Google News Initiative And RTDNA Partner For Free Elections Training

RTDNA is hitting the road in 2024, with the support of the Google News Initiative, to bring training on digital tools for elections coverage to broadcast and digital newsrooms, as well as conferences and events, around the country — free of charge. The tools focus on mis- and disinformation, fact-checking and source verification, to name just a few.

Designed to equip journalists with cutting-edge resources and strategies for comprehensive election reporting, this series aims to enhance coverage and engagement during electoral events.

“We are thrilled to launch this training series at a time when the role of journalists in providing accurate and timely election coverage has never been more crucial,” said RTDNA President-CEO Dan Shelley. “By equipping journalists with the latest digital tools and techniques, we aim to elevate the quality of election reporting and improve civic discourse.”

How it works is simple: Newsrooms/organizations request training, RTDNA works with them to schedule it, and one of the RTDNA Trainers shows up ready to train.

Sessions can be in person or virtual, range from one to three hours in length and can provide an overview of several Google tools or in-depth training on one specific Google tool. And, thanks to the support of the Google News Initiative, trainers are paid by RTDNA, so there’s no cost to newsrooms.

“With AI at the forefront of the tech and media during an election year, these tools and techniques have never been more important,” said Mike Reilley, lead trainer for the initiative. “With the immediacy of the web and broadcast, reporters are under a lot of pressure to deliver news quickly. And these resources can help them deliver it accurately.”

The digital tools for election coverage series will cover a wide range of topics, including:

• Google Alerts
• Google Surveys
• Google Earth
• Google Maps
• Google Permissions
• Google Fact-Check Explorer
• Google Scholar
• Google Advanced Search
• Google Translate
• Google Trends
• Pinpoint
• YouTube

“Separating fact from fiction on the internet is becoming increasingly difficult,” said Ashley Alese Edwards, Google News Lab U.S. partnerships manager. “We’re excited to partner with RTDNA to train journalists on tools to spot and fight the spread of misinformation during the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election.”

For more information and to register for the training series, visit the digital tools training website.