Unlikely data nuggets fuel Quartz stories

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.