In a groundbreaking initiative, Google News Initiative (GNI) and Bastion Transform have partnered with Nine Publishing, the National Indigenous Times (NIT), and BusinessDesk New Zealand to conduct a series of live newsroom experiments.

The nine-month initiative aimed to foster innovation, growth and editorial excellence within the media landscape, using an experimental framework to explore new digital territories and challenge existing journalism and production practices.

Bastion Transform Managing Director, Gaven Morris, emphasised the importance of newsroom innovation to keep pace with changing audience habits.

"The framework facilitated six content pilots addressing challenges in storytelling, resourcing, workflows, platforms, data, and technology," Morris said.

The results of these experiments have been significant. BusinessDesk Publisher and General Manager, Matt Martel, praised the innovation framework and its application within the NZME group. The National Indigenous Times reported a 20 per cent boost in newsroom productivity and a significant jump in readership of international affairs reporting. Nine Publishing's Executive Editor, Tory Maguire, expressed commitment to continued experimentation and a more radical approach.

Success stories from the experiments include a 425 per cent increase in weekly digital subscribers for Nine Publishing, faster information output leading to a new AI focus for BusinessDesk New Zealand, and a 20 per cent increase in content output for the National Indigenous Times.

Google News Lab A/NZ Lead, Uma Patel, encouraged other newsrooms to adopt the framework outlined in the report.

"The success of these experiments demonstrates the potential for innovation in the media landscape," Patel said. "We encourage other newsrooms to consider adopting this framework to foster growth and editorial excellence."

This initiative underscores the importance of innovation in the media landscape, as traditional newsrooms grapple with the challenges of digital transformation. The results of these experiments suggest that a more experimental approach to journalism and production practices could yield significant benefits, including increased productivity, readership, and digital subscribers.