The Natali Helberger Award recognizes doctoral students who have conducted research through interdisciplinary collaboration that advances a Public Interest Technology (PIT) perspective in communication studies, journalism studies, and related fields across the social sciences and law. PIT provides a framework for rethinking the institutions, infrastructures, and technology-embedded services that shape society in pursuit of the public good.
While this approach has often focused on governmental and nonprofit settings, its relevance to journalism has become increasingly urgent. Journalism’s public mission lies at the core of democratic accountability; however, it is increasingly shaped by privately controlled digital infrastructures, opaque platform architectures, and automated systems that condition how news is produced, distributed, and consumed. Addressing these challenges requires collaboration across disciplines, including journalism studies, law, computer science, and other related fields.
Inspired by Natali Helberger’s work on media governance, public values, and the democratic implications of digital technologies, this award supports early-career scholars whose research critically engages with these systems and contributes to strengthening journalism as a public-interest institution. The award is organized and sponsored by the Public Tech Media Lab at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Eligibility
The Natali Helberger Award is open to doctoral students currently enrolled in a PhD program at the time of submission. Submissions must be authored by interdisciplinary teams composed of contributors from at least two distinct academic disciplines. The lead or corresponding author must be a doctoral student, but need not be based in journalism or media studies. Co-authors may include postgraduate students, senior scholars, or practitioners from other disciplines or career stages, provided that the collaboration is clearly interdisciplinary in its conceptual, methodological, or analytical approach.
Eligible submissions include original academic articles that address or engage with public interest technologies in journalism. Eligible articles are those published in a scholarly journal during the previous calendar year, 2025. The award is open to applicants from any country.
Submissions may be theoretical, empirical, or methodological in nature, as long as they clearly address how technological systems, infrastructures, or design choices shape journalistic practices, institutions, or publics in ways relevant to the public interest. Articles may examine journalism broadly defined, including, but not limited to, news production, distribution, governance, accountability practices, or relationships among media organizations, platforms, and publics.
Evaluation Criteria
- Interdisciplinary integration: The extent to which the article meaningfully integrates at least two disciplines in its research question, conceptual framework, methodology, or analysis.
- Engagement with public interest technologies in journalism: The depth and clarity with which the article addresses technological systems, infrastructures, design choices, or governance arrangements in journalism for public value and democratic accountability.
- Scholarly contribution and rigor: Strength and rigor of the article’s theoretical, methodological, or analytical contribution, including empirical findings where applicable.
- Clarity and coherence of argumentation: A clear, well-written, and structured argument that communicates complex interdisciplinary ideas with precision and care.
Submission
Applicants are asked to provide a brief statement (approximately 500 words) outlining their motivation for writing the article, the composition of the research team, and the ways in which the article contributes to Public Interest Technology ideas.
Both self-nominations and third-party nominations are welcome. Submissions consist of a single academic article submitted as a PDF. Supplementary materials or appendices may be included within the same PDF.
Articles must be written in English. No additional statements or cover letters are required. All submissions must be sent electronically to doddsrojas@wisc.edu by March 30th.
Award Components
The recipients of the Natali Helberger Award will receive a $500 monetary prize. In addition, the award winners will be invited to present their paper in a one-day online conference organized by the Public Tech Media Lab. Runners-up will also be invited to participate in the conference. Participation does not require a registration fee.
Contact Information
All submissions and inquiries should be directed to Tomás Dodds at the email address
doddsrojas@wisc.edu
About the Public Tech Media Lab
The Public Tech Media Lab operates at the intersection of journalism and public interest technologies. Its objective is to support newsrooms in developing and implementing open-source tools for digital investigations and in designing artificial intelligence systems oriented toward the public good. The Lab seeks to reinforce journalists’ professional autonomy, institutional accountability, and commitment to transparency. As a collaborative sandbox for journalists, technologists, and academics from diverse disciplines, the Lab provides a space for collectively exploring, addressing, and anticipating the ethical implications of emerging technologies.