September 29, 2023

Recognizing the importance of audience development and earned revenue for newsroom sustainability, INN and the Google News Initiative (GNI) formed a partnership earlier this year to support INN Network newsrooms with training and implementation grants.

In October, the first cohort of INN Network newsrooms will begin training in audience development, reader revenue and sponsor advertising through the GNI Fundamentals Lab for INN Members. Over three months, newsrooms will receive personalized audits of their current activities, attend learning sessions and participate in working groups to compare performance and tactics related to each topic area. 

After completing the program, participating newsrooms can submit a plan for how they would apply lessons learned and receive up to $20,000 in funding.

News organizations participating in the first cohort:

• Adirondack Explorer
• Bucks County Herald
• CalMatters
• Center for Michigan
• Center for Public Integrity
• Chesapeake Bay Journal
• Cityside Journalism Initiative
• Connecticut News Project, Inc. (dba CT Mirror)
• Documented
• El Paso Matters
• Energy News Network
• Flatwater Free Press
• Food and Environment Reporting Network, Inc.
• Fort Worth Report
• Fostering Media Connections
• Global Press
• Grist
• Growing Community Media NFP
• inewsource
• Invisible Institute
• Jewish Currents
• MinnPost
• Mongabay
• Montclair Local Nonprofit News
• Nashville Public Media/Nashville Banner
• Next City
• OpenSecrets
• PBS NewsHour
• PolitiFact
• Radio Ambulante Studios, Inc
• Sahan Journal
• San Antonio Report
• San Jose Spotlight
• Searchlight NM
• Spotlight PA
• Springfield Daily Citizen
• Texas Tribune
• The 74 Media
• The Appeal
• The Center for Investigative Reporting
• THE CITY REPORT
• The GroundTruth Project
• The Hechinger Report
• The New Bedford Light
• The Salt Lake Tribune
• The Trace
• Tradeoffs
• Type Investigations (Type Media Center)
• VTDigger
• WCBU
• WFAE
• Wisconsin Watch

About 60 news organizations will be selected for each of the six cohorts. INN members can apply to participate in the program on a rolling basis. The deadline to apply for the next cohort is Nov. 30, 2023. Learn more about eligibility and how to apply.