Author Archives: Ludovic Blecher

Celebrating the success of 30 Latin American news innovators

In working with journalists and publishers around the world for many years, the question that I’m continually asked is why Google works with the media? The answer is found in our mission: “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

Our mission is inextricably linked with the essence of journalism, aiming to provide citizens around the world with access to the information they need to make the best possible decisions about their lives. We all need and want a sustainable and diverse news industry that provides us, and our communities, with high-quality news.

In 2018 we created the Google News Initiative Innovation Challenges, with the goal of empowering news organizations to pioneer new thinking in online journalism, develop new business models and better understand their communities. Since then, we’ve worked with and funded 338 projects in 75 countries. And today, I’m thrilled to share that 30 more media organizations from 12 countries in Latin America are the new recipients in our third iteration of the Challenge in the region.

The third edition in Latin America

This Innovation Challenge in Latin America was open to the entire ecosystem from news publishers to digital-only outlets, news startups, associations or NGOs, academics and independent journalists. Applications ranged from projects focused on increasing reader engagement and/or revenue from readers, developing and diversifying business models, combating misinformation, increasing trust in journalism, reaching new audiences, improving workflow efficiency and exploring new technologies.

We received 353 applicants from 21 countries in the region. All projects were evaluated by a team of experts and a final jury that were impressed by the diversity and the quality of the proposed projects. We saw creative solutions by regional media focusing on the development of inclusive membership models and content distribution for younger people. Others seek to generate resources through technology and collaboration with readers by developing new subscription platforms, capitalizing on the power of blockchain technology, and betting on artificial intelligence to help fight misinformation or increase engagement.

Of the applications we received, more than 31% percent were from regional and local publishers, while 23% were from online-only publishers.

Some highlights include:

  • Abril Editorial Match: This project from Brazil seeks to use artificial intelligence to better understand their readers’ behavior across Abril's brands, engaging them through a predictive experience of relevant articles.
  • El Colombiano: This Colombian project, “Loyalty Wall,” seeks to implement a platform for digital subscriptions, which includes a dynamic paywall and loyalty rewards for audiences.
  • Promoting information access in Latin America (PIALA): This Mexican platform will enable journalists and researchers to make the most of the freedom of information acts (FOIAs) across the region. Users will be able to create, submit, manage, organize and follow up on all their FOIA requests at the same time in a quick and easy way.
This image is a photo collage of some of the recipients of the Innovation Challenge in Latin America for 2022.

This photo collage shows images of some of the 2022 recipients of the Innovation Challenge in Latin America.

Congratulations to the 2022 Latin America recipients!

Thanks to all who applied and congratulations to all of the selected projects. We hope media initiatives in the region continue their efforts to maintain a sustainable and diverse news ecosystem in Latin America. Only through collaboration is it possible to build new business models that will benefit us all. Our commitment to the news industry stems from our founding mission to build a better-informed world, and quality journalism is as essential today as it’s ever been to democracies around the world.

More information about all the selected projects can be found on our website.

Celebrating the success of 47 European news innovators

We're announcing today the 47 recipients from 21 countries of the first Google News Initiative Innovation Challenge for Europe. Innovation Challenges, which we’ve previously run in other regions of the world, provide funding to help news organizations develop new paths to business sustainability.

This Innovation Challenge was open to publishers with smaller newsrooms that produce original journalism, and whose projects focus on creating a more sustainable and diverse news ecosystem. The recipients will be working on issues ranging from fact-checking to artificial intelligence.

Photo of seven members of the team from Hromadske Radio standing outside in front of vehicles.

Success: The team at Hromadske Radio will promote online audio consumption among Ukrainian audiences.

With 605 applicants from 38 countries, we were impressed by the diversity and the quality of the proposed projects. There were creative solutions to common business challenges, including news organizations engaging with more diverse audiences, and providing greater transparency into how powerful institutions such as businesses and governmental organizations operate.

Thirty-four percent of the applications came from regional and local publishers, with 25% from online-only publishers. Addressing audience needs (23%) and community building (10%) were the most popular topics, as many applicants in our post-lockdown world put forward projects that brought audiences or communities together.

Photo of five members of the team from Voxe who are standing or sitting on a bench.

The team from Voxe in France will create a content management system that works better for advertisers.

Here are some of the projects:

  • Diario Público from Spain will tackle ageism by creating a news app specifically designed for the needs of elders.
  • Konbini in France will use gaming techniques to appeal to younger audiences, allowing them to explore cultural news content in a new way.
  • A consortium of regional Polish newspapers will collaborate to create an app that opens up direct communication between Ukrainian refugees and Ukrainian-speaking newsroom staff to provide dedicated news sections and events.
  • Novaya Gazeta Europe will research a better understanding of the Russian-speaking diaspora in Europe and share this knowledge with other media-in-exile by creating special tools and developing new forms of content.
  • Greater Govanhill in Scotland is creating collaborative social media journalism by bringing independent groups together to service an area where coverage of local community issues has been overlooked.
  • Føljeton from Denmark wants to turn its subscribers into members by bringing together their currently separated subscriber and editorial systems into a new technology platform.

The recipients will be working on their projects this winter, and will share their results with the wider news ecosystem when complete. More information about all the selected projects can be found on our website.

Innovation success in Middle East, Africa and Turkey

Picture shows a group of five people who make up the team at the Dubawa Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, who will automate radio fact-checking.

Success! The team at the Dubawa Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, who will automate radio fact-checking.

The GNI Innovation Challenges, part of Google’s $300 million commitment to help journalism thrive in the digital age, have seen news innovators across the world step forward with many exciting initiatives demonstrating new thinking.

The 3rd Middle East, Turkey and Africa Innovation Challenge launched in February 2022, and received 425 applications from 42 countries – a 27% increase in overall applications. After a rigorous review, a round of interviews and a final jury selection process, 34 projects were selected from 17 countries to receive $3.2 million in funding.

This Innovation Challenge saw a significant increase in applications from news organizations undertaking fact checking activities: an increase of 118% when compared to previous Innovation Challenges in the region. Proposed projects which use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) also showed significant growth (92%), reflecting a trend across the news ecosystem to embrace cutting edge new technologies and data.

The call for applications listed five criteria: impact on the news ecosystem; innovation; diversity, equity and inclusion; inspiration; and feasibility – and the chosen projects clearly demonstrated all five. Here’s a selection of the successful recipients (you can find the full list on our website):

  • Dubawa, Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development from Nigeria, an online-only publisher, will introduce automated radio fact-checking.
  • Majarra from the UAE will apply AI and ML to use readers’ data to better help them navigate their website and be more inclusive to female subscribers.
  • The Bridge Across the Abraham Accords project: In an industry-first initiative, Tel Aviv-based Israel Hayom and Abu Dhabi-based Al-Ittihad will collaborate to give readers of both news organizations the ability to share news and comment in the same multilingual environment.
  • Minority Africa from Uganda is designing and implementing a web distribution application that will make it easier for newsrooms publishing under a Creative Commons license to have more control of their work.
  • Quote This Woman+ from South Africa will build a tool to provide women+ (identified as women, people living with disabilities, LGBTQI+, rural and religious minorities).
    sources to newsrooms and journalists to diversify sources in news coverage.
  • Dipnot from Turkey, a TV company, will create COM+: a multi-screen OTT platform for curated news in Turkey.

The successful recipients will be embarking on their projects later this summer and will share their learnings with the wider news ecosystem.

A Challenge to understand the needs of local readers

How can local news publishers create the next generation of news products without knowing what their readers need? And how can they flourish without understanding the needs of the larger majority of community residents who do not read their work?

These are crucial questions, and we want to encourage local publishers to explore them in greater depth. Starting today, we are launching the third Google News Initiative Innovation Challenge in North America to help local publishers to think about new ways to understand, enhance and serve the needs of their communities.

We're inviting publishers to submit ideas for projects that will generate research approaches to better understand these local audiences in order to rethink product and overall strategy. 

Since 2019,Google News Initiative Innovation Challenges have supported 67 projects in Canada and the U.S. with over $11 million in funding. Past recipients include projects to tackle big challenges in local news and in diversity, equity and inclusion. California Independent Television Service (ITVS) producedan interactive survey tool designed to allow viewers to share feedback and interact in real time with fellow audience members. Save the Black Press, a project from Black Voice News, is building an open site to allow news organizations to access datasets about the Black population to produce more powerful stories and generate higher engagement with a more informed public.


Applications are open from now until August 26. Established local publishers, online-only players, news startups, academics, publisher collaborations and local industry associations are all eligible to apply. Projects will be evaluated against five criteria: 


  1. Research methodology

  2. The innovative nature of the approach to the research

  3. The potential for creating more diversity, equity and inclusion

  4. The publisher plans in using the research to communicate the value brought by their journalism

  5. The plan for sharing lessons with both the community and the wider industry 


We encourage applicants to think about collaborative approaches to their projects, and employ an iterative “test and learn” approach that leads to redefined priorities and product strategy. 

Selected projects will be eligible to receive up to $200,000, not to exceed 70% of the total project cost. Please see the website for full details and application process.

How to apply

Applications, in English or French, must be made online via our website and are open until Monday, August 26 at 23:59 GMT. We will also be holding an online town hall on July 1st at 9:00 a.m. Pacific time with a live presentation, including the opportunity to ask questions. (Please note that Google does not take any equity or IP in any projects or submissions.) 

We are looking forward to seeing new ideas, projects and big bets to come this round. For more information about the Challenge, visit g.co/newsinnovation.

Fostering innovation in the Middle East, Turkey and Africa

As part of our continuous effort to support the news industry around the world, we are launching our second Google News Initiative Innovation Challenge in the Middle East, Turkey and Africa. It’s an open call for projects that increase reader engagement and explore new business models to build a stronger future for journalism.

Last year, we selected 21 projects from 13 countries: Israel, Lebanon, Morocco, Jordan, UAE, Iraq, Turkey, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda, Nigeria and Ghana. In South Africa, online news publisher Daily Maverick developed a “relevancy engine” for small and medium publishers to help them better understand reader insights and increase relevancy and increase subscriptions. In Jordan, podcast startup Sowt developed a new hosting platform for Arabic news podcasts. You can find out more about all of last year's recipients in this Keyword post.

Round 1 recipients Food for Mzansi showing their support

Round 1 recipients Food for Mzansi showing their support

Applications are open from now until April 12. Established publishers, online-only players, news startups, publisher consortia and local industry associations are all eligible to apply. Projects will be evaluated against five criteria: impact on the news ecosystem, innovation, diversity, equity and inclusion; inspiration; and feasibility. The selected projects will be eligible to receive up to $150,000, not to exceed70%of the total project cost. We will not be funding any editorial-only projects, but instead are focusing on projects aimed at increasing reader engagement and exploring new business models. 

How to apply

Applications, in English only, must be made online via our website and are open until Monday, April 12 at 23:59 GMT. We will also be holding an online town hallon March 3 at 13.00 GMT with a live presentation and the opportunity to ask questions. (Please note that Google does not take any equity or IP in any projects or submissions.) 

We are looking forward to seeing new ideas, projects and big bets come out of the Middle East, Turkey and Africa, a region rich with talent, potential and opportunity. For more information about the challenge, visit g.co/newsinnovation

We supported 662 journalism projects in Europe

Five years ago, as we saw news publishers shifting towards digital formats and trying new ways of doing things in the internet era, we set up the Digital News Innovation (DNI) Fund to promote innovation and quality journalism. The €150 million program ran until 2019 and supported 662 digital news projects across Europe. Today we’re releasing a final impact report to show where the funds went and how publishers used them.

DNI Fund - 662 Projects, €150M Fund

Applicants were able to pitch for projects of up to €1 million, focusing on the most pressing issues identified by the news industry: boosting digital revenue, telling local stories, battling misinformation and exploring new technologies. And because we know that many advances only come after some experimentation, individuals and organizations were also able to apply for smaller prototype projects and utilize funding of up to €50,000. 

We saw a wide variety of approaches from some of the biggest names in the industry as well as relative newcomers. The vast majority of the funds went directly to publishers, with the remaining 6 percent going to overhead costs such as project monitoring, information sharing and reporting. Here are a few of the projects: 


  • Le Monde in France created a three-tier subscription model that has increased its digital subscribers by 40 percent since the start of 2020.

  • In the UK, Archant has digitized its 150-year-old archive with the help of 900 community volunteers, and created a voice-activated service where readers and other publishers can access stories and information.

  • Germany’s CrowdNewsroom used crowdsourcing to deliver verifiable facts on important local topics in the absence of official public information.

  • By building a shield against bots and trolls, Edge NPD in Poland has helped protect readers, publishers and advertisers globally from the negative impact of fake traffic, saving the industry tens of billions of euros per year.

  • SESAAB, the Italian publisher of L’Eco di Bergamo newspaper, used artificial intelligence to create personalised newsletters and online content recommendations.

  • Digital news publisher Observador's podcast and radio offerings have gained 25 percent of the total audio on-demand market in Portugal. Live feeds from its website and app reach a monthly audience of over 180,000, and its podcasts are consistently ranked among the country’s 50 most popular.

  • Debunk EU from DELFI, the largest online news publisher operating across Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, is an initiative to tackle fake news online using a combination of artificial intelligence techniques and a dedicated community of volunteers. The company has now formed partnerships with organizations in 17 countries. 

DNI funding supported projects in Europe to tackle four key industry challenges

The projects supported by the DNI Fund reflect the diversity of the media landscape in Europe, from small local outlets to large cross-border publishing operations. During many conversations with our partners in the European news industry, we’ve seen how they used the funds to help foster creativity in their newsrooms, invest in technology tailored to their particular needs and calibrate new sustainable business approaches for journalism.  


The news industry’s shift towards digital will take time, and its need for support doesn’t end with the DNI Fund. That’s why we launched the Google News Initiative (GNI) two years ago, a $300 million commitment to help journalism thrive. As of today, the GNI has awarded a total of $54.3 million to European news organizations. We look forward to seeing the results, and learning more about how we can best support the industry.

We supported 662 journalism projects in Europe

Five years ago, as we saw news publishers shifting towards digital formats and trying new ways of doing things in the internet era, we set up the Digital News Innovation (DNI) Fund to promote innovation and quality journalism. The €150 million program ran until 2019 and supported 662 digital news projects across Europe. Today we’re releasing a final impact report to show where the funds went and how publishers used them.

DNI Fund - 662 Projects, €150M Fund

Applicants were able to pitch for projects of up to €1 million, focusing on the most pressing issues identified by the news industry: boosting digital revenue, telling local stories, battling misinformation and exploring new technologies. And because we know that many advances only come after some experimentation, individuals and organizations were also able to apply for smaller prototype projects and utilize funding of up to €50,000. 

We saw a wide variety of approaches from some of the biggest names in the industry as well as relative newcomers. The vast majority of the funds went directly to publishers, with the remaining 6 percent going to overhead costs such as project monitoring, information sharing and reporting. Here are a few of the projects: 


  • Le Monde in France created a three-tier subscription model that has increased its digital subscribers by 40 percent since the start of 2020.

  • In the UK, Archant has digitized its 150-year-old archive with the help of 900 community volunteers, and created a voice-activated service where readers and other publishers can access stories and information.

  • Germany’s CrowdNewsroom used crowdsourcing to deliver verifiable facts on important local topics in the absence of official public information.

  • By building a shield against bots and trolls, Edge NPD in Poland has helped protect readers, publishers and advertisers globally from the negative impact of fake traffic, saving the industry tens of billions of euros per year.

  • SESAAB, the Italian publisher of L’Eco di Bergamo newspaper, used artificial intelligence to create personalised newsletters and online content recommendations.

  • Digital news publisher Observador's podcast and radio offerings have gained 25 percent of the total audio on-demand market in Portugal. Live feeds from its website and app reach a monthly audience of over 180,000, and its podcasts are consistently ranked among the country’s 50 most popular.

  • Debunk EU from DELFI, the largest online news publisher operating across Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, is an initiative to tackle fake news online using a combination of artificial intelligence techniques and a dedicated community of volunteers. The company has now formed partnerships with organizations in 17 countries. 

DNI funding supported projects in Europe to tackle four key industry challenges

The projects supported by the DNI Fund reflect the diversity of the media landscape in Europe, from small local outlets to large cross-border publishing operations. During many conversations with our partners in the European news industry, we’ve seen how they used the funds to help foster creativity in their newsrooms, invest in technology tailored to their particular needs and calibrate new sustainable business approaches for journalism.  


The news industry’s shift towards digital will take time, and its need for support doesn’t end with the DNI Fund. That’s why we launched the Google News Initiative (GNI) two years ago, a $300 million commitment to help journalism thrive. As of today, the GNI has awarded a total of $54.3 million to European news organizations. We look forward to seeing the results, and learning more about how we can best support the industry.

We supported 662 journalism projects in Europe

Five years ago, as we saw news publishers shifting towards digital formats and trying new ways of doing things in the internet era, we set up the Digital News Innovation (DNI) Fund to promote innovation and quality journalism. The €150 million program ran until 2019 and supported 662 digital news projects across Europe. Today we’re releasing a final impact report to show where the funds went and how publishers used them.

DNI Fund - 662 Projects, €150M Fund

Applicants were able to pitch for projects of up to €1 million, focusing on the most pressing issues identified by the news industry: boosting digital revenue, telling local stories, battling misinformation and exploring new technologies. And because we know that many advances only come after some experimentation, individuals and organizations were also able to apply for smaller prototype projects and utilize funding of up to €50,000. 

We saw a wide variety of approaches from some of the biggest names in the industry as well as relative newcomers. The vast majority of the funds went directly to publishers, with the remaining 6 percent going to overhead costs such as project monitoring, information sharing and reporting. Here are a few of the projects: 


  • Le Monde in France created a three-tier subscription model that has increased its digital subscribers by 40 percent since the start of 2020.

  • In the UK, Archant has digitized its 150-year-old archive with the help of 900 community volunteers, and created a voice-activated service where readers and other publishers can access stories and information.

  • Germany’s CrowdNewsroom used crowdsourcing to deliver verifiable facts on important local topics in the absence of official public information.

  • By building a shield against bots and trolls, Edge NPD in Poland has helped protect readers, publishers and advertisers globally from the negative impact of fake traffic, saving the industry tens of billions of euros per year.

  • SESAAB, the Italian publisher of L’Eco di Bergamo newspaper, used artificial intelligence to create personalised newsletters and online content recommendations.

  • Digital news publisher Observador's podcast and radio offerings have gained 25 percent of the total audio on-demand market in Portugal. Live feeds from its website and app reach a monthly audience of over 180,000, and its podcasts are consistently ranked among the country’s 50 most popular.

  • Debunk EU from DELFI, the largest online news publisher operating across Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, is an initiative to tackle fake news online using a combination of artificial intelligence techniques and a dedicated community of volunteers. The company has now formed partnerships with organizations in 17 countries. 

DNI funding supported projects in Europe to tackle four key industry challenges

The projects supported by the DNI Fund reflect the diversity of the media landscape in Europe, from small local outlets to large cross-border publishing operations. During many conversations with our partners in the European news industry, we’ve seen how they used the funds to help foster creativity in their newsrooms, invest in technology tailored to their particular needs and calibrate new sustainable business approaches for journalism.  


The news industry’s shift towards digital will take time, and its need for support doesn’t end with the DNI Fund. That’s why we launched the Google News Initiative (GNI) two years ago, a $300 million commitment to help journalism thrive. As of today, the GNI has awarded a total of $54.3 million to European news organizations. We look forward to seeing the results, and learning more about how we can best support the industry.

What emergency funding means for publishers around the world

Established in 1904 in Oklahoma, the Lawton Constitution is one of more than 5,600 recipients of the Google News Initiative Journalism Emergency Relief Fund (JERF). Committed to serving local community journalism, the newspaper’s publisher, David Stringer, knows how difficult it is to fulfill its mission even with best intentions. “No matter how low the cost, we know that some residents want to read the paper but simply can’t afford it,” he says. So the Lawton Constitution has used JERF funds to subsidize half the cost of a subscription for those in need who want to stay informed, giving the community access to important information and building relationships for the future.

In South Korea, Kim Hong-tak from the Jeonnam Ilbo is using JERF funds to highlight the resilience of the local businesses affected by COVID-19. The publication has created a designated column focused on local small and medium sized businesses to highlight their strengths and values and serve as a bridge to connect them to the right government agencies for further support.

In the United Kingdom, DC Thomson used the funding to support new content teams to help generate 10,000 subscribers during lockdown. In Argentina, El Diario published an editorialdescribing how the funding will allow them “to continue..to keep the voices of the city and the region alive”. And, In Canada, Narcity Media will use the funds to increase their staff by hiring at least 1-2 new reporters. 

These are a handful of stories among many we received since launching JERF in April. When COVID-19 was turning the world upside down, we didn’t know what to expect. The intent was simple: help address a very real need from local publishers and news sites globally that are facing financial hardship as a result of the economic and advertising downturn. 

In the last few months, we have provided $39.5 million in funding to more than 5600 publishers in 115 countries. The money is being applied in diverse and creative ways, from ensuring basic reporting needs and giving emergency stipends to allow reporters to cover the crisis, to driving audience engagement and generating subscriptions.

Journalism Emergency Relief Fund infographic 1.jpg

Within two weeks of our announcement, we received more than 12,000 applications. The massive response gave us the opportunity to understand what “local” means in different parts of the world, and how dynamics ranging from newsroom size to ownership structure can differ depending on the region and the kinds of communities served. For instance, the average newsroom size varied from 20 in Asia Pacific to eight in North America. 

Journalism Emergency Relief Fund infographic 2.jpg

We learned from publishers that advertising continues to be the sole source of revenue for most JERF recipients, with 50 percent claiming to be totally advertising dependent. A survey we carried out also showed that less than 30 percent of recipients operate some form of a paywall, while less than 18 percent rely on community contributions or memberships to support their journalism. That situation is changing, though, with 60 percent of the recipients planning to diversify their revenue streams by developing subscription, membership or contribution models. 


Additionally, around 20 percent of publishers told us they are prioritizing a need for cultural change that includes a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion as well as organizational and business management.


The pandemic has affected everyone, and local news organizations have been at the forefront in helping their communities navigate COVID-19. At the Google News Initiative, we are trying to play our part with this funding and other initiatives as we all work towards the common goal of a sustainable, innovative and diverse news industry globally.

Providing emergency funding for 5,300+ local news organizations

COVID-19 has upended the news industry, hitting local news particularly hard with job losses, furloughs, cutbacks and even closure. To provide some help, last month the Google News Initiative launched the Journalism Emergency Relief Fund. Today we’re announcing that more than 5,300 small and medium local newsrooms around the world will receive funding ranging from $5,000 - $30,000. Applications covering a number of publications under one organization will be capped at $85,000. As we await a final funding tally, we expect to spend tens of millions of dollars through the Journalism Emergency Relief Fund. 

In just two weeks we received more than 12,000 applications from 140 eligible countries, with 90 percent of those applications from newsrooms of less than 26 journalists. We reviewed each application against a set of criteria: publications operating locally, serving a specific geographic community and using the money to continue doing so. More than 300 Googlers joined forces to check the submissions and across the world we held dozens of webinars and office hours to answer questions and guide people through the process. 

About 50 percent of the applications didn’t meet the publicly established criteria. Reasons varied from not producing core news (i.e., lifestyle or sports news) to employing less than 2 journalists. The goal was to be as inclusive as possible while sticking to the eligibility rules. We still have a small percentage of projects to review but below our teams have provided a snapshot of some of the recipients and how they plan to spend the funding.


WORLD@2x (3).png

North America:Chris Jansen, Head of U.S. News & Publishing

As we read their stories, we were struck by the number of news organizations in the U.S. and Canada  keeping their communities informed with fewer than 10 full-time employees. As small businesses, many applicants are trying to figure out how to keep the lights on, literally and figuratively. They’re passionate about providing high-quality journalism, and it’s an honor to support them during such a critical point.

  • The Daily Memphian (Memphis, TN, U.S.) will continue to produce 20-30 daily stories focused on issues around COVID-19 and its impact on the poor and on African American communities.

  • Chestnut Hill Local (Northwest Philadelphia, PA, U.S.): will replace their “archaic website” with a new platform to get content online more quickly and more often. 

  • The Discourse Cowichan (Canada) serves a rural region on Vancouver Island, B.C., including Cowichan Tribes, the largest First Nation in the region. It will increase reporting capacity to cover the impact of COVID on vulnerable communities.

  • Madison365 (Madison, WI, U.S.) focuses on communities of color in Wisconsin. It will use funds for additional journalists, video content production and server capacity to provide rapid response coverage on issues impacting people of color across the state.

  • WTIP North Shore Community Radio’s (Grand Marais, MN, U.S.) emergency response organizations rely on WTIP to broadcast lifesaving information. WTIP will keep its news team employed and on the air, delivering live and local broadcasting throughout the crisis. 

Europe, the Middle East, and Africa: Mark Peters, Director, EMEA Partnerships 

We received applications from 88 countries, and so far we’ve offered funding to more than 1550 publishers, each demonstrating the diversity and strength of local communities and the journalists that continue to serve them through the crisis.

  • Mediacités’ (France) fact-checking tool “Veracités” has seen a huge increase in questions from local readers but can currently only answer 10 percent of them. The fund will allow them to invest in the tool and answer more peoples’ questions. 

  • Eco di Bergamo (Italy) Data journalism techniques have helped local communities understand what’s happening in the Bergamo area which suffered heavy losses during the crisis. Funding will be used to increase investment in new means of production (video, audio, photo, data) to give readers a deeper more analytical knowledge of what’s happening in their territory. 

  • Bihoreanul(Romania) intends to provide information necessary to fight the spread of COVID-19, and talk about the consequences of the pandemic to its readers.

  • Rochdale online (UK) will keep their journalists working during the crisis. They’ll focus on helping the community understand the latest advice on COVID-19 and promote the work of local businesses, charities and volunteers.

  • Baraka FM (Kenya) will focus on on-air campaigns to encourage listeners to prevent the spread of COVID-19. They’ll buy personal protective equipment to keep reporters safe when conducting interviews and give emergency stipends to reporters who’ve traveled to cover special reports.

Asia Pacific: Rohan Tiwary, Head of Media, News & Entertainment Partnerships, APAC

Asia Pacific has dealt with COVID-19 for longer than any other region—since January, in some places—so we know how urgently this support is needed.  When we looked at the more than 2,000 applications, we considered Asia Pacific’s enormous diversity—not just across ethnicities, religions and languages, but also in terms of the news landscape. We’re supporting more than 800 news organizations in 30 countries and territories, a few examples below.

  • The Murray Pioneer (Australia) will set up two online meeting rooms so they can communicate with remote journalists, local governments and interest groups. Their advertising department will also maintain virtual contact with clients and coordinate campaigns more effectively.

  • Saitama Shimbun (Japan), a 75-year old newspaper covering the Saitama prefecture, plans to detail the impact of the pandemic to preserve a record for future generations.

  • Suara Surabaya (Indonesia) goes beyond being a news portal, allowing readers to submit complaints like a public service hotline and working with stakeholders to find solutions. They will use funding to bridge cash flow impacted by COVID-19.

  • Minnambalam (India), a Tamil language publication from Chennai, will be able to keep their newsroom going, the funding giving them the confidence and financial support needed to carry on with their work.

  • East Mojo (India), a digital-only news organization, plans to allow journalists to go to remote parts of Northern India to shed light on the impact of COVID-19 once the country’s lockdown is lifted. 


Latin America:  Camilo Gomez - Online Partnerships Group Lead, LATAM

The process behind reviewing each of the 2,000+ applications in the region was an opportunity to connect with the amazing journalism and stories that support local communities.

  • Agencia Amazonia(Brazil) will support Project #CoberturaCovid19Amazônia, which investigates the socio-cultural impact of the coronavirus on traditional populations in the Amazon region, giving priority to stories about indigenous, quilombolas and riverside dwellers.

  • El Colombiano (Colombia) will maintain the quality and resources that characterize the  journalism of Medellin newspaper (the second most important city in the country).

  • La Discusion (Chile) will help finance an integrated radio-digital platform, developing informative, interpretive and opinion content across a variety of subjects like health, minorities, education, and sports etc that have been affected by COVID-19.

  • El Imparcial (México) will drive their strategic business plan, which includes improving multimedia content, newsroom training and growing their community. 

Today’s news builds on a number of otherefforts we’ve recently made in light of the pandemic. The GNI will announce more in the coming weeks and of course continue working to help the industry towards a more sustainable future in an ever increasingly digital world.