Google expands GNI India Training Network to add 5 new languages

Google today announced the expansion of Google News Initiative India Training Network to include five new languages: Punjabi, Assamese, Gujarati, Odia and Malayalam to benefit more journalists and media professionals.

Led by DataLEADS, the initiative aims to support journalists, fact-checkers and media educators across India in their fight against misinformation. According to Google, the network has so far trained over 39,000 journalists, media educators, fact-checkers and journalism students in more than 10 languages across India.

Google is also launching the Fact-Check Academy and induct 100 new trainers to help newsrooms and journalists build capacity to tackle climate misinformation and verify misleading data and claims that include false numbers.

Selected candidates will join a 3-day fully-supported residency train-the-trainer program. In this boot camp, participants will hone their skills in verification and training. Global verification experts and Indian fact-checkers will train them on a curriculum built in consultation with the Science Journalists Association of India, Amity University, Jagran Lakecity University and OP Jindal Global University.

"This four-year journey wouldn't have been half as special had it not been for the passion, commitment and collaborative spirit of the network trainers - 239 journalists, fact-checkers and media educators from different newsrooms and colleges who came forward to lead this challenge and shared their learning with others in the ecosystem," Google wrote in a blog post on Tuesday.

The program is open to Indian journalists, fact-checkers, academics and community radio professionals. Preference will be given to those from the new languages and with prior data or science journalism experience.

The last date to submit the application for GNI India Training Network's Fact-Check Academy is 30th July 2022.