Apple announced the News Partner Program, a new set of activities aimed at increasing Apple's involvement in and support for journalism. The News Partner Program strives to ensure that Apple News users continue to have access to credible news and information from many of the world's leading publishers, while also promoting media literacy and diversity in news coverage and newsrooms.
The News Partner Program is for subscription news publications that offer Apple News with their content in Apple News Format (ANF).
Thanks to ANF, which provides an exceptional reading experience on Apple News and unlocks the platform's full potential for publishers, they can create brand-forward articles, immersive issues, and audio stories with designs that scale seamlessly across Apple devices. ANF also enables advertising, with publishers keeping 100% of the revenue generated by ads sold within Apple News. Apple News is giving a 15% commission rate on qualified in-app purchase subscriptions starting today to encourage publishers to optimize more of their content in ANF.
"From the beginning, providing Apple News users with reliable information from our publishing partners has been a top goal," said Eddy Cue, Apple's Senior Vice President of Services. "For more than a decade, Apple has provided our customers with many ways to access and enjoy news content across our devices and services." We have hundreds of news apps in the App Store from dozens of countries across the world, and we built Apple News Format to give publishers a way to display their content and give millions of Apple News customers a wonderful experience." Beginning today, publishers can apply for the News Partner Program.
Requirements and Eligibility
- In Australia, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, participants must maintain a robust Apple News channel and post all content to that channel in ANF. Publishers who are based outside of these regions and do not publish in ANF must share content via an RSS feed if their rights allow it.
- A publisher app's main purpose must be to give original, professionally written news material.
- Users must be able to purchase auto-renewable subscriptions using Apple's in-app purchase system. App Store access is required for publishers' apps.
- A supplementary addendum to the Apple Developer Program License Agreement is required of publishers.
- Members of the Apple Developer Program from all over the world can participate in the News Publisher Program.
Apple is also confirming its support for three major nonprofit groups that provide nonpartisan, independent media literacy programs: Common Sense Media, the News Literacy Project, and Osservatorio Permanente Giovani-Editori. Over the last two years, Apple has been supporting the work of these groups as part of its continuous efforts to empower young people with critical thinking abilities.
In addition, the News Partner Program will assist, fund, and partner with more prominent organizations throughout the world that educate news consumers about media literacy and work to diversify news coverage and newsrooms. The News Partner Program will support specific projects that will be revealed at a later date and will represent organizations that are doing important and meaningful work on these problems.
