Contest to award $20,000 in prizes to students who innovate solutions to media industry ‘challenges’
By Erin Roberts
The Scripps College of Communication is launching a major student competition offering substantial cash prizes for solutions to innovation “challenges” posed by the media industry.
The Scripps Innovation Challenge will be open to all students on campus, regardless of their major, and is designed to help solve specific innovation needs submitted by media professionals and companies. It was announced by Andy Alexander, a visiting professional in the College, during its annual Scripps Day activities on Tuesday.
The contest is funded in part by money earmarked for innovation within a $15 million gift from the Scripps Howard Foundation to the College in 2006. The Grand Prize will be $10,000. Additional prizes will be $5,000 for Second Place and $1,000 for each of five Honorable Mention entries.
“The Scripps Innovation Challenge is a signature initiative that underscores the College’s commitment to fostering media innovation,” said Alexander, former ombudsman for The Washington Post. “While some bemoan the struggles of legacy media, students correctly see this as a time when they can play a critical role in determining how media will be consumed in the future.”
The contest will launch January 17 when a website featuring the innovation challenge options will go live. Students may compete either as individuals or as teams to submit entries by March 13. The winners will be chosen by industry judges during Communication Week, March 18 – 22.
