Open Source Meets Mobile in Ashoka's Citizen Media Competition

As world events like Occupy Wall Street, the Arab Spring, and the Japanese tsunami disaster have shown, YouTube and social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook have the capacity to turn just about anyone into a journalist.

It's a trend that leaves some traditional media outlets skeptical, or even downright disgruntled. But when media has the chance to spread out to include more voices, particularly in regions where it's a challenge to get the news out, citizen journalists can offer news and insight on critical events that would otherwise go under-reported.

That's why Ashoka Changemakers came up with a competition that seeks the most innovative projects in citizen media. The contest, called "Citizen Media: A Global Innovation Competition," was launched in July and drew a hefty 426 entries from 75 countries. Ashoka just announced 11 finalists who were selected for their ability to bolster media access and citizen participation when information is limited...