NowThis
{{short description|American progressive news media website}}
{{About|the media organization|the Gary Peacock album|Now This{{!}}Now This}}
{{redirect|TestTube|the experimental feature page of YouTube|YouTube#TestTube}}
{{use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox company
| name = NowThis
| logo = NowThis-LOGO.png
| logo_size = 150px
| foundation = {{start date and age|2012|9}}
| location_city = New York City, New York, U.S.
| key_people = Sharon Mussalli (CEO)
| founders = Kenneth Lerer
Eric Hippeau
Brian Bedol
Fred Harman
| homepage = {{URL|https://nowmedianetwork.co/|NowMedia Network}}
}}
NowThis Media is an American progressive{{cite web |last1=Segers |first1=Grace |title=Beto O'Rourke says "nothing more American" than to stand up or take a knee for your rights |date=August 25, 2018 |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/beto-orourke-says-nothing-more-american-than-to-stand-up-or-take-a-knee-for-your-rights/ |publisher=CBS News |access-date=27 April 2019}}{{Cite web|last=Valenzuela|first=Bryant|date=2022-01-10|title=The Weapon of the Century: Contemporary Politics Through the TikTok Algorithm|url=https://harvardpolitics.com/tiktok-politics-algorithm/|access-date=2022-02-06|website=Harvard Political Review|language=en-US}} social media-focused media organization founded in 2012.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/all/meet-company-behind-viral-beto-o-rourke-video-n932446|title=Meet the company behind that viral Beto O'Rourke video|website=NBC News|date=November 6, 2018 |language=en|access-date=2019-09-11}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2016/11/inside-nowthis-upstart-thats-owning-social-news/|title=Inside NowThis, The Upstart That's Owning Social News|magazine=WIRED |access-date= 4 November 2016 |last1=Ellis |first1=Emma Grey }}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.digiday.com/publishers/can-nowthis-news-crack-mobile-video/|title=Can NowThis News Crack Mobile Video?|author=Josh Sternberg|date=November 9, 2012|magazine=Digiday|access-date= 3 April 2013 }} The company specializes in creating short-form videos.{{Cite web|date=March 26, 2014|title=State of the News Media|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2017/05/state-of-the-news-media-report-2014-final.pdf|website=Pew Research Center|pages=16–17}} Their target audience are Gen Z and Millennials.{{Cite news |last=Soave |first=Robby |date=9 January 2019 |title=Millennial News Site Thinks the CIA Being Run Entirely by Women Is a Progressive Victory |work=Reason |url=https://reason.com/2019/01/09/now-this-cia-women-gina-haspel-prog/}}
History
NowThis was founded by HuffPost co-founder and former chairman Kenneth Lerer and former Huffington Post CEO Eric Hippeau in September 2012.{{cite web|url=http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/12/05/will-news-bites-for-digital-natives-work/|title=Will news bites for digital natives work?|author=Jessi Hempel|date=December 5, 2012|publisher=Tech Fortune|access-date=3 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130405110710/http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/12/05/will-news-bites-for-digital-natives-work/|archive-date=5 April 2013|url-status=dead}} NowThis originally focused exclusively on social-media platforms, such as Facebook, having announced in 2015 that it would not have a homepage. By 2018, it had changed this position.{{cite news|last1=Weissman|first1=Cale Guthrie|title=Here's An Abridged Timeline Of Digital Media's Pivot To Video|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/40534037/heres-an-abridged-timeline-of-digital-medias-pivot-to-video|access-date=22 February 2018|work=Fast Company|date=21 February 2018}}
File:Behind the Scenes of Joe Biden on Now this News.jpg being interviewed on NowThis in 2016]]
On December 8, 2015, NowThis raised $16.2m in Series D funding. By this time, the company said that 68% of its audience were millennials between the ages of 18 and 34. It was announced that this funding would be used to launch more focused channels.{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/12/08/nowthis-series-d/|title=Video News Startup NowThis News Raises $16.2M Led By Axel Springer|last=Ha|first=Anthony|website=TechCrunch|date=8 December 2015 |access-date=2015-12-08}} Between 2012 and 2014, the editor-in-chief was Edward O'Keefe, who previously was the executive producer at ABC News Digital. As of 2013, NowThis produced about 50 segments per day and received about 15–20 million views per month.{{Cite news|last=Chernova|first=Yuliya|date=2013-10-08|title=Short-Video Startup NowThis Says Journalism Isn't Dead|language=en-US|work=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-VCDB-13424|access-date=2021-09-29|issn=0099-9660}}
In 2016, NowThis joined with The Dodo, Thrillist, and Seeker to form Group Nine Media, which was acquired by Vox Media in February 2022.{{cite web |date=22 February 2022 |title=Vox Media Completes Acquisition of Group Nine |url=https://www.voxmedia.com/2022/2/22/22945736/vox-media-completes-acquisition-of-group-nine |website=Vox Media}}{{Cite web |last=Flynn |first=Kerry |date=December 13, 2021 |title=Vox Media is acquiring the conglomerate that owns NowThis and Thrillist |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/13/media/vox-group-nine-acquisition/index.html |access-date=2022-06-08 |website=CNN |language=en}}
In June 2020, numerous accusations of sexual misconduct were levied at NowThis associate producer Jackson Davis after Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez quote-tweeted a graphic he created.{{Cite web|last=Goforth|first=Claire|date=2020-06-29|title=AOC tweet leads to sexual misconduct allegations against NowThis producer|url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/nowthis-producer-suspended-ocasio-cortez-tweet/|access-date=2021-09-29|website=The Daily Dot|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Ellefson|first=Lindsey|date=June 29, 2020|title=NowThis News Suspends Politics Producer After Accusations of Collegiate Sexual Misconduct Surface|url=https://www.thewrap.com/nowthis-news-suspends-jackson-c-davis/|access-date=2021-09-29|website=TheWrap|language=en-US}} NowThis suspended Davis. Following an external investigation, he was removed from the company.{{Cite web|last=Ellefson|first=Lindsey|date=July 20, 2020|title=NowThis News Politics Producer Out at After Investigation Into Accusations of Sexual Misconduct in CollegeTheWrap|url=https://www.thewrap.com/nowthis-news-politics-producer-out-at-after-investigation-into-accusations-of-sexual-misconduct-in-college/|access-date=2021-09-29|website=TheWrap|language=en-US}}
In April 2023, it was announced that NowThis would be spun off as a separate company from Vox Media.{{Cite news |last=Mullin |first=Benjamin |date=2023-04-12 |title=Vox Media Spins Off NowThis, the Viral Politics Site, a Year After Buying It |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/12/business/media/vox-nowthis-accelerate-change.html |access-date=2023-05-02 |issn=0362-4331}} In April 2023 NowThis was purchased by the non profit Accelerate Change and in December of the same year announced that Sharon Mussalli was appointed as their first female CEO.{{Cite web |last=Stenberg |first=Mark |date=2023-12-19 |title=NowThis Hires Its First CEO Since Being Spun Off by Vox Media |url=https://www.adweek.com/media/nowthis-ceo-sharon-mussalli/ |access-date=2024-11-12 |language=en-US}} In March of 2024 Adweek announced the creation of NowMedia Networks, an identity driven media network reaching 190 million people that is the combination of publishers NowThis, PushBlack, Pulso, ParentsTogether, Feminist, and PlusMas.{{Cite web |last=Stenberg |first=Mark |date=2024-03-21 |title=NowThis Combines with the Accelerate Change Portfolio, Becomes NowMedia |url=https://www.adweek.com/media/nowthis-nowmedia-accelerate-change/ |access-date=2024-11-12 |language=en-US}}
In February 2024, it was announced that NowThis had laid off roughly 50% of its workforce.{{cite news |last1=Helmore |first1=Edward |title='Breathtaking' media layoffs continue with job cuts at NowThis and Intercept |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/feb/15/layoffs-vox-media-nowthis-intercept |access-date=February 18, 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=February 15, 2024}} The organization said that the staff layoffs were part of a “broader initiative to realign our resources and structure to ensure a long-term sustainable business in the evolving media landscape.”{{cite news |last1=Korach |first1=Natalie |title=NowThis Lays Off 50% of Staff to 'Realign Our Resources and Structure' |url=https://www.thewrap.com/nowthis-layoffs-tiktok-restructure/ |access-date=February 19, 2024 |publisher=The Wrap |date=February 15, 2024}}
In October 2024, NowThis announced their inaugural Advisory Board.{{Cite web |last=Whittock |first=Max Goldbart,Jesse |date=2024-10-28 |title='The Sex Lives Of College Girls' Star Joins Inaugural Board Of Gen Z News Outfit NowThis |url=https://deadline.com/2024/10/alyah-chanelle-scott-nowthis-advisory-board-1236159642/ |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |title=Creator and influencer trends brand marketers need to know about right now |url=https://adage.com/article/digital-marketing-ad-tech-news/creator-and-influencer-marketing-trends-alix-earle-law-roach-pepsi-lenovo-susan-g-komen/2589301}} The Advisory Board is made up of business leaders with unique understanding of the GenZ audience.
In November 2024, NowThis underwent a second round of layoffs, which predominantly affected unionized employees. These layoffs were reported by current and former employees of the organization, though the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), which represents the unionized staff, has not released an official statement on the matter.{{cite web |last=McKenna |first=Tom |title=NowThis Layoffs Announced |url=https://x.com/tmckenna1/status/1857500481482117142 |access-date=November 18, 2024 |website=X (formerly Twitter)}}{{cite web |last=Evans |first=PJ |title=Reaction to NowThis Layoffs |url=https://x.com/pjayevans/status/1857458502047797353 |access-date=November 18, 2024 |website=X (formerly Twitter)}}
Content
NowThis's content is targeted at left-leaning Millennials An analysis from BuzzFeed News found that NowThis was the most popular left-leaning site on Facebook between 2015 and 2017; along with Occupy Democrats, it accounted for half of the 50 top posts on Facebook.{{Cite web |last1=Silverman |first1=Craig |last2=Lytvynenko |first2=Jane |last3=Vo |first3=Lam Thuy |last4=Singer-Vine |first4=Jeremy |date=August 8, 2017 |title=Inside The Partisan Political Fight For Your Facebook News Feed |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/craigsilverman/inside-the-partisan-fight-for-your-news-feed |access-date=2021-07-29 |website=BuzzFeed News |language=en}} According to the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism NowThis' videos are primarily emotion-driven in order to generate views and shares{{Cite book|last1=Kalogeropoulos|first1=Antonis|url=https://poseidon01.ssrn.com/delivery.php?ID=524086089074010085106007012085092109027008042043001033103027000095127126031025010103013039002037111125048071106009096114100088052047088034054097001005024122082006118005084001080004093024087001091118004120010118005068086088026098126068094095025072069096&EXT=pdf&INDEX=TRUE|title=The Future of Online News Video|last2=Cherubini|first2=Federica|last3=Nic|first3=Newman|date=2016-06-29|publisher=Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism|isbn=978-1-907384-21-9|pages=17|oclc=987584014}} and the group has been accused of making partisan content.{{Cite journal|last1=Wilkerson|first1=Heloisa Sturm|last2=Riedl|first2=Martin J.|last3=Whipple|first3=Kelsey N.|date=2021-04-14|title=Affective Affordances: Exploring Facebook Reactions as Emotional Responses to Hyperpartisan Political News|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21670811.2021.1899011|journal=Digital Journalism|volume=9 |issue=8 |language=en|publisher=Routledge|pages=1040–1061|doi=10.1080/21670811.2021.1899011|s2cid=234853464 |issn=2167-0811}}{{Cite journal|last1=Peacock|first1=Cynthia|last2=Hoewe|first2=Jennifer|last3=Panek|first3=Elliot|last4=Willis|first4=G. Paul|date=2021-03-04|title=Hyperpartisan News Use: Relationships with Partisanship and Cognitive and Affective Involvement|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2020.1844902|journal=Mass Communication and Society|publisher=Routledge|volume=24|issue=2|pages=210–232|doi=10.1080/15205436.2020.1844902|s2cid=228933046 |issn=1520-5436}}
Controversies and errors
In 2015, NowThis published a conspiracy theory that claimed CNN deleted a poll of Facebook users asserting that most participants thought that Bernie Sanders beat Hillary Clinton in the first 2016 Democratic Party presidential debate. NowThis created a video titled "It looks like CNN is trying to help Hillary look good, even if that means deleting polls." PolitiFact found that CNN did not delete the poll in question and in fact displayed the results of the poll during its broadcast and also published the poll on its Facebook page. The claim was rated as "Pants on Fire" false by PolitiFact.Sanders, Katie. [https://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2015/oct/19/nowthis/no-internet-cnn-did-not-delete-its-poll-showing-be/ "No, Internet, CNN Did Not Delete Its Poll Showing Bernie Sanders Won the Democratic Debate."] @Politifact, 19 Oct. 2015
After Donald Trump was elected president in 2016, NowThis posted a clip of CNN commentator Van Jones giving a speech about the election results on their social media. The posted clip generated over 23 million views on Facebook, and NowThis included its own logo in the upper corner, not CNN's. CNN accused NowThis of violating their intellectual property rights and stated that video "was used without attribution or permission", and they were "exploring [their] options with regards to NowThis, Facebook and Twitter." NowThis removed the clip from their Facebook, while it remained on their Twitter.{{Cite news|last=Shields|first=Mike|date=2016-11-09|title=CNN Isn't Happy NowThis Posted Its Election Coverage Clip to Facebook and Twitter|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/cnn-isnt-happy-nowthis-posted-its-election-coverage-clip-to-facebook-and-twitter-1478726063|access-date=2021-06-30|issn=0099-9660}}
During the 2016 United States presidential election, NowThis repeatedly claimed that Trump lied about Bill Clinton signing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) using videos posted on Facebook and YouTube. PolitiFact found that Bill Clinton signed the final version of the NAFTA as Trump had stated, and rated the claim false.{{cite web|last1=Emery|first1=C. Eugene|url=https://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2016/aug/11/nowthis/nowthis-news-site-says-donald-trump-wrong-and-bill/|title=NowThis news site says Donald Trump wrong and Bill Clinton didn't sign NAFTA|website=PolitiFact|date=August 11, 2016}}
In September 2019, NowThis tweeted out that "Republicans in North Carolina used a 9/11 memorial to trick Democrats into missing a key vote", which was later shared by Senator Elizabeth Warren. PolitiFact rated the claim false and discovered only one Democrat was at a 9/11 memorial during the time North Carolina Republicans held a controversial budget vote. NowThis did not correct their claim.{{Cite web|last=Specht|first=Paul|date=September 17, 2019|title=PolitiFact - NC Democrats not at 9/11 event during GOP budget vote|url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2019/sep/17/various-media-reports/nc-democrats-not-911-event-during-gop-budget-vote/|access-date=2021-06-30|website=Politifact|language=en-US}}
In January 2020, NowThis removed a segment of a video they posted where a George Washington University student falsely claimed that Holocaust diarist Anne Frank did not die in a concentration camp. Frank died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in either February or March 1945.{{Cite web|last=Oster|first=Marcy|date=January 22, 2020|title=College student's video blasting Trump says Anne Frank did not die in Nazi camp|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/college-students-video-blasting-trump-says-anne-frank-did-not-die-in-nazi-camp/|access-date=2021-06-30|website=Times of Israel|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=January 17, 2020|title=After Outcry, NowThis Removes Video of Student Claiming Anne Frank 'Didn't Die in a Concentration Camp'|url=https://www.algemeiner.com/2020/01/17/after-outcry-nowthis-removes-video-of-student-claiming-anne-frank-didnt-die-in-a-concentration-camp/|access-date=2021-06-30|website=The Algemeiner|language=en-US}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Official site}}
{{Vox Media}}{{Portal bar|Journalism|United States|Politics}}
Category:American news websites
Category:Mass media companies based in New York City
Category:American companies established in 2012
Category:Internet properties established in 2012
Category:Mass media about Internet culture
Category:Mass media companies established in 2012
Category:2012 establishments in New York City