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agency is an European organisation established by Google to “promote high quality journalism through digital innovation and technology”. It includes an “Innovative Media Investment Fund” of up to Euros 150m, which in coming years issued grants to 4 solely independent news organisations. These are primarily based in the UK but also include other countries including Latin America and Africa. The initiative was launched in autumn 2021 and so far no applications have been received from publishers as a result. This therefore represents a major break with the past, where Google has not given outside funding to news organisations before.

The digital news initiative is also being backed by the UK government, who has invested heavily in supporting it. The UK government is keen to support technological growth and backed the idea of an innovation fund. This will provide opportunities for innovators in the UK and across Europe to apply for grants and receive funding for new projects, as well as increasing the availability of international expertise to help improve digital news journalism in Europe.

The Digital News Initiative was launched with the European Journalism Initiative, an umbrella body for European online journalism that brings together media, entrepreneurs and public sector executives to pool ideas, develop resources and share information. agency of the digital news initiative was the launch of the European Journalism Training Challenge (EURICS). This was launched in autumn 2021 with a call for submissions to the Journalism Training Track, inviting students to submit an original proposal that they have undertaken in the course of their journalism training. The competition is open to students from any part of the world, and all that needs to be done is to write a 500-word proposal on a particular topic related to a feature or segment of the magazine that you are covering. The top ten winning projects will then be assessed by an independent panel of experts and the lucky ones will receive a three-year diploma as a Journalism Student with special emphasis on digital innovation.

The next element of the digital news programme was the formation of a working group to evaluate the proposals. This working group comprised of the directors of several leading media organisations, who assessed the proposals in relation to the format, the focus, the scale and the impact of the projects on society and innovation in the field. Based on this assessment the final round of funding was decided upon.

This funded scheme has been very useful to the news organisations, as it provides them with an excellent opportunity to improve and innovate. The innovations can be anything from reporting, to features, to video, to reports, to podcasts and more. There are no restrictions or deadlines, as long as the initiative is in line with the values that support high-quality journalism. One important advantage is that there is no limit on the number of times that the innovators need to submit their applications for funding, so that it becomes possible to diversify the portfolio and take advantage of different areas and sectors. In other words, the Innovators’ Platform can become a platform for more than one innovative project.

The success of the Innovation Fund means that both the media and the publishers have an excellent opportunity to explore new ways of engaging and attracting audiences, which will then in turn boost the revenues. The success of the initiative also shows the value of open access journalism, as it brings fresh perspectives to both existing and unique content. It is important that the innovation succeeds in fulfilling the original vision of the organization, as if it does not, then the impact could be negative. In this respect, it is important that the digital news organisations have clear aims and missions, with clearly defined goals, objectives and metrics to track progress over time. Such an approach helps ensure that the funding used is used to support high-quality journalism.

The Innovative Media Platform will continue to support new platforms for investigative and in-depth journalism. This support for new platforms and formats will make sure that journalism lives up to its potential, as well as providing platforms and formats that are sustainable and meaningful. The growth of the Innovation Fund has been complemented by a number of other independent foundations and philanthropic organizations, including the Wellcome Trust, Gates Foundation and New Venture Communications. These philanthropic partners have come together to ensure that the money does not just find its way into the news organizations’ budget, but also into the pool of knowledge and innovation available to newsrooms around the world.

In agency , the success of the digital news initiative means that journalism can thrive and create new and meaningful ways of engaging, and in some cases attracting, audiences. It also offers an opportunity for the media companies to explore new forms and models of storytelling. This new focus on digital platforms and new types of storytelling mean that the digital news industry is positioned to seize the opportunities that may arise from the ever-changing landscape of online media, both in the area of news and in the area of innovation. By combining the innovation fund with a drive to make journalism sustainable and meaningful, the news companies stand to benefit not only from the Alliance for New Journalism’s support, but also from the broader efforts of philanthropic partners around the world.