As part of our licensing agreements with publishers for News Showcase, we’re also paying participating news organizations to give readers access to some of their paywalled content. This feature means readers will have the opportunity to read more of a publisher’s articles than they would otherwise be able to, encouraging them to learn more about the publication — and potentially subscribe.

“Pacific people from all over the world follow the news and journalism of our New Zealand-based newsroom,” says Don Mann, CEO of Pacific Media Network, a public interest broadcaster that works to empower Pacific cultural identity. “We aim to be the preeminent Pacific media entity for the Pacific diaspora and our relationship with Google will help us achieve this.”

“Crux has already developed a large, loyal local readership, but Google News Showcase will provide our readers with options like the ability to follow their own personal mix of trusted news sources,” says Peter Newport, Managing Editor of Crux local news for Queenstown, Wānaka and Cromwell. “We’re excited about the opportunity, and we think it’s a great initiative in support of strong New Zealand journalism.”

Google News Initiative programs in New Zealand

Google News Showcase is just our latest effort to support publishers of all sizes and the news industry in New Zealand. Through the Google News Initiative (GNI) we have been partnering with news publishers around the world to build a sustainable, diverse and innovative news ecosystem. The team offers training, products and funding to journalists and newsrooms to help strengthen their work in the digital age, and has reached more than 800 journalists and journalism students in New Zealand. These high-demand GNI programs provide an introduction to many of the core skills required to run a digital news business, based on the best practices and lessons of other news publishers around the world.

• Digital news business fundamentals for news organizations: The GNI Digital Growth Program offers a six-part free business training, consulting and support workshop to help New Zealand news organizations succeed online.
• Journalist Training Camp: At Ngā Kete Wānanga Marae marae, 25 journalism cadets representing multiple ethnicities, languages, and the rainbow and disability communities participated in the Te Rito Training Camp, a digital journalism training course with the Google News Teaching Fellow and heard from some of New Zealand’s leading journalists.
• Digital skills training for journalists: In partnership with Telum Media, open sessions around the country are free for journalists to learn the latest tools and processes to support digital reporting. This includes training on tools like Google’s research tool, Pinpoint, which journalists can use to support their reporting and creative data visualization techniques.
• Election policy and misinformation tracking: Building on years of support from the GNI for Policy New Zealand, the team’s latest iteration will provide a digital tool for journalists to understand and report on ahead of local elections. This creates a database for candidates’ key election policies, supporting journalists’ ability to track misinformation.
• Media literacy for primary school students: In partnership with Squiz Kids, media literacy module, “Newshounds,“ is a plug-and-play resource for teachers, children and their parents, aimed to empower young people to think critically about the media they consume and give teachers the confidence to teach media literacy in the classroom.

As New Zealand publishers continue to embrace technology to deepen their engagement with readers, we’re proud to be strengthening our commitment to working with and supporting publishers in Aotearoa. Through News Showcase, our other News products and GNI programs, we’re proud to promote quality journalism and a reliable and diverse news industry.

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