Google News has a pretty relaxed inclusion process relative to the older days of trying to get into Google News. The new process is documented in detail over here.
I key difference now is that you can only request inclusion via the Google News Publisher Center.
If you've read all of the above and your site follows our Webmaster guidelines, as well as Google news' general technical, and quality guidelines, then you're ready to apply for inclusion within the Google News Publisher Center!
You will see a button next to all your verified sites in the publisher center that reads "Request Inclusion Into Google News."
When you go through that process and you are rejected, now Google may not send you a rejection notice. Stacie Chan from Google said in a Google News Help thread that they need to add in rejection notices into the new workflow. She wrote:
We have one more step we're implementing this week- if you applied to Google News recently, we didn't display a rejection note. We're working on that so you'll know exactly what your inclusion status is.
Here is what the inclusion form looks like when you try to submit a site:
Forum discussion at Google News Help.