The Google News Initiative launched a new fund to battle misformation about the COVID-19 vaccine. The COVID-19 Vaccine Counter-Misinformation Fund is open to publishers all over the globe who reach audiences that are underserved by fact checking or targeted by misinformation.
The fund will provide up to $3,000,000 to projects that will provide "effective corrective tools and content to counterbalance COVID-19 vaccine misinformation." Selected projects can receive up to $1,000,000 each, and Google will cover 80% of those projects' total budget.
Google says it will prioritize collaborative projects with interdisciplinary teams and clear ways to measure success. For example, eligible applications might include a partnership with a fact-checking project and a reputable media outlet, or some kind of collaborative technology that allows journalists and doctors to source information and publish reliable fact checks.
The application window closes on January 31, 2021. Publishers who are interested will be asked to provide descriptions, project plans, and budget information via the online application. Click here to apply.