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Google News Initiative

Announcing the second edition of the GNI Indian Languages Program to support news publishers

06 Jun, 2024

[[read-time]] min read

Durga Raghunath
Head of India News Partnerships

Last year, we launched the Google News Initiative Indian Languages Program for news publishers as a way to help them tap the opportunity spotlighted in the Google-Kantar research report, which revealed that Indian language news consumers are underserved. The report found these consumers often lack sufficient news options in their own languages, prefer concise news formats and have limited access to personalized content.

The GNI Indian Languages Program 1.0 sought to programmise the steps needed for news publishers to harness this opportunity, starting from the very foundation - modernizing the online presence of Indian language news publishers and enhancing user experiences across web, app, and video formats.

The results have been immensely gratifying, with more than 300 news publishers, spanning 9 Indian languages, participating and benefiting from the program. Watch this video to hear what the participating newsrooms like Assam Tribune, Gujarat Samachar, The Mooknayak and News7 Tamil had to say about the program and its impact on their processes.

GNI Indian Languages Program 1.0
10:25

Encouraged by this feedback, we are thrilled to announce the second edition of the GNI Indian Languages Program!

Impact overview of GNI ILP 1.0

  • 56% Surge in Digital Ad Revenue: Empowering news publishers to sustain their important work.
  • 53% Increase in Total Page Views: Demonstrating expanded reach and engagement.
  • 30% Growth in Active Users: Indicating a loyal and growing audience.
  • 91% Improvement in Page Speed Insights: Leading to a better user experience.
  • 100% of News Publishers Now Using Analytics: Enabling data-driven decision-making.

The program culminated at Bhashantara, FICCI and Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY)’s joint initiative to promote the Indic languages internet.

ILP 2.0: Focus on Next-Gen Tools

This year, we're partnering with Mediology, our technology partner, to deliver the ILP's second edition, with a focus on next-generation tools for newsrooms working with Indic languages:

  • Tailored Roadmaps: Continuing to collaborate closely with news publishers on personalized roadmaps addressing site performance, content formats, native apps, GA4 migration, and ad optimization.
  • Audience Building and Analysis: Introducing the News Consumer Insights (NCI) and Real Time Content Insights (RCI) dashboards for real-time audience analysis and data-driven content strategies.
  • Pinpoint for Journalists: A powerful research tool harnessing Google's search and AI technology to help journalists explore vast document collections.
  • Preparing for Third-Party Cookie Deprecation: Minimizing the impact on website functionality and advertising by addressing the phasing out of third-party cookies.
  • GenAI Tools for Growth: Leveraging Google Cloud to optimize news publisher content through automatic categorization and tagging, enhancing discoverability. (exclusively for our Google Cloud customers)

Program Format & How to Apply

The ILP 2.0 will be delivered in 9 languages (English, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Malayalam, Gujarati, and Marathi) and will follow a structured format that includes:

  • Scaled Inspiration Series + Virtual Workshops: Eight sessions featuring guest speakers, success stories, and product-focused training.
  • 1:1 Diagnosis & Workshop: Personalized assessment and guidance for all selected news publishers.
  • Implementation: Dedicated consultations and technical support for a subset of news publishers.

The application window is open from June 5th to June 16th, 2024. Visit our website to learn more and apply!

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