Google programme to train and support Indian local news publishers

Google News Initiative (GNI) on Friday announced a new programme to provide Indian publishers training, technical support and funding to improve digital operations and reach more readers.

Under the Indian Languages Program, selected publishers will be diagnosed for their page speed, core web vitals performance and other parameters. The evaluation will provide guidance on quality signals essential for user experience on the web.

Publishers will receive personalised guidance and support for improvement, including solving issues related to Core Web Vitals, mobile usability, content formats, and revenue enhancement solutions.

Applications for the programme will be accepted till June 30, 2023. Small or medium-sized Indian language news organisations that produce original news and are incorporated or registered in the country are eligible for the programme. Applicants must have an operational website for at least 12 months and 50 full-time employees (FTE) at least.

Google said this is its most diverse technology programme for news publishers, supporting nine languages: English, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Malayalam, Gujarati, and Marathi,
Eligible publishers can be for-profit or nonprofit traditional news organizations, digital natives, and broadcasters.

A subset of chosen publishers will be offered dedicated consultations and technical implementation support to for better user experience. This long-term engagement will involve close collaboration with publishers to create a roadmap tailored to their specific needs.

The initiative will also include a range of other activities, like scaled inspiration series and virtual workshops. These sessions will feature guest speakers, success stories from previous GNI program participants, and sessions on topics such as Core Web Vitals, website optimization, News Consumer Insights (NCI) and YouTube.