The Google News Initiative (GNI) and the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) invite you to apply to our upcoming Startups Lab in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), focused on helping early-stage digital news organizations grow their businesses.
In the Startups Lab, a cohort of news organizations will come together over six months to tackle specific business problems, with support from Google, ICFJ and a wide array industry experts.
About International Center for Journalists (ICFJ)
International Center for Journalists is a non-profit, professional organization located in Washington, D.C., United States, that promotes journalism worldwide. Since 1984, the International Center for Journalists has worked directly with more than 70,000 journalists from 180 countries over 27 years.
Startups Lab
| Application Deadline | 12 Jan 2023 |
| Country to study | Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen |
| School to study | International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) |
| Type | Training |
| Sponsor | International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) |
| Gender | Men and Women |
Aim and Benefits of Startups Lab
Participants in our Labs:
- Receive customized coaching related to their business goals - Implement specific steps to advance their goals - Learn from peers who face similar business problems
Requirements for Startups Lab Qualification
You are welcome to apply if you:
Geographic Eligibility - Are based in or serving one of the following countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen
Newsroom Eligibility - Minimum of two full-time employee (FTE) journalists, up to a maximum of 20 FTE journalists. - Newsrooms focused on one or more of the following:
- Public interest journalism
- Filling an information gap
- Serving a geographic-bound or single subject community
- Serving an underserved community
- Exploring new ways to deliver and/or monetize information
- Have produced original content for at least six months, but for no more than four years - Have a news product (website, newsletter, etc), with demonstrated traction via site visits, sign-ups, and/or earned revenue - You must be independently owned and operated (e.g. no government ownership in your organization) - You must not employ government officials or individuals that are also employed by government entities - Preferred: Entrepreneurs serving communities that don’t often see themselves or their stories reflected in their local news
Program Eligibility - Can read and write fluently in Arabic - Can assign a dedicated project manager responsible for ensuring your team attends all program and coaching sessions, and completes all assignments. - Can assign 2-5 team members to be involved at different points of the Lab - Commitment of 5-10 hours per team per week - Willingness to share business insights and collaborate with fellow news entrepreneurs - Not a Google employee or contractor
Application Deadline
January 12, 2023How to Apply
Interested and qualified? Go to International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) on newsinitiative.withgoogle.com to applyWe encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Please email us at [email protected] with any questions or for additional guidance on whether this program would be a good fit for your news organization.
For more details, visit ICFJ website.