3 Nigerian & 2 South African media organizations receive GNI Youtube Innovation funding.

Nigeria’s Channels Television, The Guardian Nigeria, Legit.NG and South Africa’s Eye Witness News, and Tiso Black Star are recipients of GNI Youtube innovation funding.

In July, as part of the Google News Initiative (GNI), they announced innovation funding to help newsrooms and publishers strengthen their online video capabilities and experiment with new formats for video journalism.

The Google News Innovation is a program designed to “help quality journalism thrive in the digital age” by providing grants – cash without equity – to media organizations that are considered to have potential.

The initiative started in Europe in 2015 with a $170 million fund. This later extended to YouTube after the Google News Innitiative set aside $25 million and pledged to work with media figures to combat fake news and develop new features.

Hundreds of organizations submitted proposals through an open application process and today they’re sharing the 87 recipients.

Hailing from 23 countries around the world, they represent a diverse array of broadcasters, traditional and digital publishers, local media, agencies and creators, but all share a commitment to quality journalism and a spirit of innovation.

Nigeria

• Channels Television Nigeria
• The Guardian Nigeria
• Legit.NG

South Africa

• Eye Witness News
• Tiso Black Star

Image Credit: YouTube