Contest Funds Innovative Journalism to Improve Health, Prosperity of Africans

By: 05/28/2013

Knight International Journalism Fellow Joseph Warungu is spearheading the African Story Challenge contest as part of his fellowship.

Instead, politics frequently overshadow health and development stories.

To help reverse this trend, AMI has launched the African Story Challenge, which will give reporters grants of $2,000 to $20,000 for investigative, digital and data-driven stories on key African health and development issues. The program will also include training and mentorship to help entrants refine their ideas and create stories with lasting impact.

AMI launched the contest during the African Union’s fiftieth anniversary celebrations in Addis Ababa May 26. Supporters of the $1 million contest include the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the African Development Bank and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).

IJNet spoke with Warungu about the contest, which he is helping AMI run as part of this Knight fellowship.

Read the interview on IJNet.

Visit the African Story Challenge website.
*** The International Journalists' Network, IJNet, keeps professional and citizen journalists up to date on the latest media innovations, online journalism resources, training opportunities and expert advice. ICFJ produces IJNet in seven languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, Persian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. IJNet is supported by donors including the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

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