Google News Innovation Challenge launched, open for entries till September | aptantech

Posted on July 9, 2019 by Design in Design Innovation | 0 Comments

Google has announced the launch of the Africa and Middle East Google News Initiative (GNI) Innovation Challenge.

The Challenge opened on June 18, 2019 and is calling on Kenya’s news innovators with ideas around new business models and better ways of reader engagement to send in their applications. The initiative will fund creative digital projects around news distribution, news diversification, monetization among others. Applications are open until Monday September 2, 2019.

((TOP: L-R – Media Council of Kenya CEO David Omwoyo; Google Africa Head of Communications & Public Affairs Dorothy Ooko; Media Council of Kenya Chairman Dr Julius Kinyeki, Ministry of ICT Information Secretary Judy Munyinyi; and Head of Google News Initiative Innovation Ludovic Blecher during the official launch of the GNI Innovation Challenge in Nairobi).

“The challenge gives everyone the opportunity to inject creativity and new ideas and try things they wouldn’t have tried without this approach. We cannot innovate if we stay in silos; we have got to break the silos,” said Ludovic Blecher, Head of Google News Initiative (GNI) Innovation.

The GNI Innovation Challenge is a key way for news innovators across the world to demonstrate new thinking in the practice of digital journalism and development of new business models.

The GNI is the global umbrella that pulls together everything Google does to help news players in their transition to a digital future. It is Google’s effort to help news players in their transition to a digital future, focusing on three pillars – elevating and strengthening quality journalism; evolving business models to drive sustainable growth; and empowering news organisations through technological innovation.

“I see the news industry in Kenya as an enabler and a benefactor of the digital economy blueprint…I therefore encourage Google and all it’s partners here to continue the good work they are doing in innovating around areas such as future proof, quality journalism,” said the ICT CS Joe Mucheru in a speech read on his behalf at the launch.

Mucheru added that mass media can help spur economic development by interrogating and keeping in check public policy, harnessing diverse opinions in governance and funneling public consensus towards progressive change.

Over the last two years, Google has trained more than 4,000 journalists across Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa through the Google News Label. So far across Europe, the GNI Innovation Challenge has received over 5,500 applications, and 662 projects selected in 30 countries.