GlobalPost
There is a new player in the online news space. Welcome www.globalpost.com.
Their mission: “GlobalPost intends to build a community of top correspondents as well as a community of users of the site who share the need and the desire for quality news about the world.” More here.
Their business model: “GlobalPost seeks to exploit powerful global demographic, political and economic trends by being the only Internet journalism site devoted exclusively to international news and related content. We attract an educated, affluent sector of the U.S. population that, research shows, are drawn to international news and are frustrated by the failure of mainstream media outlets to provide coverage.” More here.
Their leadership: The site was founded by Philip Balboni Balboni is the Founder and for the past 16 years was the President of New England Cable News (NECN), the nation’s largest and most honored regional news network. The Executive Editor and Vice President of GlobalPost is Charles Sennott, an award winning journalist and author with a distinguished career in international reporting for both print and broadcast news organizations. More here.
I talked to Philip Balboni last year, when he first announced he would launch GlobalPost. At the time GlobalPost was just a concept — in fact, I think the plans were still just on paper. But as of today, the site is very much live, and alive. It is rich and well organized, brimming with the contributions from more than 50 correspondents around the globe. On top of all that, they boast an educated, affluent audience – an advertisers’ dream.
It is an open question whether a US audience really cares enough about international news to read, let alone pay for it. And with so many newspapers, blogs, and other sites offering coverage of international affairs, can GlobalPost really stand out, get the attention it needs to build a following?
I knew when we talked that Balboni understood the way communications, and especially media, were changing and what the opportunities existed for using technology to connect people from around the Globe. This is his vision of how the news industry should be heading into the future. I don’t know for sure, but if you want to be the best source in the nation for international news, this seems like a good place to start.
Let’s see how it goes.
Brian is Managing Director of little m media which provides strategic guidance and support to organizations around the use of the internet and technology to facilitate communications, engagement, education, and mobilization.
