Requirements for the 2020 Journalism 360 Challenge

The application has four sections and is due by August 20, 2020. Applications and all submitted materials must be in English. Any links or documents you provide as part of the application must be public, with no password required.

Section 1: Applicant Information

Provide name, title, organization, contact information, experience with immersive storytelling and relevant online presences (i.e. Twitter, LinkedIn). These questions help us to learn more about who you are and how to get in touch with you about the status of your application.

Section 2: Your personal details

Provide details about where you live and how you identify yourself. The answers to these questions are confidential and help ONA staff and the selection committee better understand who applies to our programs.

Section 3: Your project details

The Journalism 360 Challenge is an open call for ideas using immersive storytelling to discover new ways to engage audiences and advance the field of journalism. We’re looking for projects that answer the question “How might we experiment with immersive storytelling to advance the field of journalism?” During the application process you will be asked to provide the following information regarding your project:

  • Project title
  • Description of project
  • How your project will advance the field of journalism
  • Who your intended audience is and how will they be impacted by your project
  • Progress you’ve made on your project
  • Foreseen obstacles to implementing your ideas and how to address them
  • Additional team members’ information (if applicable)
  • File uploads to supplement your application – such as supporting documents, images, audio or video (optional)

Details about your project will be made available to ONA staff and select external reviewers to better understand your proposed project.

Section 4: Funding

Provide details that help us understand the funding needs of your project. During the application process you will be asked to select the level of funding you’re requesting from the Journalism 360 Challenge grant ($0-$5,000 or $5,001-$10,000) and whether the grant money would cover the cost of your entire project. If the Journalism 360 grant money would not cover your entire project, you will be asked to provide details on any additional funding you have secured or are in the process of securing. You will also need to upload a preliminary budget for your project. Your preliminary budget does not need to be exact numbers at this stage, approximate figures are accepted.

Information regarding your budget and additional funding sources helps us understand where you are with  your project and what your unmet needs are. This information is used for internal purposes only.


You may also want to visit the Journalism 360 Challenge overview and FAQ pages. For responses to additional questions, contact j360@journalists.org.

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Applications now open for the 2020 Journalism 360 Challenge

Apply to the 2020 Journalism 360 Challenge