We got Google funding!

WikiTribune
Jul 10, 2017 · 2 min read

WikiTribune has been awarded €385,000 by the Digital News Initiative fund

We’re a very happy bunch at WikiTribune HQ, because we’ve been awarded €385,000 (that’s about £340,566 or $439,460) by Google’s Digital News Initiative (DNI) fund.

Image: Google/DNI

The DNI innovation fund aims to “support and stimulate innovation in digital news journalism,” and has announced a total of just under €22m of grants in its third round. Other awarded projects include Publico’s Transparent Journalism tool and Deutsche Welle’s automated translation and transcription platform.

Image: Google/DNI

What is the DNI?

Launched in 2015, Google’s Digital News Initiative is headed up by Ludovic Blecher, who previously ran a similar Google-backed initiative for digital press in France. The DNI Innovation Fund has a wider geographical remit, covering for-profit and non-profit news corporations, startups and even individuals from 32 countries across the EU and the EFTA.

The Fund totals €150m, which is being given out in stages (called ‘rounds’), of which this is the third to date. There were three criteria we had to meet to win the funding:

  • Impact on the news ecosystem

The Google funding joins the $150,000 in grants we’ve already been offered by Craig Newmark, the News Integrity Initiative and ESV, plus of course the lifeblood of WikiTribune: reader support.

As Jimmy puts it, “We’re thrilled to have been chosen for such a prestigious grant from Google. It’s another vote of confidence in the WikiTribune model and — more importantly — the future of digital journalism, which is something that affects us all.”

Meanwhile, we’re still plugging away building the site. Not long to go now — we’ll keep you informed.

WikiTribune

Evidence-based journalism.

WikiTribune

Written by

Evidence-based journalism.

WikiTribune

Evidence-based journalism.

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