European Journal of Journalism's New Digital News Initiative
The Digital News Initiative was established by Google to "promote high-quality online journalism through innovation and technology". It encompasses an "innovation fund" worth more than half a billion euros, that in next two years released grants to 461 projects in 30 European countries. In the same period, Google launched three new programmes - Maker/Reader, a photo service and Now cards - to provide a more personalised user experience to online users. In total, Google has invested more than a billion into this initiative.
The digital news initiative has set goals for the coming years in various sectors, particularly areas where the competition is intense: access, information and user experience, and user engagement and participation. It wants to help improve quality of life in areas where traditional forms of media are weak. Its first project in Italy is aimed at improving the country's regional development through better collaboration between local officials and stakeholders. Another is in Morocco, aiming at improving the performance of the Moroccan government in terms of delivering reforms and implementing legislation.
The Digital News Initiative has therefore set a number of specific benchmarks, focusing on quality and innovation. For instance, it wants to contribute actively to the European Union's research programme. The company also highlights the need to improve the quality of the EU's digital platform. It wants to make the internet available to everyone in the EU, in the same way as it is done in the US and other major economies. It wants to contribute to the global digital economy and to the advancement of human rights.
Two specific programs launched last year were the Maker/Reader and the Now card applications. With the help of a mobile operator, the digital news company will be able to run a "maker" - or maker-specific application. It will help publishers submit news stories and information, thus giving them the chance to make their stories available to readers on their devices. This is called "aggregators". Publishers can then choose the kind of story they want to publish. Each story will have its own unique URL and it will be published on the publishers' app, website, or on the main news page of the company's website.
Another way that digital news companies can contribute to the European context is through the innovation aspect. They can propose a new feature for the platform, which could do anything from improve the browsing experience for users, to helping them to exchange information more easily. They can also launch an initiative that would allow for a more open community platform. For instance, a certain company could work on creating an online forum for entrepreneurs, where entrepreneurs could get help and exchange information. They can even use the forum to create a marketplace for advertisers.
There are several initiatives that the DNI fund has launched over the past few years. One of them is the European Journal of Journalism's initiative for a multiplicity of journalism efforts in Europe and beyond. The European Journal of Journalism started in spring of 2016 and the first year saw almost 300 million impressions. This was a huge achievement for the publishing industry. In May, it was reported that nearly half of the European newspaper market will switch to online content. Some of the companies that are part of the DNI fund include ECPJ, the Finnish broadcasting organization, Lisse, and Die Welt.
Another initiative that the DNI fund started is the European journalism alliance. Agency encourages both publishers and editors to pool their resources in order to build new platforms and to increase the number of published articles per month. It also includes digital news startups. This is part of the broader strategy that the publishing industry has developed in response to the challenges of globalization. The DNI funds are seen as another tool in the fight against globalization and the shift toward business interests in societies around the world.
European news startups working group was recently launched in late August. It is being led by the deputy editor-in-chief for business in the Financial Times Europe. The group will focus on providing a platform for startups to use for publishing business news in emerging markets. The working group will be led by Jon Bull and Marina Vanquena in collaboration with Joana Cheyho from the World Federation of News Publishers and Bruno Verschueffer from the International Federation of Publishers. Their mission is to promote and advance the growing European online media sector.