The Google News Initiative (GNI) has been supporting news organisations in Australia and around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through the GNI’s Journalism Emergency Relief Fund, we have provided more than $1 million in grants to support Australian media outlets. This funding has helped to cover the costs of reporting on the pandemic, including hiring additional staff, purchasing equipment and developing new digital platforms.
We have also provided training and resources to help Australian journalists cover the pandemic. This includes webinars on how to report on the virus safely and accurately, and how to use data to tell stories about the impact of the pandemic.
In addition, we have worked with Australian media outlets to launch a number of initiatives to help keep people informed about the pandemic. This includes a partnership with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) to create a dedicated COVID-19 news website, and a collaboration with News Corp Australia to launch a fact-checking project to combat misinformation about the virus.
The GNI’s efforts to support Australian media during the COVID-19 pandemic have been welcomed by the industry. The Public Interest Journalism Initiative (PIJI), a non-profit organisation that supports independent journalism in Australia, said that the GNI’s funding had been .
