News Showcase is launching in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

For more than two decades, Google has partnered with journalists and news publishers in support of a healthy, independent and diverse news ecosystem. We’ve also been dedicated to helping publishers in the Baltics and across the region find additional ways to connect with people and engage readers online.

Today we are announcing the launch of Google News Showcase, our curated online news experience and licensing program, in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. 15min, Kas Vyksta, LA/TV24 Group, Latvijas Televīzija, Lietuvos Nacionalinis Radijas ir Televizija , Naujienų centras, Naujosios medijos grupe, Ohtuleht, Postimees and TVnet Grupa are among the media publishers that have signed on to Google News Showcase in the Baltic nations.

Participating publishers in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will create News Showcase panels, which provide more ways for readers to engage with the news and direct them to full articles on news publications’ websites. This enables publishers to deepen their relationships with readers and gives them more direct control of presentation and branding. News Showcase panels from our partners in the Baltic nations have begun rolling out on Google News on Android, iOS and the web, and in Discover on iOS and Android.

Several of our News Showcase publishers in the Baltics have elected to add a feature where Google pays for readers’ access to a limited amount of their paywalled content. This provides readers access to more of a publication’s articles than they would otherwise be able to see, encouraging readers to learn more about the publication — and potentially subscribe.

Globally, we have signed News Showcase deals with over 2,700 publications. With the launch of News Showcase in the Baltics, the product will be live in 30 countries, nine of which are in the Baltics and Central and Eastern Europe.

Our partnership with the news industry in the Baltic nations

The launch of News Showcase in the region is the latest example of our commitment to journalism and partnership with news organizations.

We’re building on our long standing collaboration with publishers and journalists in the region by launching multiple projects, including:

• GNI support for journalists and tackling misinformation. Through the Google News Initiative (GNI), we’ve trained journalists and newsroom teams across the Baltic nations on digital verification skills, advanced research and tools to support investigative journalism efforts. The GNI also supported the “Debunk” project from Delfi, the largest online news publisher in the Baltics. This initiative helps tackle misinformation online using a combination of artificial intelligence-based analytics and a dedicated community of volunteers.
• AI-powered research tools. Lithuanian news outlets Delfi and 15min have been using Google's AI-powered research tool Pinpoint, which brings together the best of our search and AI technology to explore and analyze large collections of documents.
• Partnerships to promote media literacy. We've forged a long-term partnership with the Civic Resilience Initiative and the Baltic Center for Media Excellence. These two established and well-respected non-governmental organizations have received €1.3 million in funding from Google to build on their impactful work towards increasing media literacy, building further resilience and actively tackling disinformation in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
• Advancing strategies to fight misinformation in the region. Google, YouTube and partners recently convened 300+ media literacy experts from across Central and Eastern Europe for the Fighting Misinformation Online event in Warsaw. Expert speakers shared collaborative strategies to minimize the harm of misinformation across the region.

We look forward to continuing to work together with journalists and publishers in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to help them fight misinformation, innovate and grow reader revenue.