About Organisation
JournalismAI is a global initiative dedicated to empowering news organizations to use artificial intelligence responsibly and effectively in their operations. The organization recognizes the transformative potential of AI technologies in journalism while acknowledging the need for ethical implementation and equitable access across the global news media landscape.
The initiative operates as part of Polis, the prestigious journalism think-tank at the London School of Economics and Political Science, bringing academic rigor and research expertise to practical journalism challenges. Through its various programs, JournalismAI focuses on supporting innovation and building capacity within news organizations, making AI’s potential more accessible to publishers of all sizes and countering inequalities in AI adoption across the global news media ecosystem.
JournalismAI’s mission centers on fostering responsible AI implementation that respects journalistic ethics and principles while exploring innovative applications that can strengthen news organizations’ sustainability and reach. The organization provides resources, training, and funding opportunities designed to help publishers navigate the complexities of AI integration while maintaining editorial integrity and public trust.
By facilitating knowledge sharing, experimentation, and collaboration among news publishers worldwide, JournalismAI works to ensure that AI technologies serve journalism’s fundamental mission of informing the public. The initiative particularly emphasizes supporting small and medium-sized publishers who may face resource constraints in exploring emerging technologies, helping democratize access to AI innovations across the journalism industry.
About the Grant
The JournalismAI Innovation Challenge represents a comprehensive nine-month program supported by the Google News Initiative, designed to fund projects from diverse news publishers worldwide to foster AI literacy and implementation through targeted innovation and experimentation. Following the success of its inaugural cohort, this second edition continues the initiative’s commitment to advancing responsible AI adoption in journalism.
The program specifically targets small and medium-sized news publishers already exploring AI technologies, providing both financial support and collaborative learning opportunities. Grants are awarded at two funding levels: eight ideas receive fifty thousand US dollars each, while four ideas receive one hundred thousand US dollars each, enabling projects of varying scope and ambition.
This initiative focuses specifically on utilizing artificial intelligence for audience intelligence and revenue growth rather than editorial content creation. Eligible projects should not primarily focus on newsgathering tools, information verification, fact-checking, misinformation detection, or original journalism production. Instead, the program seeks innovations that strengthen publishers’ business models and audience engagement strategies through AI applications.
Selected participants join a collaborative cohort structure where publishers share business insights, learn from peer experiences, and track measurable results throughout the program duration. Participants must demonstrate capacity to launch, implement, and measure their project’s impact within the nine-month timeframe, with performance reporting required at program conclusion to contribute to collective learning.
Who can Apply?
Eligible applicants must be small and medium-sized news publishers employing between ten and two hundred personnel who are already exploring artificial intelligence technology possibilities. Organizations must maintain a verifiable digital presence, primarily providing journalistic content through platforms such as websites, and must have been in full operation with recent active content for at least twelve months preceding the application deadline.
Publishers whose primary focus is news publication are eligible, while government-owned entities or organizations affiliated with or owned by political parties are explicitly excluded from consideration. Previous grant recipients from the first JournalismAI Innovation Challenge are not eligible for this second edition.
Geographically, eligible news organizations must be owned and operating in specified regions: Asia Pacific (Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam), Europe (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom), Middle East and Africa (Kenya, Nigeria, Turkey, UAE), United States, and Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay). Organizations must primarily serve citizens of their base country.
Applicants must demonstrate willingness to share business insights, collaborate openly with other grantees, track results throughout the program, and submit comprehensive performance reports upon completion.
How to Apply?
Applications must be submitted in English through the provided Google form available on the JournalismAI website. For preparation purposes, applicants can access a Google Doc containing all application questions, which can be copied for offline preparation. This document serves as a resource only and is not required for submission. Applicants experiencing concerns about accessing the application or providing English responses should contact the program directly.
Application Deadline
The application deadline for the JournalismAI Innovation Challenge is December 3, 2025. All submissions must be completed through the official Google form by this date to be considered for program selection.
Last Date To Apply
For more information, please visit the grant website here.
