Location-awareness story wins Stanford InJo pick contest

STANFORD CA: Wired Magazine’s Contributing Editor Mathew Honan’s story ”I Am Here: One Man’s Experiment With the Location-Aware Lifestyle” has been chosen as Stanford Innovation Journalism Pick 2009: The Best Innovation Journalism Story & Journalist of the Year, according to an announcement.

Honans’ story described his experiences after starting to share his iPhone’s location with everyone in San Francisco.

The choice was made by over 200 attendees of the Sixth Conference on Innovation Journalism at Stanford University. Sixteen stories were nominated by Stanford Innovation Journalism 2009 Fellows from five different countries and discussed in depth by attendees in 16 separate groups, led by the proposing Fellow and attended by the nominated article writer.

Founder and Editor of Earth2Tech Katie Fehrenbacher received the second place award with ”The Story of Grid Net: How Ray Bell is Betting WiMAX Can Fix the Grid.”

Xconomy’s Chief Correspondent Wade Roush was voted to third place. His story was ”SiOnyx Brings ”Black Silicon” into the Light; Material Could Upend Solar, Imaging Industries.”

The CEO of SAMAA TV, Pakistan’s leading Urdu News channel, Amir Jahangir was also among the key speakers at the Stanford Innovation Journalism Conference. Speaking at the event, he congratulated the winners and appreciated their exceptional concepts, naming it a milestone in innovation journalism. Mr. Jahangir said that “Sometimes, the idea may be very simple but the domino effect of its concept leads to multiple initiatives and concepts within the business community and carries tangible results for the benefit of our communities”.

IJ-6 is a conference for everyone who thinks journalism and innovation is important - journalists, industry, policy-makers in media and innovation, PR, academic researchers, faculty and students in related areas of study, other professionals connected to the news industry, as well as individuals with a special interest in journalism and innovation.

SAMAA TV is one of Pakistan’s leading private satellite channels, which takes pride in its fair, factual and independent news coverage through its on-the-hour bulletins, breaking stories, incisive political analysis and current affairs programs. The channel has also made a niche for itself through its programs on women and youth issues besides infotainment. SAMAA TV, launched in December 2007 is the only Pakistani news channel, which has the capability of live coverage from Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore, Quetta and Karachi.