Google has announced a Journalism emergency relief fund to help local newsrooms across the world to handle the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The tech giant did not disclose the size of the Journalism Emergency Relief Fund but said it is part of its Google News Initiative.
This initiative comes after the Google News Initiative announced a $6.5 million fund to support fact-checkers and nonprofits that are working to fight coronavirus-related misinformation.
Google funded the COVID-19 Case Mapper
Newsrooms suffering COVID-19 economic fallout
Local news is a vital resource for keeping people and communities connected especially during this lockdown.
In a blog post, Google explained that news is playing a greater function during this crisis. News organisations report on local lockdowns or shelter at home orders, school and park closures, and data about how COVID-19 is affecting daily life.
However, the crucial role of the news industry is being afflicted with the economic downturn prompted by COVID-19. Many local newsrooms are currently dealing with job cuts, furloughs and cutbacks.
Newsrooms to get thousands of dollars in funds
Speaking on the emergency fund, Google’s VP of News, Richard Gingras said the goal of the programme is to fund thousands of small, medium and local news publishers globally.
The goal is to fund thousands of small, medium and local news publishers globally, through awards ranging from thousands of dollars for small hyper-local newsrooms to tens of thousands for larger newsrooms, with variations per region.
-Richard Gingras, Google’s VP of News
He added that small newsrooms will receive low thousands of dollars while larger newsrooms will receive tens of thousands of dollars.
Google will also be donating $1 million total to two organizations supporting journalists – the International Center for Journalists and the Columbia Journalism School’s Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma.
Social media giant, Facebook has also announced a $100 million fund to support local news organizations in response to the current crisis.
Interested local newsrooms can apply for funding using this link. The application will close at 11:59 pm on April 29, 2020.
