Agriland Media has signed an agreement with Google to feature in its Google News Showcase, a new platform launched by the technological giant in 2020.

Google News Showcase enables participating publishers share their expertise and editorial voice through an enhanced storytelling experience.

This experience lets readers dive deeper into more complex stories. It helps them stay informed on the issues and events that matter to them through the Google News Showcase panels.

Agriland Media is one of seven Irish publishers to participate in the licensing agreement and the only Irish agri-publisher.

The arrangement means that Google will highlight and licence editorial content from Agriland Media, giving more readers across the globe access to high quality, information agri-related news.

Google News Showcase

News Showcase is backed by a recent $1 billion investment by the global company in news around the world, and gives news organisations the ability to curate their content on Google’s News and Discover platforms, helping readers get more context about a story and connecting readers with the news that matters to them.

News Showcase panels display an enhanced view of an article or articles, giving participating publishers more ways to bring important news to readers and explain it in their own voice, along with more direct control of presentation and branding.

People who click on News Showcase panels are sent directly to the publisher’s website to read the full story, enabling publishers to deepen their relationships with readers.

Growth of Agriland Media

Managing director of Agriland Media, Cormac Farrelly said: “We are delighted to become the first specialist publisher in Ireland to work with Google on its News Showcase product.

“It is a recognition of the place Agriland Media now holds as the largest agricultural news publisher in Ireland.

“Agriculture remains Ireland’s largest indigenous industry and the Google News Showcase will allow us give our readers a more insightful user experience,” he added.

“We look forward to working with the team in Google to deliver top quality content to all News Showcase users.”

Anthony Nakache, director of online partnerships, EMEA at Google, welcomed Agriland’s agreement to sign up to Google News Showcase.

“It is exciting to see the continued growth of the Google News Showcase programme in Ireland, with more publications and content becoming accessible to Irish readers on the platform,” he said.

“Supporting journalism, investing in this support and providing a sustainable news model enabling greater connection between publishers’ news stories and their readership, remains our core goal with News Showcase,” he concluded.