Knight-VICE Innovators $5000 Fund Calls for Applications

Innovative media practitioners from around the globe can now apply for funds to carry out their projects.

The Knight-VICE Innovators Fund are inviting innovative journalism projects for a share of US$500,000 to bring their idea to life.

In 2015, VICE Media, the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, and the Knight Foundation teamed up to create a new innovation fund that provides seed money for journalists with big ideas. Starting today, the Knight-Vice Innovation Fund is open again for new applicants.

How will the world be consuming news in the next five, 10, or 20 years? This is a key question that applicants will need to ask themselves while developing specific story pitches with clear goals and deliverables. If chosen, journalists will receive a share of the $500,000 fund to bring their idea to life.

Click here for details on eligibility and how to apply.

WPFD2016: President Buhari Assures Press Freedom in Nigeria

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President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday said that his administration is committed to defending the freedom of the press and the freedom of information in Nigeria.

The President made this known in a social media post while joining the world to mark the World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) 2016.

The posts read in part: "Under President Buhari's administration, the Nigerian press - Africa's most vibrant - will continue to enjoy the space to thrive."

It will be recalled that every year on May 3rd is a date which celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom; to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.

The international day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the 26th Session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)'s General Conference in 1991. This in turn was a response to a call by African journalists who in 1991 produced the landmark Windhoek Declaration on media pluralism and independence.

The UNESCO and the Government of Finland co-host the World Press Freedom Day's main event and the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize Ceremony in 2016 which will take place in Helsinki, Finland, from 2-4 May 2016.

Recall that 250 years ago the world’s first Freedom of information (FOI) law allowed for accountability & gave citizens the right to express themselves.

The WPFD2016, which started on Monday, May 2 and scheduled to end on Wednesday, May 4th, is organized under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Finland, Sauli Niinistö.

Developing Successful Social Media Campaign

Social Media marketing is one area that most social media users as well as social media managers usually have challenges operating maximally.

If you find yourself in this category of social media persons, little worry, you aren’t alone as there are several others out there who are struggling with maximizing their social media skills.

Recently, I was just digging the internet and I stumbled on website that was talking about social media marketing. So, I decided to put up this write to help someone with social media challenges.

For me, you might not study social media or new media in the college or in the university while starting out, but for efficiency, you might want to consider acquiring a certificate or more in new media management.

According to the website I mentioned earlier, you can write blog posts, spend six figures on pay-per-click ads, send newsletters, and tweet to your heart’s content. Within these choices are even more micro-choices.

Then consider these questions I found helpful from them:

What targeting options and images should you pick for your Facebook ads?

Should you develop your blog posts in house, or should you outsource the writing to ghostwriters?

How do you choose the right email subject headlines?

Should you choose a cost-per-click or cost-per-impression pricing model?”

From the content of that website, these questions are daunting. It’s easy to get bogged down and feel like a hamster in a wheel. As you move forward in your research, you’ll come across experts who’ll tell you to “just start testing.”

Succeeding in any form of business, one of which marketing is, requires strategic planning. You should be able to clearly spell out your goals

Similarly, you are either working on it as a personal marketing strategy or as corporate, you might want to consider having a framework for what you are setting out to achieve. This has nothing to do with how long you have been in the race. You could be a late starter and be exposed to better social media marketing tools than folks who started long before now. It doesn’t matter at all.

So, before you start your first social media campaign:

Be sure to understand your exact Needs.

Clearly state your social media marketing goals.

Do not be too shy or proud to consult anyone you think knows better. However, if you can’t, then dig the internet. I mean ask Google anything you wish to know or learn.

Develop a strong self discipline – This is because the internet, social media in particular can eat up your valuable time if you do not teach yourself to be focus on purpose.

Finally, track every step you take and the corresponding effects they bring to your organization or to your business.

Training Opportunity at BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation, a public service broadcaster of the United Kingdom, headquartered at Broadcasting House in London has announced an apprenticeship classroom-based training (with the BBC Academy and at an external college) and on-the-job work experience.

According to the Corporation on its website, the aim is to train apprentices to be a BBC junior journalist.

"When you complete your apprenticeship, you’ll be able to research, develop and produce news stories for mobile, social media and online platforms as well as across our radio and TV output.  Being able to tell the same story in different ways across many platforms will be a key part of what you learn.

For details on eligibility and how to apply for this opportunity, visit BBC CAREER

Smartphone That Uses Multiple WhatsApp, Instagram, Others

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Launched about five months ago, the emergence of Infinix enabled AndroidOne Smartphone is no longer news to many Smartphone users considering its performance when interchanging between Apps and its multitasking ability.

Meanwhile, one thing remains largely unknown to many owners or users of this Google Android Lollipop Smartphone, even some tech savvy individuals do not know yet.

Initially, it did not seem great, especially when it goes hot like the name Hot 2, but it will take a little time to cool itself down even when you are not observing it.

Little wonder, Benjamin Jiang, the Managing Director, Infinix Mobility, said during the launch in Lagos, Nigeria, that the new Infinix Hot 2 will redefine the Smartphone industry in Nigeria.

And many will readily agree that yes, it is redefining it.

No doubt, the Infinix Hot 2 is the cheapest Smartphone with latest version of Android 5.1 Lollipop, yet it is doing exceedingly well.

Infographics: Out of School Children in Nigeria

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Using infographics, I  attempt to compare the population of Out of School Children (OSC) in Nigeria to the entire population of some African nations.

According to statistics provided by UNESCO, there are about 10.5 million Nigerian children that are out of school.

This is the largest population of such OSC anywhere on earth, in fact, Nigeria accounts for 47 percent of the world’s population of OSC.

In comparison, the entire population of Libya and Liberia is 10,496,000 while the population of OSC in Nigeria is approximately 10,500,000.

According to the UNICEF, over the last decade, Nigeria’s exponential growth in population has put immense pressure on the country’s resources and on already overstretched public services and infrastructure.

With children under 15 years of age accounting for about 45 per cent of the country’s population, the burden on education and other sectors has become overwhelming.

"Forty per cent of Nigerian children aged 6-11 do not attend any primary school with the Northern region recording the lowest school attendance rate in the country, particularly for girls. Despite a significant increase in net enrollment rates in recent years, it is estimated that about 4.7 million children of primary school age are still not in school.

"Increased enrollment rates have also created challenges in ensuring quality education and satisfactory learning achievement as resources are spread more thinly across a growing number of students. It is not rare to see cases of 100 pupils per teacher or students sitting under trees outside the school building because of the lack of classrooms.

"This situation is being addressed by current efforts of the Nigerian Government with the implementation of the Basic Education scheme.

The compulsory, free Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act was passed into law in 2004 and represents the Government’s strategy to fight illiteracy and extend basic education opportunities to all children in the country.

Map Cr

eate your own infographics