Here's something interesting that I found out about at 7-Eleven, of all places. The newspaper Daily News is holding a contest for readers to redesign their paper. I found this explanatory interview (in Thai) on MCOT News:
This contest was advertised on a poster at 7-Eleven as 'ท้าพลิกโฉม นสพ. ชิง 1 ล้าน' ('Newspaper makeover challenge: compete for 1 million baht'). While the total prize money is one million baht, the highest single prize is 100,000 baht.
Details can be found (in Thai) here:
http://www.dailynews.co.th/layout/
It's essentially two contests, with students in one bracket and everyone else in another. I think this is a nice idea on the part of the newspaper people, and a clever way to find new design talent.
Entrants are encouraged to use news articles and photographs from the Daily News website, or use 'virtual' news. The website provides a vector image of the newspaper masthead logo.
Category 1: Front page redesign
1) General public
First prize: 100,000 baht Second prize: 70,000 baht Third prize: 40,000 baht Two runners-up: 5,000 baht each
First prize: 80,000 baht Second prize: 50,000 baht Third prize: 20,000 baht Two runners-up: 3,000 baht each
1) General public
First prize: 80,000 baht Second prize: 50,000 baht Third prize: 20,000 baht Two runners-up: 5,000 baht each
First prize: 50,000 baht Second prize: 30,000 baht Third prize: 10,000 baht Two runners-up: 3,000 baht each
1) General public
First prize: 50,000 baht Second prize: 30,000 baht Third prize: 10,000 baht Two runners-up: 5,000 baht each
First prize: 40,000 baht Second prize: 20,000 baht Third prize: 8,000 baht Two runners-up: 3,000 baht each
1) General public
First prize: 50,000 baht Second prize: 30,000 baht Third prize: 10,000 baht Two runners-up: 5,000 baht each
First prize: 40,000 baht Second prize: 20,000 baht Third prize: 8,000 baht Two runners-up: 3,000 baht each
Total prize money: 1,000,000 baht.
According to the website, all prize winners will also receive a certificate. (I wonder which they'll be more interested in.)
Teams of up to three people can enter. The contest is open from August 1 until September 15. Ten finalists will be chosen in each category (10 finalists x 4 categories x 2 for student + general = 80 finalists). Finalists will be published in the October 1 issue of the Daily News, and an exhibition of entries will be held at Paragon on October 24-26, 2008, with the final awards ceremony on October 26.
Oh, yeah. And you have to be a Thai national to enter.
Very slick. Interactivity is one of the keys to keeping newspapers alive. What a great way to reach out.
ReplyDeleteInstead of spending a million baht -- or even a million dollars -- to have some suits come in and redesign your paper, get the readers to do it for you.