**Google News Initiative Announces $1.5 Million in Funding to Support Original Digital Journalism**
The Google News Initiative (GNI) today announced $1.5 million in funding to support original digital journalism projects in the United States. This funding will be used to support projects that create new and innovative ways to report on important issues, and to help news organizations build sustainable business models.
The GNI’s Digital Journalism Fund is a competitive grant program that supports projects that use technology to improve the quality and reach of journalism. The fund is open to news organizations of all sizes and types, and projects can be based in any topic area.
**In 2023, the GNI is prioritizing projects that focus on the following three areas:**
* **Local news:** Projects that support local news organizations in their efforts to provide high-quality, in-depth coverage of their communities.
* **Diverse voices:** Projects that support news organizations that are owned by and/or that serve underrepresented communities.
* **Innovation:** Projects that use new and innovative technologies to improve the way that news is reported, produced, or distributed.
**The deadline to apply for the Digital Journalism Fund is March 31, 2023.**
In addition to the Digital Journalism Fund, the GNI also offers a number of other programs and resources to support journalists and news organizations. These include:
* **The GNI Training Academy:** A free online training platform that offers courses on a variety of topics, including digital journalism, data journalism, and audience engagement.
* **The GNI Innovation Challenge:** A competition that awards grants to news organizations that are developing new and innovative ways to report on important issues.
* **The GNI News Lab:** A research and development team that works with news organizations to develop new tools and technologies to improve the way that news is produced and distributed.
The GNI is committed to supporting original digital journalism and helping news organizations build sustainable business models. The Digital Journalism Fund is one of the ways that the GNI is working to achieve these goals.
**To learn more about the Digital Journalism Fund and to apply, please visit the GNI website.**.
