Google launches an emergency fund to help local media

Google launches an emergency fund to help local media

WASHINGTON:

Google announced on Wednesday that it would launch an emergency fund to help local media face difficulties in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

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The internet giant has not given an exact figure for its fund, but has announced it will offer grants ranging from "low thousands of dollars" for small businesses to "tens of thousands of dollars for major newsrooms".

The move comes as the media sector faces deep cuts due to global consumer blockade, a strong economic downturn and a drop in advertising revenue that many media rely on.

"Local news is an important resource to better serve people and communities," said Richard Gingras, vice president of Google News, in a statement.

Reporting on local closings :

"Today it plays an even bigger role by reporting on local closings or shelters when ordering apartments, school and park closings, and data on how COVID-19 affects daily life."

Open to the media :

Gingras said the fund would be open to the media "producing original news for local communities during this crisis," and applications should be submitted by April 29.

Announcement:

"At the end of the process, we will announce who received the funds and how publishers spend the money," he said.

Financial pressure in newsrooms :

"We believe it is important to do everything possible to reduce financial pressure in newsrooms, and we will continue to look for other ways to help others announce early."

The New York Times estimated that the media cut 28,000 jobs as a result of the health crisis and the resulting economic impact.

Other media fired journalists or announced wage cuts.

Donation of facebook:

On March 30, Facebook announced that it had donated $ 100 million to support news organizations affected by the coronavirus pandemic worldwide. This includes grants of $ 25 million and an increase in advertising spending by the social media giant.

Facebook and Google have stepped up:

In recent months, Facebook and Google have stepped up efforts to help news organizations after criticizing that their dominance in online advertising has made it difficult for the media to take advantage of digital operations.