Facts are sacred, medias are diverse! (2/7)
This is part 2 of 7 from our series The jrnal Manifesto, leading up to our official launch on June 28st. We will be releasing a new part every other day, so watch this space!
We believe that jrnal shouldn’t be focused on a single medium. Speaking to our beta testers made us realize the importance of offering news no matter the format.
News today isn’t about any one format
Ok, we didn’t run the most scientific tests, but we did do the most exciting and probably the most important one: talking to our beta testers and our potential early adopters.
They all told us one thing, that being relevant in the digital world means bringing more than just a collection of images and articles. Facts must be sacred but mediums must be diverse.
Our beta testers wanted to catch up quickly with the news, develop their thoughts on a particular subject, read a press review on a specific industry, and read a full edition of their favourite publication. But they wanted that information in written words, video, audio whether radio or podcasts, recorded talks, etc.
Delivering on all of that means that we need to be solid, loyal partners with our publishers. But that is also why the jrnal platform can’t accommodate every publisher.
House of jrnal
Just like you can do a 360º tour of a house where different rooms serve different needs, there will be different areas in our house.
Harold Ross, co-founder of The New Yorker magazine, is famously known for once saying the magazine wasn’t written “for the old lady in Dubuque”. It wasn’t because she didn’t deserve a magazine made for her, but because The New Yorker wasn’t it. In a crowded world, trying to serve everyone means you end up serving no one. This is only more valid given the current infobesity of the post-truth era.
We’re trying to address the audience we know best: urban, tech savvy, ready to go further on sharp subjects through deep coverage, open-minded.
What kind of publishers can you expect to find on jrnal?
· Singular. In their own way, every publication has to be singular and play a specific role on jrnal. It might be because of subject matter, or where they position themselves in the news hierarchy, or the location they focus on, or the language, or their opinions (and how well documented they are)… Every publication has to be providing something Unique.
· Sharing the traditional principles of journalism, including accuracy, truthfulness, public accountability and concern regarding discrimination.
· Fit our audience. Providing this 360° experience is almost like building a club. In my eyes, it doesn’t seem like every media can really be housed together. I won’t name names but I think you understand what I mean.
· Lastly, these are two-sided engagement initiatives and we will only work with publishers willing to keep going further in terms of content, format, and experience.
Our current partners were approached with all this in mind. As we keep looking for additional news publications, an editorial committee will be put in charge of choosing which publication to add / remove.
We know this is a decisive approach, but we believe radicality is a central part of the digital era. If you share these convictions, we would to love to hear from you and have you among our early subscribers.
Do you want to know the whole story? Discover our the first, and third episode of the jrnal Manifesto.
Join the waiting list and be the first to get the app here.
