Tech giant Google has launched a global Journalism Emergency Relief Fund through the Google News Initiative to support small and medium-sized news organizations producing original news for local communities during this COVID-19 pandemic.
Available globally, the fund is to support the production of original content for local communities. It will provide an easily-accessible route to financial assistance at this critical time. The fund is available for publications in Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa, North America, and Latin America.
Google did not disclose the amount of the fund. However it has been active in assisting small businesses during this period. Some days ago, Sundar Pichai announced that it would be donating over $800 million to support small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), health organizations and governments, and health workers on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently it announced its partnership with Apple to build COVID-19 tracking tech into iOS and Android.
Application Process
Applications may be submitted starting on Wednesday, April 15th, 2020. The application window will close on April 29th, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. PT, and may be extended or shortened at Google’s discretion. You are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as Google will process the applications on a rolling basis. All applicants will be notified of the status of their application by email as soon as possible.
Application Eligibility Requirements
- Small and medium-sized news organizations producing original news for local communities during this time of crisis.
- Eligible applicants must have a digital presence and have been in operation for at least 12 months.
- The Fund is targeted at newsrooms employing between 2 – 100 full-time employee (FTE) journalists.
- Local publishers employing more than 100 FTE journalists can still apply and will be considered subject to Google’s discretion, based mainly on differing needs in different countries/regions.
- Organizations must be incorporated or registered in one of the eligible geographies. Unincorporated organizations must be based in one of the eligible geographies.
- Eligible applicants need to have a focus on core news provision, i.e. not lifestyle, sports, business-to-business.
- Eligible applicants can include for-profit or nonprofit traditional news organizations, digital natives, radio and/or TV broadcasters.
- Government-owned entities and individuals are not eligible to apply.
Funding
Funds will be disbursed in one installment, in US dollars or Euros depending on region. Funding amounts will range from the low thousands for small hyper-local newsrooms to low tens of thousands for larger newsrooms, with variations per region.
Selection Process
Initial selection of proposals will be done by teams of Google staff who have knowledge and experience in digital publishing and journalism in the regions detailed above. Applicants will then be contacted by email and offered funding before being asked to sign a funding agreement with Google. Selected applicants will then be required to enroll as a Google partner (if they are not already) in order to receive the funding.
To apply now, provide basic information about your publication and overall organisation (if applicable) on the online application form and inform Google of how the funds will be spent.
The application and more details about Google’s Global Journalism Emergency Relief Fund are available on the News Initiative homepage.
