Contacts:
Robert Leger, SDX Foundation President, 480-559-3656, rleger@spj.org
Rachel Semple, SPJ Communications Coordinator, 317-920-4785, rsemple@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS – Enjoying much success in less than a year, Google News Lab and the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation, the educational arm of the Society of Professional Journalists, are extending their partnership to bring even more training to journalists.

Since late 2015, members of SPJ have trained more than 900 journalists in 24 locations across the U.S. on Google’s tools for newsgathering. Based on increased demand, the network is expanding with more training opportunities.

The training, which is free to journalists, provides an overview of several Google tools, such as Google Alerts, Google News, Google Public Data Explorer and Google Trends. Complete details on the program, including a link for newsrooms and journalism organizations to request training, are available here.

“This partnership has been a welcome addition to our current training portfolio, which is available at the Excellence in Journalism conference, SPJ JournCamps, our online eCampus resources, and more” said Robert Leger, president of the SDX Foundation. “We are pleased to continue our work with Google News Lab to provide more training and education for journalists across the country to improve their information gathering and reporting skills that translate to excellent journalism for their audiences.”

Nicholas Whitaker, training and development manager for Google News Lab, said, “After working with SPJ to provide these educational opportunities over the past several months, we have seen such great results that we wish to continue the long term effort and further increase our support. We are glad to continue to work together to support journalists and improve their storytelling for readers, listeners and viewers while showing all the ways in which Google tools can improve journalism.”

The continuation of the partnership will ensure that more journalists across the country have access to training on how to effectively use digital tools to tell their stories.

“The group was engaged and the trainer did a great job presenting the material in an accessible and empowering way,” said Carlos Gonzalez, product manager, interactive, at KQED Public Media for Northern California.

Other Google digital tools available for training sessions include:
● Google Consumer Surveys
● Google Translate
● Google Crisis Map
● Google Fusion Tables
● Google Newsstand
● Google Permissions
● Google Scholar
● Google Advanced Search

About the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation:
The Sigma Delta Chi Foundation is a public foundation dedicated to ensuring that those who carry on the tradition of a free press are prepared for the challenge. The SDX Foundation supports educational and professional needs of journalists and journalism students. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Give to the SDX Foundation.

About the Google News Lab:
Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. We created the Google News Lab to support the creation and distribution of the information that keeps us all informed about what's happening in our world today—quality journalism. Today's news organizations and media entrepreneurs are inventing new ways to discover, create and distribute news content—and we're here to provide tools, data, and programs designed to help.

About the Society of Professional Journalists:
SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to informing citizens; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and fights to protect First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member, give to the Legal Defense Fund, or give to the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation.

About the SPJ-Google News Lab Trainer Network:
The Google News Lab partnered with SPJ to identify and train professionals to teach Google digital tools for news and storytelling at conferences, workshops and newsrooms across the country. Google and SPJ are committed to training as many journalists and media professionals as possible in the effective use of digital tools and reporting stories. More information here.