The Knight News Challenge, an international media innovation contest, will feature three different rounds per year, each one focused on a specific topic, announced the Knight Foundation. The first round will be open on Feb. 27.

“With the new News Challenge, we’re moving at the speed of innovation,” said Michael Maness, Vice President of the Journalism and Media Innovation program at the Knight Foundation. “Instead of one year-long contest, we’ve broken this one up into three.”

This first round is centered on networks, and “seeks projects that use the best of existing software and platforms – those already integrated into people’s lives – to find new ways to convey news and information,” according to the Challenge website.

“There are a lot of vibrant networks and platforms, on- and off-line, that can be used to connect us with the news and information we need to make decisions about our lives,” said John Bracken, Director of the Journalism and Media Innovation program, in the Challenge announcement. “This challenge will not fund new networks. Rather, we’re asking you to describe ways you might use existing platforms to drive innovation in media and journalism.”

The kickoff to this year’s competition was announced on the Knight Foundation’s website with an online video, starring Maness (below). The Challenge is accepting applications from various groups, including for profit organizations, non-profits, institutions and start-up companies.

Project submissions will be accepted from Feb. 27 to March 17, with a winner announced in June. Top entries will receive funding from the Knight Foundation.

A second round, held later this spring, will be an open competition looking for new ideas broadly. The theme for the third round, later this year, will be announced later in the year.

The Knight News Challenge is part of the Knight Foundation’s $100 million Media Innovation Initiative, which seeks new ways to meet community information needs in the digital age. Since 2007, Knight has reviewed more than 12,000 applications and funded 76 projects for $27 million.

Knight News Challenge 2012 from Knight Foundation on Vimeo.