Intelligent journalism desired
In the USA, a new Internet newspaper dedicated exclusively to politics is making headlines.
There is a ray of hope in the generally ailing newspaper business in the USA: the news of the success of a newly founded newspaper that is not only intelligently produced, but is dedicated exclusively to a supposedly boring topic: politics. Politico concentrates entirely on reporting on the political machinery in Washington with its parties, interest groups, lobbyists and non-governmental organizations.
The two founders, two former journalists from the Washington Post, were able to hire respected reporters from quality media such as the Post or the Wall Street Journal, who already have good contacts in the capital and deliver first-class content. The reputation of these journalistic professionals also helps them get numerous TV appearances where their knowledge is associated with the Politico name, which in turn has the desired PR effect. The focus on politics attracts a very specific readership: Men from every age group, a demographic that is otherwise primarily targeted by sports channels.
The US election campaign brings readers
Politico was founded in January 2007 and gets most of its readers through its website Politico.com, which is read throughout the USA, especially during the current election campaign. In addition, a print edition with a circulation of 27,000 copies is also published in the capital. The publication gained prominence primarily through its coverage of the presidential campaign in the US election campaign and currently has between three and four million unique visitors per month, which at times catapulted it to tenth place among the most-read newspapers. "I am sure that Politico will continue to be successful after the elections, although perhaps not quite as widely read. The need for information from Washington is great enough to keep it afloat between elections," says Alex Halavais, professor of interactive communication at Quinnipiac University.
One advantage for the new publication could be that many American newspapers are gradually withdrawing staff from the capital and closing their correspondent offices there in order to save costs. "Politico fulfills an important role that other media have abandoned, perhaps even as a new model for a new niche journalism," says Halavais.
Although Politico, whose main investor is the media company Allbritton Communications, does not publish any figures, the managing directors say they expect to be in the black as early as next year. This is to be made possible by an advertising alliance with currently 30 other US newspapers and political organizations. The cooperation works like this: Politico makes the content of its publication available to its partners for reprinting and at the same time enables them to sell advertising space in their online editions. The advertisers are mainly political interest groups in Washington that want to reach a regional audience. The largest advertiser to date is the Obama campaign, which has spent around half a million dollars on online ads with Politico and its partners this year.
The model already proved its worth this summer when Politico partnered with the Denver Post and St. Paul Pioneer-Press, the two local newspapers that dominate the cities where the Democratic and Republican conventions were held, respectively. In return for Politico's content, the Washington media company received the right to sell advertising space from the Post and the Pioneer-Press online to advertisers such as the two parties. Politico received a share of around 75 percent of the sales price for arranging these ad placements.
Industry observers believe that this model could also increase the appeal of regional newspapers. "It gives newspapers national content that is different from other sources," says Joel Woldfogel, professor of economics at Wharton Business School. "In this respect, regional newspapers can also benefit."
Gerti Schön, New York
The two founders, two former journalists from the Washington Post, were able to hire respected reporters from quality media such as the Post or the Wall Street Journal, who already have good contacts in the capital and deliver first-class content. The reputation of these journalistic professionals also helps them get numerous TV appearances where their knowledge is associated with the Politico name, which in turn has the desired PR effect. The focus on politics attracts a very specific readership: Men from every age group, a demographic that is otherwise primarily targeted by sports channels.
The US election campaign brings readers
Politico was founded in January 2007 and gets most of its readers through its website Politico.com, which is read throughout the USA, especially during the current election campaign. In addition, a print edition with a circulation of 27,000 copies is also published in the capital. The publication gained prominence primarily through its coverage of the presidential campaign in the US election campaign and currently has between three and four million unique visitors per month, which at times catapulted it to tenth place among the most-read newspapers. "I am sure that Politico will continue to be successful after the elections, although perhaps not quite as widely read. The need for information from Washington is great enough to keep it afloat between elections," says Alex Halavais, professor of interactive communication at Quinnipiac University.
One advantage for the new publication could be that many American newspapers are gradually withdrawing staff from the capital and closing their correspondent offices there in order to save costs. "Politico fulfills an important role that other media have abandoned, perhaps even as a new model for a new niche journalism," says Halavais.
Although Politico, whose main investor is the media company Allbritton Communications, does not publish any figures, the managing directors say they expect to be in the black as early as next year. This is to be made possible by an advertising alliance with currently 30 other US newspapers and political organizations. The cooperation works like this: Politico makes the content of its publication available to its partners for reprinting and at the same time enables them to sell advertising space in their online editions. The advertisers are mainly political interest groups in Washington that want to reach a regional audience. The largest advertiser to date is the Obama campaign, which has spent around half a million dollars on online ads with Politico and its partners this year.
The model already proved its worth this summer when Politico partnered with the Denver Post and St. Paul Pioneer-Press, the two local newspapers that dominate the cities where the Democratic and Republican conventions were held, respectively. In return for Politico's content, the Washington media company received the right to sell advertising space from the Post and the Pioneer-Press online to advertisers such as the two parties. Politico received a share of around 75 percent of the sales price for arranging these ad placements.
Industry observers believe that this model could also increase the appeal of regional newspapers. "It gives newspapers national content that is different from other sources," says Joel Woldfogel, professor of economics at Wharton Business School. "In this respect, regional newspapers can also benefit."
Gerti Schön, New York
Focus on the White House: Politico concentrates its reporting on the political machinery in Washington.
