MediaFutures 1st Open Call:
over 100 ideas to tackle misinformation around the world
In autumn 2020, we launched the 1st MediaFutures Open Call. We asked startups, SMEs and artists to join us to create a transnational, European data hub to tackle challenges in the media industry. We were seeking novel, unconventional products, services and artworks that engage people with quality journalism, science education and democratic processes.
Our 1st Open Call focused on tackling misinformation, particularly in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. We were blown away by the response, with over 350 people registering to attend our webinars about the Open Call, which led to over 100 applications.
The high level of interest and engagement in the Open Call highlights not only how misinformation is a pressing and global issue, but also the important role data, technology and the arts have to play to create healthy and prosperous societies.
For the first Open Call, we identified four Challenges that we wanted startups, SMEs and artists to propose solutions for.
Challenge 1
VIRAL COMPLEXITY
Challenge 2
Building Bridges
Challenge 3
The New Media-tors
Challenge 4
Open Challenge
Track 1
Artists for Media
Track 2
Startups for Citizens
Track 3
Startup meets Artist
In total, we received 133 complete applications. These applications hailed from 32 countries, ranging from Armenia to Italy to the United States of America.
61 applied for the Startups for Citizens track, 46 for the Artists for Media track, and 26 for the Startup meets Artist track.
Of the four Challenges, the Open Challenge was the most popular, with 57 proposed solutions. The second was the Building Bridges Challenge, for which we received 44 proposals. Viral Complexity received 19 proposals, and the New Media-tors received 13.
Since the Open Call closed at the end of January 2021, we’ve brought together experts in art, business and technology from within the MediaFutures consortium and beyond to select the most promising applicants.
Following a thorough application review, a jury panel per track met to discuss a shortlist of the highest scoring. The scoring criteria varied per track, but looked at the impact, implementation plan, innovativeness and use of data for each idea.
During the jury panels, reviewers debated the strengths and weaknesses of each application, to select which would progress to the next round:
- For the Startup for Citizens and Startup meets Artists track, the jury panels selected which would join the START phase of the programme, where they will receive €5,000 and one month to develop the idea, before pitching to continue on the MediaFutures programme to receive further funding and support.
- The Artists for Media track doesn’t include the one-month START phase, and artists instead receive up to €25,000 of grant funding and up to 6 months to create their artwork. Because of this, following the jury panel, we held additional interviews to help decide who should progress.
We will announce the successful proposals, and their ideas, in April.
Our next Open Call will open later this year between November and December 2021 and will be published on this website. The Challenges may change, but what won’t is the overarching mission of MediaFutures: to support startups, SMEs and artists to nurture and grow responsible and innovative uses of data in the media industry.
If you want to know when the next call opens, follow us on our social media (Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube) or the project website.
To have a look at the content and application process of the 1st Open Call, go here.
MediaFutures first Open Call:
over 100 ideas to tackle misinformation around the world
Late last year, we launched the first MediaFutures Open Call. We asked startups, SMEs and artists to join us to create a transnational, European data hub to tackle challenges in the media industry. We were seeking novel, unconventional products, services and artworks that engage people with quality journalism, science education and democratic processes.
Our first Open Call focused on tackling misinformation, particularly in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. We were blown away by the response, with over 350 people registering to attend our webinars about the Open Call, which led to over 100 applications.
The high level of interest and engagement in the Open Call highlights not only how misinformation is a pressing and global issue, but also the important role data, technology and the arts have to play to create healthy and prosperous societies.
the Open Call
For the first Open Call, we identified four Challenges that we wanted startups, SMEs and artists to propose solutions for.
Challenge 1
VIRAL COMPLEXITY
Challenge 2
Building Bridges
Challenge 3
The New Media-tors
Challenge 4
Open Challenge
Track 1
Artists for Media
Track 2
Startups for Citizens
Track 3
Startup meets Artist
In total, we received 133 complete applications. These applications hailed from 32 countries, ranging from Armenia to Italy to the United States of America.
61 applied for the Startups for Citizens track, 46 for the Artists for Media track, and 26 for the Startup meets Artist track.
Of the four Challenges, the Open Challenge was the most popular, with 57 proposed solutions. The second was the Building Bridges Challenge, for which we received 44 proposals. Viral Complexity received 19 proposals, and the New Media-tors received 13.
Since the Open Call closed at the end of January 2021, we’ve brought together experts in art, business and technology from within the MediaFutures consortium and beyond to select the most promising applicants.
Following a thorough application review, a jury panel per track met to discuss a shortlist of the highest scoring. The scoring criteria varied per track, but looked at the impact, implementation plan, innovativeness and use of data for each idea.
During the jury panels, reviewers debated the strengths and weaknesses of each application, to select which would progress to the next round:
- For the Startup for Citizens and Startup meets Artists track, the jury panels selected which would join the START phase of the programme, where they will receive €5,000 and one month to develop the idea, before pitching to continue on the MediaFutures programme to receive further funding and support.
- The Artists for Media track doesn’t include the one-month START phase, and artists instead receive up to €25,000 of grant funding and up to 6 months to create their artwork. Because of this, following the jury panel, we held additional interviews to help decide who should progress.
We will announce the successful proposals, and their ideas, in April.
Our next Open Call will open later this year between October and December 2021 and will be published on this website. The Challenges may change, but what won’t is the overarching mission of MediaFutures: to support startups, SMEs and artists to nurture and grow responsible and innovative uses of data in the media industry.
If you want to know when the next call opens, follow us on our social media (Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube) or the project website.
To have a look at the content and application process of the 1st Open Call, go here.
