The Knight Digital Media Center in partnership with USC Annenberg School for Communication, the Center for Communication Leadership and the Online Journalism Review is accepting applications for its special News Entrepreneur Boot Camp to be held May 16-21, 2009, in Los  Angeles. This intense one-week boot camp is designed for 12 competitively selected digital entrepreneurs with great ideas for community news and information initiatives in the public interest. Topics to be covered include:

•   Identifying the best business model for sustained success.
•   Developing a sustainable business plan.
•   Marketing and audience development.
•   Content production and management models.
•   Legal and tax issues.
•   Identifying capitalization sources.
•   Developing and implementing revenue and advertising strategies.
•   Successful social networking models.
•   Selecting and implementing technical platforms.
•   Understanding and using metrics.

Traditional news organizations are floundering as business models collapse and audiences are increasingly turning to alternative news and information sources. This special boot camp is designed for digital journalists and others who are passionate about new ideas for serving the information and news needs of their communities but who lack the grounding in business and startup skills. Expert faculty from both academia and the private sector will provide intense instruction, coaching and mentoring on developing marketable business plans for providing news and information in the public interest.

The Knight Digital Media Center is a partnership of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and the University of California Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

WHO SHOULD APPLY: Successful applicants will provide a concise and clear proposal for a digital initiative that services specific community news and information needs and will meet the following expertise criteria:

•  Digital fluency. Must be able to independently create andmanage digital content in an online environment. Most important, must understand technology as tool and online as a community.
•  Business/math aptitude. Must be comfortable and competent in math and business environment.
•  Topic Expertise. Must demonstrate experience/expertise in targeted topic/service area.
•  Collaborative. Must demonstrate previous experience in working productively with others on projects requiring innovation.
• Value-driven. Must be committed to values of accuracy, balance, fairness, credibility, inclusion, transparency and public service.

WHEN AND WHERE: May 16-21, 2009 Los Angeles, CA

HOW TO APPLY: Applications must be submitted online at http://www.knightdigitalmediacenter.org/boot_camp_applications/

DEADLINE: Monday, February 16, 2009 QUESTIONS: Please contact, Vikki Porter, Director, Knight Digital Media Center at vporter@usc.edu or 213-437-4417.

“For a multimedia convergence seminar, I think you covered all the bases. I was grateful the lectures went beyond the course content.” - Michael Snyder, WashingtonPost.com