Although we believe it essential, we also recognize that poverty coverage presents unique obstacles for the professional journalist.  The Knight Poverty Journalism Initiative seeks to partner with reporters to overcome these obstacles by sponsoring the Knight Poverty Journalism Initiative Story Awards, a contest born as an offshoot of its inaugural conference in September.  The contest offers $500 and publishing support to three journalists who want to write a story covering U.S. poverty.

Interested?  Look over the following information:
 

Knight Poverty Journalism Initiative Story Awards

Who:  Open to freelance writers

What: Three $500 awards for journalists to report, write and publish a multimedia story about poverty in America.

When:  Deadline for developed story proposals is October 1.

Where:   Email your story proposal to Joan Millon (millonj@wlu.edu) with “Poverty Story Awards” in the subject line.

 Proposals should include the following:

¨     Description of your story up to 500 words

¨     Story lead or premise and why your story is important NOW

¨     Data sources, main characters and additional sources

¨     Main medium (print, broadcast, online)

¨     If primarily text or broadcast, do you plan to include a multimedia component (video, audio, photo, graphics) and how will that enhance the story?

¨     Your bio and why you are the best person to do it

¨     Where do you propose to publish or broadcast the story?

Additional details:

Judges will inform the winners by October 15.

Winners receive $250 upon acceptance and the remaining $250 balance upon submission of a completed draft of the story to the Poverty judges before December 15, 2012.