By Sabrina Geremia, Vice President and Country Manager, Google Canada

The last 16 months have taught us a lot about ourselves. WeSA国际影视传媒檙e incredibly resilient. WeSA国际影视传媒檙e compassionate. We can rise to challenges that we couldnSA国际影视传媒檛 have imagined at the start of 2020, which feels like a century ago.

The pandemic has also taught us we have a deep and abiding need for other people. We need a shared sense of common experience and common values thatSA国际影视传媒檚 best summed up in one word: community. And when we lose that sense of community, we feel the loss intensely.

For more than a century, local media SA国际影视传媒� especially newspapers SA国际影视传媒� have played an essential role in the lives of our communities, shaping them and reflecting them back to us. Growing up, our local paper was an anchor for my family. My dad read it every night, and I still have clippings from my time in high school sports.

Today, local media is as valued as itSA国际影视传媒檚 ever been. But the economic and technological models that local media operated under for decades donSA国际影视传媒檛 work as well in our new, digital world.

I work in technology. I see it as a force for good in peopleSA国际影视传媒檚 lives. I donSA国际影视传媒檛 need any further proof than when I see my aging father, whoSA国际影视传媒檚 sheltering in place on the family farm, virtually visiting with his grandkids every day. And I also believe that digital transformation and a thriving local media ecosystem are not mutually exclusive. In fact, I believe thereSA国际影视传媒檚 an incredible opportunity for us to use technology to bring more vital, important news and information into the lives of people than ever before.

ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 whatSA国际影视传媒檚 driving Google CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 new partnership with community news organizations across Canada, including Black Press Media, home to over 170 publications and some of the oldest and most established newspapers in B.C. and Alberta. And where coverage reaches all the way to CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 North.

ItSA国际影视传媒檚 called Google News Showcase, and itSA国际影视传媒檚 a new product and licensing program that provides a customizable space for news content in Google News and Discover, our two most popular news and information portals. What that means for publishers in B.C., Alberta, and across Canada is that theySA国际影视传媒檒l be paid for the content they generate. What that means for Canadians is that they can access richer news content and support journalism by using the product. It also helps them experience the benefits of subscribing to authoritative News outlets.

Google News Showcase is supporting regional and national news producers. We just announced deals with publishers that include , , , , , , and . Together, these publishers represent national, regional and community news organizations from coast-to-coast-to-coast.

WeSA国际影视传媒檙e also committed to helping journalists and journalism students strengthen their digital skills. One thousand Canadian journalists have already participated in our journalism training programs, and weSA国际影视传媒檙e adding capacity for 5,000 more over the next three years. WeSA国际影视传媒檙e also offering a series of workshops through our , in English and French, for small and mid-sized news organizations, who we know have been most impacted by digital transformation.

The workshops will focus on data and product development, as well as growing audiences, revenue and advertising SA国际影视传媒� all essential to their long-term sustainability. And weSA国际影视传媒檙e now offering Canadian publishers free access to our program. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 a source of analytical data to help inform business decisions that in turn drives profits and builds deeper relationships with readers.

All of this is focused on one goal, at the end of the day, and thatSA国际影视传媒檚 supporting our communities. As we move out of the pandemic and back to a more normal life, one of the lessons I hope we never forget is just how important local and community news has been to our health and well-being. When people Googled questions like SA国际影视传媒淚s school open?SA国际影视传媒� or SA国际影视传媒淲here do I get my parents vaccinated?SA国际影视传媒� or SA国际影视传媒淲hat can I do to support my kidSA国际影视传媒檚 mental health?,SA国际影视传媒� our results likely steered them to local news for the answer.

Through Google News Showcase and our other programs, Google Canada is making a strong statement of support for independent journalism, for local and community news organizations, and for the crucial role they have played SA国际影视传媒� and must go on playing SA国际影视传媒� in keeping us informed, engaged, and connected. The pandemic is coming to an end, and itSA国际影视传媒檚 left us knowing that our need for community is stronger than ever.