Quartz is launching subscription membership service, new app

Quartz is launching a subscription tier for its business coverage and a new app that will offer aggregated news and user discussion with the aim of avoiding the negativity that plagues debate on social networks such as Twitter and Facebook, reports Matthew Garrahan of the Financial Times.

Garrahan writes, “The new services are the digital publisher’s first moves since it was acquired three months ago by Japan’s Uzabase from Atlantic Media in a deal worth up to $110m.

“The new app builds on Uzabase’s NewsPicks, which has more than 3m registered users in Japan. Like NewsPicks, it will feature contributions from business leaders including Beth Comstock, the former GE executive; Dawn Airey, the chief executive of Getty Images; Richard Branson; and Ian Bremmer, the president of the Eurasia Group.

“‘There’s an opportunity here to take the platform that has been honed in Japan over several years and bring it to an English-speaking audience,’ said Kevin Delaney, Quartz’s editor-in-chief and co-chief executive.

Social networks ‘have, at times, been a great way to connect with readers . . . but it’s clear these platforms have limitations,’ he added. The Quartz app would have more ‘structured conversations and curation of the news.'”

Read more here.