How the Economist’s film operation is working

Ricardo Bilton of the Nieman Lab takes a look at the new film operation at the Economist.

Bilton writes, “At first glance, the video might seem like an odd fit for the weekly news magazine, which has spent the last 170 years establishing itself as an authority on global business and finance news, not mental health issues. But the shift to video has shaken up The Economist’s approach, forcing it to expand its horizons and explore new subjects and formats to reach viewers on the web. Coverage of world markets is only a small portion of its output.

“‘With video, we’re focusing less on the finance and business topics that people might know us best for, and more on areas that make for greater visual entertainment,’ said Nicholas Minter-Green, president of Economist Films, The Economist’s year-old video division. ‘These are areas that we cover, but those for which we are probably less known.’ He pointed to travel, social affairs, tech, and culture as non-finance subjects that The Economist would have a unique perspective on.

“Video has become a vital new area of investment for The Economist — not just because of the higher ad dollars attached to the format, but also because of the potential for the brand to use video to reach a much larger audience than it could through its highbrow web articles or its pricey print magazine. ‘We want to create a pillar of the business that extends The Economist brand beyond just a print publication or website. Some people may just consume us through video and nothing else,’ said Minter-Green.”

Read more here.