Google News Initiative
Journalistic Creators Lab
The GNI Journalistic Creators Lab is a six-week, fully remote, pilot program that aims to support a new generation of short- and long-form video creators who are building an audience around fact-based news, knowledge, and information.
Whether that’s a narrative podcast or daily news briefings for people short on time – from YouTube Shorts that aim to inform and entertain to deep-dive investigative features – we’re excited to see what you’re working on.
Open to participants in the US and Canada, this program is for solo creators or small teams that have identified a community's need for quality news and are eager to make a difference. (Applicants should already be publishing videos regularly and growing an audience.)
To sum it up, if you're driven to deliver powerful stories via video that are rooted in journalism, the Journalistic Creators Lab is hoping to hear from you.
We are particularly interested in creators who would like to focus on topics where news coverage is shrinking – like science, environment, education, housing, homelessness, and criminal justice – and geographies or communities where fact-based news coverage is lacking.
What this pilot Lab can offer you is:
- No fees, no tuition, no income sharing. Our mission is to provide you with the business-side support needed to strive toward independence and financial sustainability in the news creator landscape.
- Purpose-built for doers: Our lightweight curriculum is crafted to be practical and action-oriented, designed to equip you with real-world skills and to achieve tangible results.
- Live seminars: Participate in weekly live video seminars with a select group of passionate journalism creators, fostering a collaborative and inspiring learning environment.
- Personalized coaching: Benefit from one-on-one coaching sessions to help propel you toward financial and operational viability, as well as having an impact on democracy.
Consider joining the Journalistic Creators Lab if you would like to become part of a movement that's shaping the future of short- and long-form video journalism.
Estimated Lab Timeline
October 14, 2024: Journalistic Creators Lab begins
November 22, 2024: Journalistic Creators Lab finishes
Testimonials
More than 100 newsroom founders across a dozen countries have participated in the GNI Pre-launch Lab, the program that the Journalistic Creators Lab is based on:
“The instruction is enlightening; the coaching is propelling; the access to resources, generous; and the community is both inspiring and supportive. My company is better because of this boot camp—and so am I.” — Travers Johnson, Queerency
“In the Lab, I have learned about tactics or strategies that have helped me to establish a financial cushion to continue on this path, and increase my audience on different social media platforms. I recommend any journalist or news organization to take advantage of this opportunity.” — Enny Pichardo, EnNYConMas
“Every week we were presented with practical steps, guides, and examples of how we could get our company running. Eight weeks later, I feel so much more confident in my abilities. Truly priceless.” — Camille Padilla Dalmau, 9 Millones
“The most enriching journalism training program I've participated in. The cohort was inspiring and motivating. I came into this program drowning in entrepreneurial self doubt. I feel far more confident and courageous as I take my first big steps.” — Stacy Feldman, Boulder Reporting Lab
Previous lab participants meet with media entrepreneur (and actress), Erika Alexander on a video call.
Eligibility
You should consider this Journalistic Creators Lab if:
✓ You’ve demonstrated that you can produce short- or long-form video consistently
✓ You’ve grown an audience for your video work already (5,000+ followers or subscribers or equivalent)
✓ You’ve been thinking long and hard about growing your effort
✓ You’re committed to making your business idea financially sustainable as quickly as possible
and you...
✓ Can commit at least six hours a week for six weeks (ideally, you can commit more time)
✓ Are willing to make time to share insights with other participants
Lastly...
✓ You must plan to be independently owned and operated
✓ You must not plan to be employed by a government entity
✓ You must not be a Google employee or contractor
FAQ
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We're excited for you to apply at any stage where you believe Lab would help you achieve your objectives. That said, we expect applicants to be able to demonstrate:
- That they can produce short- or long-form video content consistently
- That they’ve been able to find an audience for that content (5000+ subscribers or equivalent)
- Ideally, if on a platform where it’s possible, they’ve reached the minimum threshold for monetization
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If you are invited to join the cohort it will cost you nothing but your time. All of the Lab costs are covered. This includes the weekly seminars and one-on-one coaching.
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- You should be comfortable with written and spoken English, as all sessions and assignments will be in English only for this session (We hope we can deliver the Pre-launch Lab in other languages in the near future.)
- You can join as an individual or as a team. If you already have a team, up to two of you can participate in the Lab sessions and coaching.
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The Lab is entirely online. It’s intentionally designed to be an online experience because we want you to stay in your community and to do the work in that context.