OLD Media Moves

Unlikely data nuggets fuel Quartz stories

March 30, 2014

Posted by Chris Roush

Ben Cardew of The Guardian writes Sunday about Quartz, the business news site from The Atlantic.

Cardew writes, “But for Quartz, the Atlantic’s mobile-first business news site, the term denotes the kind of unlikely data nugget behind several of its biggest stories, part of a recipe that has helped Quartz to 5 million readers in just 18 months.

“And it isn’t stopping there: Quartz co-president Jay Lauf says the company has 10 million users in its sights after beating initial audience predictions, while Quartz is projecting a 300% rise in ad revenue this year. Summer 2014 will see Quartz expand internationally, with the launch of an Indian edition in June that will include region-specific content.

“Quartz was launched in September 2012 by Atlantic Media, parent company of highbrow US magazine the Atlantic, a 157-year-old title recently described by the New York Times as ‘the intellectual’s monthly.’ In 2010 the Atlantic returned to profit thanks to a modern-thinking, digital-first approach, including the dismantling of its online paywall in January 2008.

“Quartz aroused considerable interest with its combination of a mobile-first approach, an editorial ethos based on ‘obsessions’ – essentially a changing lineup of newsworthy topics rather than traditional news beats – and a business model that eschewed a paywall and banner ads in favour of free access and native advertising from a small number of bluechip companies.”

Read more here.

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