The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) is pleased to announce Alan Soon and Rishad Patel from Splice Media as new Knight Fellows beginning June 1. Soon and Patel, based in Singapore, will launch an innovative program called Splice Nano during their fellowship year.
Inspired by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's suggestion that AI could enable one-person, billion-dollar companies, Splice Nano aims to create 10 viable single-founder media startups powered by AI within 12 months.
Soon and Patel co-founded Splice Media in 2015 to help news entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses that better serve users’ needs, create value and generate revenue. They also host the annual Splice Beta gathering in Chiang Mai, Thailand, fostering a community of digital media startups.
With decades of journalism and media entrepreneurship experience, Soon and Patel are well-equipped to guide solo founders in leveraging AI's potential. Soon is a career journalist turned certified coach who has worked across radio, TV, wires, magazines and digital media in Asia for over 20 years. Soon writes Splice Slugs, a weekly media intelligence newsletter.
Patel is a veteran product and design leader who has developed media strategy, products and branding for global audiences. Patel’s newsletter, Splice Frames, is a weekly wrap of media products and design in the wild.
Soon and Patel will join the new cohort of 2024 ICFJ Knight Fellows, including:
- Sannuta Raghu (India): Using machine learning to tailor a more positive news experience through news formats customized for specific audiences
- Mattia Peretti (UK): Reimagining journalism and finding new paths to sustainability in the age of AI by better listening to people’s information needs
- Nikita Roy (Canada): Developing AI literacy in newsrooms to help them use AI tools ethically and effectively
- Luz Mely Reyes (Venezuela/U.S.): Building communities and resources for exiled journalists in the Americas
- José J. Nieves (Cuba/U.S.): Creating a sustainability guide for journalists in exile
- Daniel Nardin (Brazil): Training journalists in the Amazon to tell stories about the region from within it, and connecting them with international media and researchers