Deadline: June 30, 2023
Applications are open for the Google News Initiative (GNI) Indian Languages Program 2023. India is currently experiencing an unprecedented rise in the consumption of news content in Indian languages. This remarkable growth can be attributed to several factors, including the increased availability of internet-enabled devices, affordable high-speed internet, rising digital literacy, and enhanced language support.
As a result, a growing number of consumers in India have the ability to access news in their native language, which contributes to their overall awareness and empowerment. In order to further support Indian language news publishers in their efforts to make news easily accessible to consumers, Google News Initiative (GNI) is launching the Indian Languages Program.
Benefits
- Scaled inspiration series + virtual workshops: This part of the program consists of eight training sessions, technical, and inspiration workshops. These workshops feature guest speakers, success stories from previous GNI program participants, and Google-led sessions on topics such as Core Web Vitals, Website optimization, NCI (News Consumer Insights), YouTube, and more.
- Diagnosis + 1:1: All the selected publishers will undergo a diagnosis process that assesses their page speed, core web vitals performance, and other relevant parameters to provide unified guidance for quality signals that are essential to delivering a great user experience on the web. The 1:1 phase involves providing guidance and support to address the identified areas, including remediation of issues related to Core Web Vitals, schema, site manifests, mobile usability, content formats, and additional revenue enhancement solutions.
- Mobile site and App development: A subset of selected publishers will receive dedicated consultations and technical implementation support to enable a best-in-class user experience. This long-term engagement involves working closely with publishers to develop a roadmap tailored to their specific needs.
Eligibility
- Open to any Indian Language local news organizations that produce original news and are incorporated or registered in India.
- Eligible applicants must have an operational website and a minimum of 12 months of continuous operation.
- Newsrooms with a staffing capacity of at least 30 full-time employee (FTE) employees.
- Local and regional publishers employing more than 100 FTE journalists may also apply, selection is subject to Google’s discretion.
- Eligible applicants can include for-profit or nonprofit traditional news organizations, digital natives, and broadcasters.
Application
The application window for the GNI Indian Languages Program will be open from June 12, 2023 starting at 6:00 PM IST and will close on June 30, 2023 at 11:59 PM IST. During this period, interested applicants would be required to fill out an application form, providing information about their organization, digital plans and other relevant details. As part of the application process, participants will need to review and accept the GNI Indian Languages Program Application Terms and Conditions.
For more information, visit GNI Indian Languages Program.
