Google and Reuters to create News Showcase product

The initiative will give readers more insights and help publishers develop deeper relationships with audiences

Google has also rolled out a €2 million Impact Challenge programme in Central and Eastern Europe. Reuters

Google joined forces with media conglomerate Reuters to create a News Showcase product, which curates news from newsrooms around the world for internet users.

Google News Showcase initiative, which was launched in October last year with an initial investment of $1 billion, will give readers more insights and help publishers develop deeper relationships with their audiences.

"Their [Reuters'] in-depth coverage from 2,500 journalists around the world is indispensable and another example of the quality news content News Showcase is bringing to users," Brad Bender, Google's vice president of product management, News, said.

News Showcase panels allow publishers to produce important news stories with context and links to additional stories in the Google News section. Panels also feature recognisable branding so users can easily select trusted news organisations.

“Our investment of $1bn over the next three years towards news partnerships and for News Showcase helps support publications to produce, distribute and explain essential information to users in new ways,” Mr Bender said.

Google has signed on nearly 450 publications across a dozen countries for its News Showcase since its launch.

The search engine giant is also paying its News Showcase partners to provide users free access to select paywalled stories.

The move will enable publishers to develop their own relationships with users and incentivise them to become subscribers, Mr Bender said.

Google has also rolled out its first Impact Challenge programme in Central and Eastern Europe, where it will award €2 million ($2.42m) to organisations that are working to bridge the social and digital divide to promote inclusive economic growth and recovery.

“We are looking for initiatives that aim to rebuild the economy with social inclusion at its core ... the ideas can be big or small and at any level of maturity, whether it’s a new idea or a well-established effort poised to scale,” Matt Brittin, Google’s president for Europe, Middle East and Africa, said.