McCain-Palin supporters to create 30 second videos about how they are like Joe the Plumber, by sharing their stories of, "living the American Dream, working hard, or owning a small business." The campaign will run the winning video as a television ad.



A recent Suffolk University poll shows that the "Joe the Plumber" storyline isn't resonating as strongly with voters as the McCain campaign might hope. Perhaps this contest will help citizens identify more with Joe, or help the campaign find a symbol that the American public finds more relatable.

Susie the Nurse, are you out there? Your chance at fame is just an upload away.