Supporting journalism trainees and new deals with independent publishers

We have worked closely with the Australian news industry for years to provide technical, training and financial support to strengthen quality journalism.

Many of these initiatives have been focused on supporting news publishers in regional areas and local communities to build the capabilities they need for success in the digital world.

We’re expanding on that commitment with support for the AAP Traineeship program and an agreement with the Minderoo Foundation to partner with 24 independent publishers.

Supporting AAP Traineeship

We are pleased to support the return of AAP's renowned traineeship program in 2022. The program will hire four trainees from diverse backgrounds who will also be trained in digital as a source for news gathering, digital audience analytic tools, and will work with AAP FactCheck to learn how to spot and assess misinformation.

AAP has trained hundreds of young journalists over its 87-year history with on-the-ground experience in news gathering, plus specific instruction in important areas including media ethics, law and privacy.

The AAP traineeship program builds on a training collaboration that began in early May, with AAP facilitating the rollout of Google News Initiative (GNI) training to media outlets around Australia.

With a focus on journalists working outside major metropolitan newsrooms, the training delivered by Google News Lab is designed to support digital story-telling, enhance online verification skills and invest in the promotion of fact-based and innovative news reporting in Australia.

This traineeship program will increase diversity in the newsrooms and bring fact-based reporting to a broader audience. Applications for the July 2022 AAP traineeships are open now.

“As a former AAP cadet myself, I know the value of the training this company has provided, so I’m delighted Google is supporting us to bring the program back after a two year gap.Factual, objective journalism must remain the cornerstone of our media landscape, and this partnership with Google allows us to instil that ethos into a new generation of reporters for the benefit of both AAP and the wider news ecosystem,” AAP CEO Lisa Davies said.

Agreement with the Minderoo Foundation to support 24 digital publishers

We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the Minderoo Foundation to support 24 independent publishers with a range of content and digital transformation initiatives. These publishers play an important role in the creation and distribution of content.

Minderoo’s Frontier Technology Senior Policy Adviser Emma McDonald said the commercial agreement would protect local journalism and support independent publishers.

“We are delighted Google recognises the value these publishers deliver to their communities. This deal has been negotiated in good faith over the past five months, culminating in a landmark agreement for independent journalism,” Ms McDonald said.

Google has continued to establish partnerships with news businesses across Australia, from regional publications to independents and major publishers. We’ve signed more than 60 agreements with news outlets, representing more than 180 Australian large, small and independent media titles, since Google News Showcase launched in February last year.

This builds upon our proud history of partnering with news businesses in Australia and globally over the past two decades.

Coming up

We've opened registrations for the GNI Digital Growth Program, which offers business training, consulting, and support to help news organisations succeed online. We have worked with more than 7,000 news publishers across almost 150 countries, since launching in 2020. To register or find out more visit: g.co/newsinitiative/aunz.

We continue to work with news partners and share more on new initiatives to foster innovation in coming months.

We look forward to continuing to partner with publishers across Australia and across the region to strengthen quality journalism.