The Digital News Initiative (DNI) is a European organization established by Google to support high quality journalism across the continent. Agency encompasses an "innovation fund" of Euros 7 million that in 2018 released grants to 461 projects at media organizations across Europe. The DNI describes its mission as "promoting digital news throughout the EU". The initiative is funded by Google and the European commission, with the European commission responsible for the overall direction. In addition to the innovation fund, the organization also provides funding for specific projects focusing on Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Italy.

The goal of the Digital News Initiative, like most digital news initiatives, is two fold. First, it seeks to increase the diversity and quality of online press coverage. Diversity refers to both the type of sources chosen and the way they are picked (e.g., editorial choices, reader participation or reader-driven). Second, the initiative promotes open innovation and new thinking through new platforms such as DNI. This includes encouraging newsrooms to embrace new ways to attract and develop traffic and to build community around their content and website.

The DNI encourages online newsrooms to use new partnerships to enhance their content and to use their sites to extend the reach of their existing platforms. For example, it has been successful in helping European news websites launch online video. By working with videographers from various countries, Google has been able to gain a foothold in what used to be a largely untapped market. Google's partnerships with videographers also go beyond simply providing streaming video services. They have also offered additional editing tools and the ability to publish original feature length videos, as well as embedding YouTube videos within the news stories themselves. This not only helps media outlets to gain a wider global audience, but it also allows them to offer specialized services.

In addition, the DNI also works closely with state-funded news websites. In fact, the initiative works with news websites throughout the entire globe. Many state-funded digital news websites have used the DNI to expand their reporting and reach new audiences. As Agency , many state-funded news organizations have increased circulation and viewership.

The Initiative also has several initiatives based on local coverage. For example, the Washington Post has launched an interactive map that allows readers to click on a state to see the coverage available there. Another project, launched in May 2009, is now available across all Spanish-language publications. Agency provides localized news to those who might not otherwise turn to a national news source for information. It is also increasing reader loyalty across languages, a clear advantage for a news organization.

The Digital News Initiative also publishes several Web pages focused on specific topics. For example, it published several travel articles online in the summer of 2009. One of these topics was "Cuba," which included a photo essay about both trips to Cuba and the country as a whole. Another feature featured several travel pieces focusing on various corners of the globe, including China, India, South America, and Southeast Asia. Other Web sites are expected to launch in the near future, providing more local perspectives on topics that are normally covered by national media.

In terms of multimedia, the DNI has a partnership with several major multimedia companies, including the Washington Post, according to the Initiative. Additionally, the DNI partners with several state-funded multimedia news organizations. This multimedia effort is similar to that of the CNN/YouTube partnership, in that both companies will produce multimedia reports that focus on a particular topic. However, the CNN agreement focuses on CNN's non-fiction programming, while the YouTube partnership provides multimedia coverage of both live and past events. The initiative hopes to eventually include everything from full-length movies to short video clips, interactive video and music.

The success or failure of the digital news initiative will depend largely on whether it builds on existing digital news content already available online and whether it can create a new pool of content. The digital newsroom at the Post is currently undergoing several changes, as many employees have left to seek other employment elsewhere. Many publications are also working towards developing digital news models that will make them more independent from traditional media outlets. Only time will tell if the digital news movement will build on past successes or face constant competition from its competitors.