2021

A note from Ludovic Blecher, Head of Google News Initiative Innovation: The GNI Innovation Challengeprogram is designed to stimulate forward-thinking ideas for the news industry. The story below by Ragamalika Karthikeyan, Editor Special Projects & Experimentsat The News Minute, is part of an innovator seriessharing inspiring stories and learnings from funded projects.

It was 2018, and the south Indian state of Kerala was reeling from the worst floods in a century. The floods hit on August 15 — India’s Independence Day. The media’s attention was focused on the holiday, and even as the crisis in Kerala became more and more critical, the floods relegated to a small feature on the national news. In a country as large and diverse as India, it’s difficult to represent everything happening on any given day. This is what motivated us to launch The News Minute (TNM) in 2014. From its beginnings, TNM has been a media platform reporting from, and about, South India, often for an out-of-country audience. It has also emerged as a strong feminist voice in Indian media, setting the standards for sensitive and on-the-ground coverage of issues related to children and women.

Turning readers into subscribers

Through support from the Google News Initiative, we at TNM have been able to identify a new, sustainable revenue stream that supplements our existing advertising revenue model. Analyzing data around user behavior helped us realize that our ardent readers were ready to pay us to support our journalism, so we decided to launch a membership program, which quickly gained members – around 50% of our members came on board within the first five months. After that, our numbers have been slowly but steadily increasing. It’s been about a year and a half since we launched the project, and we’ve hit 3,000 subscribers.

Building a platform for subscribers

During the GNI project, we were able to identify what we wanted our membership program to look like. The main components we built were the membership offerings and pricing, the legal and financial infrastructure, the technical infrastructure and the organizational capability.

There were surprises and challenges along the way: we had to adjust membership offerings based on early learnings, and processing payments was something we had to spend some time thinking about. We also wanted to make sure that the membership experience was worthwhile. Thanks to the collective wisdom of both our reader community and GNI, we were able to improve and adjust to create the best product possible.

Poised for growth

When we shift to a model where our audience is paying for our journalism, the focus automatically shifts to more community-driven, in-depth journalism that serves the public good. And this also aligns with our mission at TNM. When members of the public pay directly for independent journalism, it strengthens our ability to remain independent.

This launch taught us two really important things. One, we’re on the right track! Even though we had to make several pivots, we’re well-poised to grow the membership program, not just with the Indian diaspora, but with resident Indians as well. Two, we want to keep offering our readers other ways to support our work.

The GNI project put us on the road to a sustainable revenue model that is incredibly different from our traditional advertising-driven model. We’re looking forward to growing this new effort, and seeing how it can benefit our goal to provide our community with independent journalism.

When I founded Nappy Boy Entertainment in 2005, I had no idea all the directions it would go. What started as a record label now includes a podcast, gaming and a book — I’m proud of this business. Along the way, I’ve developed a true passion for small businesses and I admire the hard work it takes to make them successful. I love doing whatever I can to support them.

So I was thrilled when Google reached out about the second annual Black-owned Friday. Last year, Google partnered with the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. to reimagine Black Friday as “Black-owned Friday” — a day to celebrate and support Black-owned businesses. This year, I’m proud to join Google and the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. for another year of encouraging shoppers to support Black-owned businesses.

And I was especially excited to write a new track to celebrate Black-owned businesses. We brought the track to life with a film directed by Daps, featuring me, Normani, Desi Banks, Tanerélle and actual business owners. The best part? The video is shoppable with more than 100 products from more than 50 Black-owned businesses. Check it out at g.co/blackownedfriday.

An important way to support Black-owned businesses this holiday season is to help make sure people can find them — and digital tools can help. According to a consumer survey that Google and the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. commissioned, 66% of consumers who actively support Black-owned businesses say they use digital tools to find them. If you own a business, one way to be sure you’re showing up for searches like “Black-owned shops near me” or “Black-owned restaurants near me” is to add the Black-owned business badge on Google Search, Maps and Shopping.

This holiday season — and throughout the year — search, shop and support Black-owned.

Editor’s note: This guest post is by Professors Maria Gini and Shana Watters from the University of Minnesota.

Research is about opening up new worlds and systematically answering questions about their possibilities. But access to research opportunities, including computer science (CS) research, is not equitable: In Canada and the United States in 2020, resident students who identified as Black, Indigenous, Latino, women and intersections of these identities made up only 12.1% of CS Ph.D. enrollments. As educators, we felt compelled to address this inequity. We learned about Google’s exploreCSR program in 2018, and it’s helped us make important progress in the University of Minnesota’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

exploreCSR provides faculty with funding, community, evaluation and connections to Google researchers in order to introduce students to the world of CS research. We used our first two years of exploreCSR funding to create content for an undergraduate research course and pilot it in weekend workshops. We started with the belief that all students are capable of executing research, but needed guidance on how to get started. But once we began the workshops, we realized that we needed to first establish a foundation of what research is and how it’s done. That way, students could move from sheer curiosity to hands-on practice. We also saw a need to recognize their commitment to this work through official academic credit.

Based on our learnings from the workshops, we offered a one-credit class in 2021 called “Introduction to Undergraduate Research in Computer Science.” The course helped students develop research skills like identifying and formulating research problems, reading research papers and analyzing data. Faculty mentors from a variety of backgrounds discussed their research, and mentors from Google engaged with the students through talks, panels and mock interviews. At the end of the semester, students understood how to network, present their knowledge and develop game plans to reach their computing research goals.

Our inaugural class included 45 students with a diverse range of identities, some of whom are now doing research with faculty, receiving undergraduate research funds and completing research internships. Our students reflected that having access to researchers in both academia and the tech industry opened up new ways of thinking about research. “Learning that it’s okay to change your academic and career plans really calmed some of the worries I have,” one student shared. Another learned the value of taking risks: “If you get stuck on a problem, try to jump out of the box to view it, and you might find brand new solutions which you had never imagined.”

Our goal from the start was to prepare the next generation of researchers, including many students historically marginalized in computing. And we’re still making progress. The support we received from exploreCSR and the program’s mentors helped make our first class a rewarding learning experience for both the students and instructors. Moving forward, we will work towards improving the course based on student feedback, and developing strong partnerships with local companies. And we’re proud that the University of Minnesota’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering has committed to offer “Introduction to Undergraduate Research in Computer Science” as an annual course.

As the scientist Carl Sagan said, “Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” Our students are going to explore those incredible “somethings” with purpose and direction. We look forward to their accomplishments!

Visit our websiteto learn more about exploreCSR and meet the 35 institutionsin our 2021 cycle.

As fun as the holidays can be, they’re also filled with lots of to-do lists, preparation and planning. Before the hustle and bustle of the season begins, we wanted to share a few ways you can use Google Assistant to stay on top of things and do what matters most — spending quality time with family and friends.

1. Get together over a good meal made easy with hands-free help in the kitchen. Surprise your family and friends with a new dish or dessert or find inspiration by saying, “Hey Google, find me Thanksgiving recipes.”
2. …And if you happen to come across a few new favorites, tap on that recipe and ask your Assistant to save it for you by saying “Hey Google, add to my cookbook.” Then when it comes time for a holiday feast, all your recent recipes will be waiting for you on your Smart Display and will show up when you say “Hey Google, show me my cookbook.” Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, select the recipe you want to cook and say “Hey Google, start cooking” to get step-by-step instructions on your Smart Display.

3. When the food is prepared and the table is set, let everyone know dinner is ready withBroadcast. Just say, “Hey Google, broadcast ‘dinner is ready.’”

4. How early is too early for festive music? The limit does not exist! And even if you don’t have something queued up, you can just say“Hey Google, play Christmas music.”

5. Want to avoid scrolling endlessly for gifts? Android users can use Assistant to browse shopping apps like Walmart with just their voice. If you have the Walmart app installed on your Android phone, try saying“Hey Google, search Walmart for bicycles.”

6. Avoid spending hours waiting on hold when you call to adjust travel plans or return a gift. Pixel users can take advantage of Hold For Me, where Google Assistant will wait on the line for you and let you know when a real person is ready to take your call.

7. Connect and feel close from anywhere with video calling. Make a group call with Duo supporting up to 32 people on your Nest Hub Max — or send a “happy holidays!” message using one of the fun AR effects on mobile devices. To start a Duo call, just say, “Hey Google, make a video call.”

8. Keep your family’s busy holiday schedule on track with Family Bell from Google. Say “Hey Google, set up a Family Bell” to be reminded with delightful sounds on your speakers or smart displays when it’s time to tackle important moments of your day, like holiday meals or volunteering at the local gift drive. And for routines that require a little extra work — like getting the kids to bed after a get together — create a Family Bell checklist on your Smart Display with get ready bells that remind them of key tasks to complete, like brushing their teeth and putting on pajamas.

9. Have some fun and create new memories with a hands-free family game night. Put your game face on and say, “Hey Google, let’s play a game.”

10. Spark some holiday magic with a story from Google. We’ve added a new interactive story from Grabbit, a twist on the classic fairytale, “Hansel and Gretel.” Play the story from either the perspective of Hansel and Gretel or the Witch, and decide how the story unfolds. Just say “Hey Google, talk to Twisted Hansel and Gretel” and let the adventure begin! More interactive stories from Grabbit like “Jungle Book,” “Alice in Wonderland” and “Sherlock Holmes” will soon be available on your Google Nest smart display devices between now and the new year.

The fashion industry is one of the largest contributors to the global climate and ecological crisis — accounting for up to 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Much of this impact occurs at the raw materials stage of the supply chain, like when cotton is farmed or trees are cut down to create viscose. But when brands source these materials, they often have little to no visibility on the environmental impact of them.

In 2019, we set out to create a tool that would give companies the data they need to make more responsible sourcing decisions. Today we’re announcing the first version of the Global Fibre Impact Explorer (GFIE), and we’re inviting other brands to get involved. The tool, which is built on Google Earth Engine and uses Google Cloud computing, assesses the environmental risk of different fibers across regions as it relates to environmental factors such as air pollution, biodiversity, climate and greenhouse gasses, forestry and water use.

With this tool, brands will easily be able to identify environmental risks across more than 20 fiber types — including natural, cellulosic and synthetics materials.The tool will also provide brands with recommendations for targeted and regionally specific risk reduction activities including opportunities to work with farmers, producers and communities, such as investing in regenerative agriculture practices

Spooling it all together: Working with fashion brands and conservation experts

We worked with Stella McCartney, a luxury fashion brand and leader in sustainability, to understand the industry’s needs and to test the platform. Using the tool alongside their existing sustainability efforts, Stella McCartney’s team was able to identify cotton sources in Turkey that were facing increased water and climate risks. This affirms the need for investing in local farming communities that focus on regenerative practices, such as water management and soil regeneration. Other brands and retailers — including Adidas, Allbirds, H&M Group and VF Corporation — have helped test and refine the tool to make sure it can be useful to everyone in the industry. And an external council of global experts have reviewed the GFIE methodology and data.

The GFIE was born out of a partnership between Google and the WWF, and is built to complement existing tools focused on industry impact and risk analysis. With the initial development phase complete, Google and WWF are now transitioning GFIE to Textile Exchange, a global non-profit focused on positively impacting climate through accelerating the use of preferred fibers across the global textile industry. As the official host of the GFIE, Textile Exchange will continue the development of the tool, onboard new brands and work towards an industry launch in 2022.

If you’re a part of a fashion brand or industry group and want access to this tool, please register your interest at globalfibreimpact.com.