June 26, 2020 by Hilary Jenison and Laura Winters
The Google News Initiative recently recognized the Hingham Anchor as a grant recipient through its COVID-19 Journalism Emergency Relief Fund. The Hingham Anchor was selected from a pool of more than 12,000 applicants from over 140 countries worldwide.
“Local news is a vital resource for keeping people and communities connected in the best of times. Today, it plays an even greater function in reporting on local lockdowns or shelter at home orders, school and park closures, and data about how COVID-19 is affecting daily life,” said Richard Gingras, Google Vice President of News, in a recent Google News Initiative press release.
Google reviewed each application against a set of criteria: publications operating locally, serving a specific geographic community, and using the money to continue doing so.
At the Hingham Anchor, our team works incredibly hard to provide high-quality, trusted information to the community in a way that is fresh, engaging, and fun. Since the pandemic news began in late-February, our daily readership has grown by over 73 percent, now receiving over 150,000 page views per month.
“We are so grateful to have gained the trust of our community and appreciate our readers' support,” shared Hilary Jenison and Laura Winters, co-founders of The Hingham Anchor. “We are so proud of our team, including Carol Britton Meyer and Joshua Ross, and honored to be recognized by the Google News Initiative for our quality reporting and content during these unprecedented times.”
According to Chris Jansen, Head of U.S. News & Publishing for Google, “As we read their stories, we were struck by the number of news organizations in the U.S. and Canada keeping their communities informed with fewer than 10 full-time employees. As small businesses, many applicants are trying to figure out how to keep the lights on, literally and figuratively. They’re passionate about providing high-quality journalism, and it’s an honor to support them during such a critical point.”
You can read more about the Google News Initiative here.
Congratulations! This is exciting and a well-deserved honor to the Hingham Anchor team! Thanks for your wonderful articles and photos during these challenging days!