Hearst revealed as RJI Student Competition client at speed-dating
One of America's largest diversified media companies, Hearst Corporation, announced its partnership with the Reynolds Journalism Institute for the third annual RJI Student Competition.
Hearst Innovation executives in New York use the conferencing capabilities in the Fred W. Smith Forum to share project ideas with students interested in the next RJI Student Competition.
Teams of students from the Missouri School of Journalism and the MU College of Engineering will once again put their creative and entrepreneurial skills to the test as they devise solutions for a range of opportunities identified by Hearst's Innovation Team.
Beth Polish, Sr. VP for Corporate Innovation, and Jacques Natz, Director of Online Content for Hearst Television (a Mizzou j-school alum) unveiled potential projects to more than 50 students who attended Wednesday night's speed-dating session. Those students and others will compete in early December to become finalist teams that will work directly with Hearst on everything from better consumer content to more effective advertising to improved newsroom efficiency.
Hearst owns 29 television stations (including WCVB in Boston and KCRA in Sacramento), 15 newspapers (including the Houston Chronicle and San Francisco Chronicle), 15 US magazines (including Cosmo, Esquire and O, The Oprah Magazine) and a host of interactive media brands.
RJI is also partnering with Adobe Systems to provide the tools for the Hearst teams. Students will use Adobe's Creative Suite, Flash Builder and Flash Catalyst software (now in beta release) to produce immersive online experiences and more streamlined workflows aimed at improving both user experiences and Hearst's bottom line.
While all five finalist teams will produce portfolio-worthy products and make career-changing contacts, judges will choose one team in mid-April 2010 as the grand prize winner. Those students will take part in events at Adobe headquarters in San Jose, CA and at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, China. Teams of students from Fudan University in Shanghai will take part in a parallel competition for a Chinese client. Their winning team will visit the U.S. To share their experiences.
The Hearst contest builds on previous RJI Student Competitions where teams developed iPhone apps and Adobe AIR apps designed to improve American journalism and the advertising that supports it.
For more information contact Prof. Mike McKean (mckeanml@rjionline.org), Director of the RJI Futures Lab (573.882.3434)