Google supersizes Transformation Tech program, creates a ‘lifeline’ for community publishers
Update: Transformation Tech cohort 3 is underway. and cohort 4 is being scheduled now. If you’re a member in good standing with AAN, NNPA or NAHP and you haven’t yet applied, click here for the application. We’ll announce Cohort 4 (April-June 2024) participants in March 2024.
The Fund for Equity in Local News is thrilled to announce Transformation Tech, in partnership with the Google News Initiative.
The Fund for Equity in Local News (FELN) is a collaboration between the leaders of the National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP), the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and the Association of Alternative Newsmedia (AAN). The three associations collectively represent the leaders of hundreds of community publications across America and focus on serving historically underrepresented populations with news and information.
In Summer 2023, FELN launched Transformation Tech, an intensive program designed to equip publishers with top-flight coaching and curricula to aid their transition from print to digital revenue streams. Each publisher admitted into the program will launch a revenue or growth experiment with the assistance of industry experts and will receive resources to help them build their tech stack, grow their digital audiences or adapt their print-focused sales skills to new digital products. Publishers will receive $20,000 for completing the program to help fund their digital transformation plans, courtesy of the Google News Initiative.
"Transformation Tech is the culmination of months of planning for this Lab—and years of working on the partnership behind FELN," said Todd Stauffer, Association Manager for AAN and Lab Director for Transformation Tech. "Now, with the GNI's support, we can undertake this massive effort to help legacy print publishers explore new digital revenues to help deliver critical local journalism in their communities."
This incredible investment is part of GNI’s support of other associations supporting local news, including LION Publishers and the Institute for Nonprofit News, with the stated goal of providing investment and training to 1,000 local news organizations across America.
“Local, representative news is essential for healthy communities. We’ve been partnering with the NNPA, NAHP and AAN for years and I’m personally excited to see this incredible program come to fruition,” says Chrissy Towle, director of news partnerships, Americas, at Google. “The GNI will continue to invest in initiatives and partnerships that develop new strategies to help local news organizations grow and sustain their business.”
Ongoing cohorts of Transformation Tech run through the end of 2024, with plans to serve as many as 240 publishers from NAHP, NNPA and AAN. Publishers will need to be members in good standing with one of the three associations to join the program. The application to join a future cohort of Transformation Tech is available here.
Communities of color, immigrants and LGBTQ+ communities often rely on news sources from their own communities as their sole access points for news and information. Yet the news organizations represented by FELN have been historically undervalued by major advertisers and philanthropic organizations. Transformation Tech is the first major project to result from the collaborative efforts of NAHP, NNPA and ANN leadership to direct more funding and resources to local, independent newsweekly publishers through FELN.
“The Google News Initiative’s support of Transformation Tech extends a lifeline to community publishers who have nurtured generational relationships with underserved audiences across America,” said Ashley Woods Branch, executive director of FELN.
FELN is a fiscally-sponsored project of the Alternative Newsweekly Foundation, the nonprofit foundation of AAN. The foundation re-launched in 2020 to offer support to local publishers as the COVID-19 pandemic devastated newsrooms across the country.
“With guidance from a team of journalism business experts as well as the support of the Democracy Fund, ANF's board brought together three associations with a new mission, collaborating to sustain and renew independent media outlets in transforming for the future. FELN represents that mission and the Alternative Newsweekly Foundation is thrilled to be part of this worthy endeavor,” said Ellen J. Meany, publisher of The American Prospect and board president of the Alternative Newsweekly Foundation.
The Fund for Equity in Local News continues to seek partnerships to support its mission of stabilizing and supporting community local media outlets. Contact awoods.feln@altnewsfoundation.org for more information.
