Applications are now open for the 2020 Journalism 360 Challenge, seeking ideas to experiment with immersive storytelling techniques to advance the field of journalism.
Winners will receive a share of $100,000 for early-stage projects that help expand best practices for immersive journalism, including but not limited to experiments in 360 video, spatial audio, augmented reality, virtuality reality and mixed reality. Projects might develop workflows for newsrooms, help journalists adopt immersive storytelling methods, build low-barrier tools for independent immersive projects, experiment with new ways to engage audiences navigating physical distancing, and more.
The challenge is open to anyone committed to experimenting with immersive media, news organizations, businesses, nonprofits, universities and individuals anywhere in the world can apply. Submit your project ideas by August 20, 2020, 11:59 p.m. ET (UTC–4).
Journalism 360, sponsored by John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Online News Association, engages a global network of news organizations, journalists, technologists and educators on a mission to accelerate the understanding and production of immersive journalism. Winning projects of the 2017 and 2018 challenges include the Pulitzer Prize-winning virtual reality feature “The Wall” by The Arizona Republic and USA Today Network, the Community and Ethnic Media Journalism 360 video pilot project by CUNY J-School (now the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism) and the Gisa Group’s Volum, a low-cost, open-source toolset for volumetric video in the field.
Apply to the 2020 Journalism 360 Challenge
To stay connected with the Journalism 360 program, join the Facebook group and subscribe to the newsletter, a monthly digest of inspiring stories and resources from the immersive storytelling community.
