Applications open for North America GNI Innovation Challenge

The second North America GNI Innovation Challenge will provide funding for projects which specifically create sustainable models for local media and promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within their journalism.


Devdiscourse News Desk | California | Updated: 28-02-2020 08:20 IST | Created: 28-02-2020 08:19 IST
Applications open for North America GNI Innovation Challenge
Selected projects will receive funding of up to USD 300,000, with funding for up to 70 percent of the total project cost. Image Credit: ANI
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Google announced Thursday the launch of Google News Initiative's (GNI) latest Innovation Challenge in North America. The GNI program is aimed at empowering news innovators from around the world via rounds of regional funding.

The first GNI Innovation Challenge in North America was launched in March 2019.  As part of the program, 34 projects received USD 5.8 million to help with projects ranging from a way for local news providers to access and monetize audio clips to testing a new approach to local news discovery, engagement, and membership.

The second North America GNI Innovation Challenge will provide funding for projects which specifically create sustainable models for local media and promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within their journalism. Selected projects will receive funding of up to USD 300,000, with funding for up to 70 percent of the total project cost.

"This year the spotlight will shift toward helping publishers understand their audiences so that they can build a sustainable business. We’re looking for a breadth of projects, and examples might include using technology to understand the business impact of overlooking certain audiences, designing strategies to improve discovery of local and diverse content, or diversifying revenue streams," LaToya Drake, Global Outreach Lead, Google News Initiative wrote in a blog post.

How to apply?

Applications open on February 27th and the deadline to submit is May 12th, 2020. Applicants should be operating in a local news market (North America) and be aiming to produce original journalism to enlighten citizens with trustworthy content. 

Aspiring applicants will be asked to provide descriptions, detailed project plans, and budget information in the online application form, whilst accepting the terms and conditions of the North America GNI Innovation Challenge.

Visit Google News Initiative website for more information.

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