Google News highlighted the critical role of newsrooms in delivering accurate and timely information during major global events like elections and conflicts in 2024. The company outlined its efforts to combat misinformation in India’s news ecosystem.
In 2024, Google supported the Shakti initiative, a collaborative project aimed at fighting misinformation, and provided AI training to newsrooms. The company also contributed to strengthening India’s news landscape through initiatives such as the Indian Languages Programme, which helped increase user engagement and ad revenue for local publishers, and the expansion of Google News Showcase.
Durga Raghunath, Head of India News Partnerships, expressed pride in the substantial impact of Google’s work with Indian news publishers. This included understanding new user behaviors, driving modernization efforts, and creating revenue opportunities. She emphasized the success of Shakti, which involved over 50 news publishers and 300 journalists in debunking misinformation and deepfakes in 10 regional languages, reaching a wide audience.
Through the initiative, fact-checks were published 78% faster, and 67 new fact-checking desks were established. In just three months, over 6,600 fact-checks were amplified, resulting in a 180% increase in regional language fact-checks and a 92% rise in election-related fact-checks.
Additionally, Google launched new AI training programs to empower news organizations to responsibly integrate AI technologies like transcription, translation, and data analysis into their journalism. Google News Showcase, now covering eight languages, was also expanded.
Since June 2023, the Indian Languages Programme has supported over 500 publishers across 28 states, increasing active users by 15% and page views by 32%. Google aims to further enhance its value for both publishers and itself in 2025.
