This month, we’re connecting virtually with members of the news industry through workshops and events to help drive digital growth and innovation. As students head back to school, we’re partnering with local organizations and educators to help young people separate fact from fiction online. We’re also working with our partners to develop new resources for local news. Read on for September updates.

Free online reader revenue workshops

Through the GNI Digital Growth Program, we’ll be running a series of workshops focused on reader revenue in Asia Pacific, North America, and Latin America throughout October and November. Sign ups are open now and workshops will be available in five languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese and Korean. 

Helping students to navigate information online in Latin America and Germany

We launched True/False, a site for young people to learn about misinformation through an interactive game. The project is carried out in collaboration with Red/Acción, SocioPúblico and UNICEF. The game allows students to learn how to identify fact from fiction online, and the site includes free classroom guides that teachers can use throughout Latin America.

In partnership with DIE ZEI in Germany, we launchedZEIT für Lehrer, a learning platform for educators to help students identify misinformation online. We also ran the first of its kindZeit für Lehrer Unconference, a virtual event with more than 200 educators. We tackled topics such as resilience, disinformation, cyber mobbing and a digital future of education.

News Impact Summits go virtual

October marks the start of this year’sNews Impact Summits, organized in partnership with theEuropean Journalism Centre. For the first time in its six-year history, the events will be moving online, but our core objective stays the same. We want to help build a community of international and local media professionals and offer an opportunity to meet, network, learn and get inspired by others. The three summits are free to access and will focus on Audience, Audio & Voice and Data Journalism. To register and learn more, visit newsimpact.co.  

Participants selected for the Asia Pacific Subscriptions Lab 

Eight publishers from Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and Taiwan were selected to join the GNI APAC Subscriptions Lab. The Lab is developed in partnership with FTI Consulting and WAN-IFRA and draws on FTI Consulting’s expertise in helping global news publishers develop successful digital subscription businesses, and WAN-IFRA’s network of member news publishers.

Fostering innovation in Latin America

We selected 15 journalists from 13 digital native newsrooms and 11 countries to be part of the Innovation Workshop for Journalists in Latin America, offered by Mario Tascón and Fundación Gabo. The workshop focused on topics related to innovation, narrative, monetization and technology. Participants also engaged in a series of one-on-one mentoring sessions. 

Building a stronger future for publishers in Malaysia and Indonesia

We organized Think Media by Google in Malaysia, an event to help Malaysian news publishers familiarize themselves with Google tools, from News to Ads. We also featured our Google News Initiative work with Innovation Challenge recipient Malaysiakini. We also organized the third event in our Google for Media series in Indonesia, around the theme “Building an online audience,” showcasing our work with KG Media, Tempo Media Group and KapanLagi Youniverse, three of the biggest Indonesian media groups.

New resources to support local news 

Vox Media’s partnership with the GNI to launch Concert Local, an ad network that brings together a collection of trusted local news publishers for marketers, recently published research with Nielsen on “Why Supporting Local Journalism Is Good For Business.” The research underscores the opportunity for marketers and includes insights, such as local news sites providing an incremental audience reach of 38 percent versus national media properties. In addition, the study features data on how including local news sites as part of an ad campaign could significantly improve the performance of the campaign.

That’s all for September. Follow along on social for more updates.

The Google News Initiative represents our efforts to build a more sustainable future for news. As we look forward, we’re investing in new technologies to help newsrooms tell their stories online, as well as asking questions about how newsrooms can better reflect the communities they cover. This month, we’re also learning from publishers who have successfully grown their audiences and business despite the challenges of this year. Read on for August updates.

Helping students strengthen media literacy skills in Latin America

We launched “DigiMente,” a media literacy program led by Movilizatorio and Teach for All for students in Spanish-speaking Latin America. The program will allow students to strengthen their skills in critical thinking, reflection, interpretation, communication and decision-making when navigating content online. During the first stage of the project, the program will train 12-to-17-year-old students from underserved communities in Argentina, Colombia and Mexico how to consume and create quality content by understanding different sources of information. After developing the final curriculum, the program will be available through an online education platform for schools and teachers throughout the region.

Who gets to tell Australian stories?

We partnered with Media Diversity Australia to release a landmark report on diversity in Australia’s broadcast news. Who Gets To Tell Australian Stories? analyzed 81 news programs over two weeks in June 2019, equal to about 19,000 news items. The report found that almost 76 percent of those on Australian screens were found to have an Anglo-Celtic background, while just six percent were from Indigenous or non-European backgrounds.

Supporting video news content on YouTube

The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) announced the recipients of the $1 million in funding they received from YouTube through the Google News Initiative. This funding will support 22 projects from 12 countries across four continents. Projects will focus on video, formats to reach new audiences and new ways to speed up the fact-checking process.

In Indonesia, we hosted the second Google for Media virtual event, the theme of which was News on YouTube. Presenters shared tips on what strategy news companies should implement to reach an audience on YouTube, and specifically how best to create compelling video content for the next generation.

Embracing digital transformation in Indonesia 

There’s more to share out of Indonesia, too. Driven by data and machine learning, the digital era has introduced both uncertainty and opportunity for publishers looking to develop new capabilities. We spoke with Andy Budiman, CEO of KG Media (a member of Kompas Gramedia Group), to learn how one of Indonesia's leading media companies is embracing a dual digital transformation approach to stay competitive for the future.

Fostering innovation in journalism 

More than 4,000 journalists from 37 countries participated in a series of online seminars, created in partnership with the Gabo Foundation. Topics included monetization and the future of news, and managing innovation within the newsroom. The series also included a master workshop on innovation with panelists from all over Latin America. In addition, the Gabo Foundation will be publishing selected projects to promote journalistic innovation in Latin America.

Growing engagement through the GNI Audience Lab

The GNI Audience Lab is a multi-month program run in partnership with News Revenue Hub to help news organizations grow their loyal audiences and find new ways to increase advertising and consumer revenue. Upon completion, participating publishers experienced a 121 percent average increase in monthly active users, a 30 percent average increase in newsletter subscribers and a 152 percent increase in monthly organic search referrals. The team from Bridge Michigan shared their best practices through a case study after experiencing a large spike in readership through the Lab.    

Supporting diverse nonprofit newsrooms through sponsorship opportunities

The Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) announced eight publishers selected for the IGNITE Sponsorship pilot program, which aims to enable a cohort of diverse nonprofit newsrooms to increase earned revenue from sponsorship opportunities. INN will generate a list of lessons learned from the program to share with its network of 300 nonprofit news organizations, adding to INN’s recently published case studies on member newsrooms leading the way in earned revenue: The San Antonio Report and Madison365. 

That’s a wrap for August. Follow along on social (@GoogleNewsInit) and subscribe to the GNI newsletter for more updates.

The Google News Initiative represents our efforts to build a more sustainable future for news. As we look forward, we’re investing in new technologies to help newsrooms tell their stories online, as well as asking questions about how newsrooms can better reflect the communities they cover. This month, we’re also learning from publishers who have successfully grown their audiences and business despite the challenges of this year. Read on for August updates.

Helping students strengthen media literacy skills in Latin America

We launched “DigiMente,” a media literacy program led by Movilizatorio and Teach for All for students in Spanish-speaking Latin America. The program will allow students to strengthen their skills in critical thinking, reflection, interpretation, communication and decision-making when navigating content online. During the first stage of the project, the program will train 12-to-17-year-old students from underserved communities in Argentina, Colombia and Mexico how to consume and create quality content by understanding different sources of information. After developing the final curriculum, the program will be available through an online education platform for schools and teachers throughout the region.

Who gets to tell Australian stories?

We partnered with Media Diversity Australia to release a landmark report on diversity in Australia’s broadcast news. Who Gets To Tell Australian Stories? analyzed 81 news programs over two weeks in June 2019, equal to about 19,000 news items. The report found that almost 76 percent of those on Australian screens were found to have an Anglo-Celtic background, while just six percent were from Indigenous or non-European backgrounds.

Supporting video news content on YouTube

The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) announced the recipients of the $1 million in funding they received from YouTube through the Google News Initiative. This funding will support 22 projects from 12 countries across four continents. Projects will focus on video, formats to reach new audiences and new ways to speed up the fact-checking process.

In Indonesia, we hosted the second Google for Media virtual event, the theme of which was News on YouTube. Presenters shared tips on what strategy news companies should implement to reach an audience on YouTube, and specifically how best to create compelling video content for the next generation.

Embracing digital transformation in Indonesia 

There’s more to share out of Indonesia, too. Driven by data and machine learning, the digital era has introduced both uncertainty and opportunity for publishers looking to develop new capabilities. We spoke with Andy Budiman, CEO of KG Media (a member of Kompas Gramedia Group), to learn how one of Indonesia's leading media companies is embracing a dual digital transformation approach to stay competitive for the future.

Fostering innovation in journalism 

More than 4,000 journalists from 37 countries participated in a series of online seminars, created in partnership with the Gabo Foundation. Topics included monetization and the future of news, and managing innovation within the newsroom. The series also included a master workshop on innovation with panelists from all over Latin America. In addition, the Gabo Foundation will be publishing selected projects to promote journalistic innovation in Latin America.

Growing engagement through the GNI Audience Lab

The GNI Audience Lab is a multi-month program run in partnership with News Revenue Hub to help news organizations grow their loyal audiences and find new ways to increase advertising and consumer revenue. Upon completion, participating publishers experienced a 121 percent average increase in monthly active users, a 30 percent average increase in newsletter subscribers and a 152 percent increase in monthly organic search referrals. The team from Bridge Michigan shared their best practices through a case study after experiencing a large spike in readership through the Lab.    

Supporting diverse nonprofit newsrooms through sponsorship opportunities

The Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) announced eight publishers selected for the IGNITE Sponsorship pilot program, which aims to enable a cohort of diverse nonprofit newsrooms to increase earned revenue from sponsorship opportunities. INN will generate a list of lessons learned from the program to share with its network of 300 nonprofit news organizations, adding to INN’s recently published case studies on member newsrooms leading the way in earned revenue: The San Antonio Report and Madison365. 

That’s a wrap for August. Follow along on social (@GoogleNewsInit) and subscribe to the GNI newsletter for more updates.

As newsrooms face steep advertising declines during the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re focusing on programs to help grow revenue for news organizations. As the nature of working continues to change, publishers are investing in digital growth and sharing their findings with the news industry through virtual events. Read on for July updates from the Google News Initiative.  

The GNI Subscriptions Lab expands globally

The GNI Subscriptions Lab helps news organizations grow direct reader revenue. The program is expanding to Asia Pacific for the first time, and will be running in the region through a partnership with WAN-IFRA and FTI Consulting. Applications are open until August 14th, 2020. 

We also shared initial takeaways from the discovery phase of the GNI Subscriptions Lab in Europe with INMA and their members. These include three early industry findings about how publishers can align their reader revenue strategies around core business goals.

Indonesian publishers share program lessons with local news community

New resources for podcast creators

We launched a training course to help podcast creators learn how to use our new analytics tool, Google Podcasts Manager. The tool helps podcasters get to know their audience better and reach new listeners across Google. We also announced a new round of applications for this year’s Google Podcasts creator program. Created in partnership with PRX, the creator program seeks to elevate underrepresented voices in podcasting by providing free training, equipment and funding. This year, the program will train producers with an existing show who want to take their podcast to the next level. BIPOC podcasters and creators from traditionally marginalized groups are encouraged to apply. The application deadline is August 9 — learn more and apply today.

Virtual News Impact Summits for European publishers

Organized in partnership with the European Journalism Centre, this year’s News Impact Summits will explore the intersection between journalism, technology and innovation. There will be three Summits throughout October and November of this year, focused on audience, audio and voice and data journalism. For this first time in six years, the summits will move online and will be live-streamed to make sure you can join the discussion wherever you are. Registrations are now open for all three events.

That’s all for July. Keep in touch on Twitter and sign up for more updates through the Google News Initiative newsletter.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the news community has rapidly adjusted to new working conditions and challenges. But their core mission of providing quality information remains unchanged. We’re expanding our resources to help drive revenue growth for newsrooms, supporting journalists through fellowship programs and adapting online resources to help grow editorial and verification skills. Here’s what the Google News Initiative launched in June.

Expanding global trainings for journalists

Over the coming weeks, we’ll offer a number of free week-long training series on YouTube to help journalists grow their digital reporting skills. The sessions will be available in multiple languages and time zones. Through YouTube’s live chat, journalists will be able to interact with our trainers and get answers to any questions they have on how to use our tools for reporting. 

Across Australia and New Zealand, we worked with First Draft News and the Walkley Foundation to launch live training sessions for journalists, including one in partnership with Grow with Google. We also kicked off a regional publishers pilot program aimed at supporting regional and emerging publishers in their digital transition, and appointed Neil Varcoe, our first ever Publishing Fellow. For the next 12 months, Neil will provide training and support to regional and emerging publishers across Australia and New Zealand.

To support news organizations during the ongoing pandemic, we organized a GNI training series for Southeast Asia in English, Mandarin Chinese and Malay featuring classes like Fact-Checking for COVID-19 Misinformation, Digital Tools for More Efficient Reporting and Data Journalism for Rookies. In Vietnam, we organized a dedicated webinar for more than 100 media organizations to share how our products can help support local media.

New tools and programs to boost revenue growth for publishers

We’re partnering with the French Association of Online Publishers (GESTE) and Poool to support the Digital Media Review, a benchmark tool made available for free to all publishers to assist them with their revenue strategy.

In partnership with the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), we’re exploring new ways to help nonprofit newsrooms grow sponsorship revenue into a sustainable, cost-effective income source. Through the program, a cohort of up to 10 newsrooms will receive one-on-one coaching, and all 250 INN members will have access to a custom playbook that includes best practices for increasing sponsorship revenue. 

We’re also working with local media organizations to grow advertising revenue through cohort-based programs. In Indonesia, we worked with AnyMind Group and PT Promedia Punggawa Satu to help seven local media organizations optimize their websites, improve their user experiences and develop revenue strategies through online advertising. In North America, we’ll be working with 10up to host a four-part workshop series, sharing lessons from the GNI Ad Revenue Lab and key strategies to monetize content. The workshops will begin on July 22, and we invite all small-to-midsize news publishers to join the conversation by RSVPing on our website.

Encouraging future journalists through the GNI Fellowship program

The Google News Initiative Fellowship program seeks to bring young talent into newsrooms to help kickstart their careers in journalism. Applications are now open for the U.S. Fellowship program, created in collaboration with the National Newspapers Publishers Association, the National Association of Hispanic Publishers and the Association of Alternative Newsmedia. The fall program in the U.S. is designed to address the barriers of access that students and graduates of color face when trying to get into the industry. 

The 2020 GNI Fellowship in Europe also kicked off this week as part of our ongoing work with the European Journalism Centre (EJC). Following more than 1,400 applications, leading European news organizations across 14 countries will host 40 fellows in an eight-week fellowship. The cohort of fellows includes aspiring media professionals with a range of backgrounds in fields like journalism, design, computer science and philosophy.

Collaborating with fact-checkers to combat misinformation

The seventh Global Fact-Checking Summit took place entirely online, with more than 950 participants from more than 70 countries. Most panels from the International Fact-Checking Network’s annual conference are accessible on the event’s dedicated website. The Google News Initiative has supported Global Fact continuously since 2017; earlier this year the GNI also provided $6.5M to efforts fighting COVID-19 misinformation globally.

That’s a wrap for June. Stay tuned for more updates, and follow along on social media and the GNI’s newsletter.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the news community has rapidly adjusted to new working conditions and challenges. But their core mission of providing quality information remains unchanged. We’re expanding our resources to help drive revenue growth for newsrooms, supporting journalists through fellowship programs and adapting online resources to help grow editorial and verification skills. Here’s what the Google News Initiative launched in June.

Expanding global trainings for journalists

Over the coming weeks, we’ll offer a number of free week-long training series on YouTube to help journalists grow their digital reporting skills. The sessions will be available in multiple languages and time zones. Through YouTube’s live chat, journalists will be able to interact with our trainers and get answers to any questions they have on how to use our tools for reporting. 

Across Australia and New Zealand, we worked with First Draft News and the Walkley Foundation to launch live training sessions for journalists, including one in partnership with Grow with Google. We also kicked off a regional publishers pilot program aimed at supporting regional and emerging publishers in their digital transition, and appointed Neil Varcoe, our first ever Publishing Fellow. For the next 12 months, Neil will provide training and support to regional and emerging publishers across Australia and New Zealand.

To support news organizations during the ongoing pandemic, we organized a GNI training series for Southeast Asia in English, Mandarin Chinese and Malay featuring classes like Fact-Checking for COVID-19 Misinformation, Digital Tools for More Efficient Reporting and Data Journalism for Rookies. In Vietnam, we organized a dedicated webinar for more than 100 media organizations to share how our products can help support local media.

New tools and programs to boost revenue growth for publishers

We’re partnering with the French Association of Online Publishers (GESTE) and Poool to support the Digital Media Review, a benchmark tool made available for free to all publishers to assist them with their revenue strategy.

In partnership with the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), we’re exploring new ways to help nonprofit newsrooms grow sponsorship revenue into a sustainable, cost-effective income source. Through the program, a cohort of up to 10 newsrooms will receive one-on-one coaching, and all 250 INN members will have access to a custom playbook that includes best practices for increasing sponsorship revenue. 

We’re also working with local media organizations to grow advertising revenue through cohort-based programs. In Indonesia, we worked with AnyMind Group and PT Promedia Punggawa Satu to help seven local media organizations optimize their websites, improve their user experiences and develop revenue strategies through online advertising. In North America, we’ll be working with 10up to host a four-part workshop series, sharing lessons from the GNI Ad Revenue Lab and key strategies to monetize content. The workshops will begin on July 22, and we invite all small-to-midsize news publishers to join the conversation by RSVPing on our website.

Encouraging future journalists through the GNI Fellowship program

The Google News Initiative Fellowship program seeks to bring young talent into newsrooms to help kickstart their careers in journalism. Applications are now open for the U.S. Fellowship program, created in collaboration with the National Newspapers Publishers Association, the National Association of Hispanic Publishers and the Association of Alternative Newsmedia. The fall program in the U.S. is designed to address the barriers of access that students and graduates of color face when trying to get into the industry. 

The 2020 GNI Fellowship in Europe also kicked off this week as part of our ongoing work with the European Journalism Centre (EJC). Following more than 1,400 applications, leading European news organizations across 14 countries will host 40 fellows in an eight-week fellowship. The cohort of fellows includes aspiring media professionals with a range of backgrounds in fields like journalism, design, computer science and philosophy.

Collaborating with fact-checkers to combat misinformation

The seventh Global Fact-Checking Summit took place entirely online, with more than 950 participants from more than 70 countries. Most panels from the International Fact-Checking Network’s annual conference are accessible on the event’s dedicated website. The Google News Initiative has supported Global Fact continuously since 2017; earlier this year the GNI also provided $6.5M to efforts fighting COVID-19 misinformation globally.

That’s a wrap for June. Stay tuned for more updates, and follow along on social media and the GNI’s newsletter.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the news community has rapidly adjusted to new working conditions and challenges. But their core mission of providing quality information remains unchanged. We’re expanding our resources to help drive revenue growth for newsrooms, supporting journalists through fellowship programs and adapting online resources to help grow editorial and verification skills. Here’s what the Google News Initiative launched in June.

Expanding global trainings for journalists

Over the coming weeks, we’ll offer a number of free week-long training series on YouTube to help journalists grow their digital reporting skills. The sessions will be available in multiple languages and time zones. Through YouTube’s live chat, journalists will be able to interact with our trainers and get answers to any questions they have on how to use our tools for reporting. 

Across Australia and New Zealand, we worked with First Draft News and the Walkley Foundation to launch live training sessions for journalists, including one in partnership with Grow with Google. We also kicked off a regional publishers pilot program aimed at supporting regional and emerging publishers in their digital transition, and appointed Neil Varcoe, our first ever Publishing Fellow. For the next 12 months, Neil will provide training and support to regional and emerging publishers across Australia and New Zealand.

To support news organizations during the ongoing pandemic, we organized a GNI training series for Southeast Asia in English, Mandarin Chinese and Malay featuring classes like Fact-Checking for COVID-19 Misinformation, Digital Tools for More Efficient Reporting and Data Journalism for Rookies. In Vietnam, we organized a dedicated webinar for more than 100 media organizations to share how our products can help support local media.

New tools and programs to boost revenue growth for publishers

We’re partnering with the French Association of Online Publishers (GESTE) and Poool to support the Digital Media Review, a benchmark tool made available for free to all publishers to assist them with their revenue strategy.

In partnership with the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), we’re exploring new ways to help nonprofit newsrooms grow sponsorship revenue into a sustainable, cost-effective income source. Through the program, a cohort of up to 10 newsrooms will receive one-on-one coaching, and all 250 INN members will have access to a custom playbook that includes best practices for increasing sponsorship revenue. 

We’re also working with local media organizations to grow advertising revenue through cohort-based programs. In Indonesia, we worked with AnyMind Group and PT Promedia Punggawa Satu to help seven local media organizations optimize their websites, improve their user experiences and develop revenue strategies through online advertising. In North America, we’ll be working with 10up to host a four-part workshop series, sharing lessons from the GNI Ad Revenue Lab and key strategies to monetize content. The workshops will begin on July 22, and we invite all small-to-midsize news publishers to join the conversation by RSVPing on our website.

Encouraging future journalists through the GNI Fellowship program

The Google News Initiative Fellowship program seeks to bring young talent into newsrooms to help kickstart their careers in journalism. Applications are now open for the U.S. Fellowship program, created in collaboration with the National Newspapers Publishers Association, the National Association of Hispanic Publishers and the Association of Alternative Newsmedia. The fall program in the U.S. is designed to address the barriers of access that students and graduates of color face when trying to get into the industry. 

The 2020 GNI Fellowship in Europe also kicked off this week as part of our ongoing work with the European Journalism Centre (EJC). Following more than 1,400 applications, leading European news organizations across 14 countries will host 40 fellows in an eight-week fellowship. The cohort of fellows includes aspiring media professionals with a range of backgrounds in fields like journalism, design, computer science and philosophy.

Collaborating with fact-checkers to combat misinformation

The seventh Global Fact-Checking Summit took place entirely online, with more than 950 participants from more than 70 countries. Most panels from the International Fact-Checking Network’s annual conference are accessible on the event’s dedicated website. The Google News Initiative has supported Global Fact continuously since 2017; earlier this year the GNI also provided $6.5M to efforts fighting COVID-19 misinformation globally.

That’s a wrap for June. Stay tuned for more updates, and follow along on social media and the GNI’s newsletter.

Like many others, news organizations are navigating new ways of working remotely. This month, we’re looking at how technology can support and elevate the efforts of journalists who are delivering essential information to their readers.

Supporting fact checking efforts around the world 

Our fact check information panel on YouTube is now available in the United States. The information panel, which launched last year in India and Brazil, highlights fact check results from third-parties in search results for relevant queries, so viewers can make their own informed decision about claims made in the news. In addition, YouTube committed $1 million through the Google News Initiative to the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) to bolster fact-checking and verification efforts across the world. 

Additionally, we worked with the designers at Polygraph to help create a visual database of COVID-19 fact-checking efforts led by the IFCN. This global collaborative project brought fact-checkers together to jointly combat misinformation about the pandemic, collecting a dataset of more than 4000 fact checks (and counting).

Supporting a more diverse global media industry

The Racial Equity in Journalism fund, created in partnership with Borealis Philanthropy, has awarded $2.3 million in grants to 16 news organizations serving communities of color across the U.S. The Fund’s inaugural grantee cohort all serve audiences who have been historically underserved by mainstream media. 

In partnership with the GNI, Chicas Poderosas launched the Ambassador Leadership Training, a global program to strengthen and promote a more diverse media industry. The training will focus on tools and leadership skills to build, support, and sustainably run organizations and foster women's leadership in the media. The program will involve women from 17 countries throughout Latin America, Spain, Portugal, and the U.S.

Using StoryShare to collaborate on local COVID-19 reporting

AP StoryShare, a project supported by the Google News Initiative, allows newsrooms to share content and coverage plans. Editorsin Colorado and Oregon are using StoryShare to collaborate on coronavirus reporting, assuring greater breadth of coverage and less duplication of effort at a time of dwindling resources. About 75 news organizations are participating in initial pilots throughout Colorado, Oregon, and New York.

Online trainings to help journalists find, verify and tell news stories

As journalists around the world adjust to new ways of working, we’re making more training resources available online. We held 27 livestream training sessions in nine languages to help journalists find, verify and tell news stories during the pandemic, with additional tools added to the Google News Initiative Training Center.

In partnership with journalism network Outriders, we’re also offering free tools, training, and support for journalists across Central and Eastern Europe. Live online workshops are offered on a range of topics, from Verification to Geo Tools and Environmental Reporting. An overview of upcoming sessions can be found here, and new sessions will be added on a regular basis.

Insights from Asia Pacific case studies

News organizations in Asia Pacific are using GNI data tools like Realtime Content Insights and News Consumer Insights to grow their audience and build loyalty. In the Philippines, Rappler empowered its news organization with better user data to help achieve digital sustainability. In India, Dainik Jagran improved engagement during India’s General Election by taking advantage of a cultural moment.

The power of words

In Japan, we launched “The Power of Words,” a collaborative reporting project with 24 national and local news organizations. Through the words of athletes, the website delivers uplifting messages, creating an immersive storytelling experience. The website is also accessible, optimized for visual readability, and text voiceover thanks to a screen reader. 

That’s all for April. Stay in touch with @GoogleNewsInit on social, and sign up for the GNI newsletter for more updates.