Applications open for Journalism Idea Lab & Innovation Fund 2023

The DW Akademie is open for your ideas! They want to support hands-on, innovative solutions for reliable and balanced journalism.

Journalism in Southern Africa is a powerful democratic force. They foster innovation to improve public interest journalism.

This year they focus on two issues:

• How do they make data available and understandable for the audience?
• How do they deal with artificial intelligence (AI) in journalism?

How does this innovation initiative work?

• Application: You pitch your idea to a selection panel.
• Idea Lab: One week. Refine your idea. Understand how to innovate. Learn how to test your vision. Exchange with other innovative media practitioners from Southern Africa.
• Prototyping: During the Idea Lab you have the chance to win a fellowship to implement your innovative journalism idea in your newsroom.
• Feedback and Exchange: Engage with fellow media innovators from Southern Africa and get feedback on your prototypes. Join a community of innovation.

What is the Idea Lab?

• The Idea Lab will take place in September 2023 in Windhoek, Namibia. Final dates will be confirmed after the selection process.
  • Training on how to innovate: Understand how you can refine and test your vision.
  • Intensive project and product development based on a human-centered design process that puts the needs of your audience at the core.
  • Try the first elements of your innovation.
  • Pitch your idea and discuss with other media innovators.
• The Idea Lab will be interactive and based on the ideas and discussions between the journalism innovation teams.

How does the innovation fund work?

• During the Idea Lab you have the chance to convince the other journalism innovators and experts of your idea. You can get:
  • Seed funding to implement a pilot or prototype of your idea in order to try and test your vision and creativity.
  • Coaching in your innovative endeavour with a dedicated counterpart to bounce ideas, reflect the next steps and get feedback on the go.
  • Necessary specialised training, if you need further skills to implement your idea.
  • Innovation check-ins with fellow community media innovators from Namibia, Zambia, Lesotho, Botswana, Malawi & Zimbabwe.

What do you need to provide?

• Commitment of all participating team members to fully engage for the whole duration of the project (Idea Lab and prototyping phase).
• Take part in the face-to-face workshop 18 to 22 September 2023 in Windhoek, Namibia. Your travel expenses will be covered (max. two people per team).
• An idea for an innovation that is relevant to your audience and your newsroom (they particularly encourage projects using vernacular languages as well) and a commitment to reliable and independent information.
• Smartphone and/or laptop computer to take part in the virtual elements.
• Commitment to give feedback and engage in dialogue with the other innovators and to attend virtual coaching sessions after the Idea Lab.

Eligibility Criteria

• You are part of an established media outlet or a civil society organisation that works journalistically and regularly publishes.
• Your idea and your participation need to be endorsed by your organisation.
• You must at least be 21 years old (or older) and have a passport (if from outside Namibia) and be able to travel to Windhoek in Namibia (travel expenses will be covered).
• Journalists and newsroom innovators from Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe can apply.

For more information, visit DW Akademie.