In December 2023, INMA and Google News Initiative (GNI) awarded their fourth annual Elevate Scholarship to 50 news media professionals from 31 countries. This series features these impressive media professionals who are shaping our industry.

With more than 15 years of experience launching innovative media projects and managing newsrooms, Nico Russo is a skilled video content creator with far-reaching expertise. He has helped build three different news channels from scratch and currently serves as the product manager for digital content at channel 9, one of Argentina’s five national broadcasters.

Nico’s drive and ability to lead diverse teams, along with his expertise in video production, have earned him several grants and fellowships from organisations including the Google News Initiative (GNI), the Meta Journalism Project, The International Center for Journalists, and the London School of Economics and Political Science. Each of those grants or fellowships resulted in him spearheading the creation of successful new digital products for the newsroom.

Most recently, Nico has worked on a project called SAOViVO, which won a grant from GNI’s Latin American challenge. He is leading the team to develop a free, open-source software that makes it easier for newsrooms to livestream on YouTube, and he said the team conducted extensive research to ensure it would be useful for everyone.

“We interviewed more than 50 newsrooms in Argentina and identified the three most common challenges,” he said. Then they created an app that would overcome those challenges.

That’s just one example of the out-of-the-box thinking Nico brings to his career, and, as an Elevate Scholarship recipient, he is eager to develop his skills further.

“I believe the industry is experiencing a transformation similar to what newspapers underwent in the early 2000s,” he said. “The traditional business model and newsroom sizes are no longer viable in the face of changing user behaviours. Through this scholarship, I'd like to gain insight into the intersection of newsroom and business, and better understand the needs and desires of the modern user.”

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