New Bernese online magazine is launched
On Friday afternoon, the new online magazine Journal B went live with its first articles. Under the sections “Politics,” “Culture,” and “Everyday Life,” the editorial team plans to post new articles from the city and region of Bern online every day.
Journal B is an exclusively online publication that features stories from the margins or behind the scenes
The creators announced on Friday morning that they wanted to showcase the news. The plans also include guest columns, audio, and video segments. The five-member editorial team selects topics based on subjective criteria. However, the stories should relate to the Bern area and take the interests of the online community into account.The "B" in the name stands for Bern, but also for "B-side," meaning background stories, said Editor-in-Chief Beat Kohler to the media. While daily news isn't ruled out at Journal B, it certainly isn't a focus.
Thanks to substantial grants from various foundations, Journal B’s launch is secured through the end of 2014. Future funding will be provided primarily through membership dues from the Berner Onlinemedien association, which serves as the magazine’s sponsoring organization. Advertising revenue and donations will also contribute to this funding. The board of the sponsoring association includes, among others, SP City Council member Thomas Göttin and former City Council member Urs Frieden (Greens). The initiative committee includes numerous cultural figures as well as representatives from the left-wing and Green camps.
However, the press release goes on to state that the journalists are politically independent and not bound to any particular ideology. According to the magazine, it aims to contribute to the diversity of opinion in the federal capital. The editor-in-chief is Beat Kohler, who previously worked for the Jungfrau Zeitung in the Bernese Oberland. (sda)
Apps with Love
Apps with Love helped shape the online magazine. The goal was to create an innovative online medium that is second to none in terms of design, functionality, and usability, the company said in a statement on Friday. Journal B is intended to stand out through its originality and memorable graphic elements, becoming a recognizable brand. To enhance the user experience, the project began with an analysis of reading behavior in a traditional newspaper. Apps with Love then translated these findings into a layout specifically optimized for display on smartphones, tablets, and desktops.
For the layout concept and design, the startup is working closely with designers Alice Kuhn and Manu Schibli of Malice Berlin. Their team has experience designing magazines and newspapers for print as well as for online media.
