Welcome to the March edition of the C.Tru newsletter! We’ve got some very exciting updates to share with you, so let’s dive right in.
First, save the date: on June 6th, we're organizing an event in Amsterdam focused on news consumption and social natives. You'll be the first to receive all the details, but mark your calendars for the afternoon of Thursday, June 6th! For those not based in Amsterdam or nearby, rest assured, we'll ensure everything is recorded.
C.Tru is expanding
We're thrilled to introduce the first members of the C.Tru editorial team:
Sophie Kluivers is editor of C.Tru. Alongside me (also Sophie), she'll chart and implement the editorial strategy and oversee day-to-day operations in the newsroom.
Nina Nzena joins us as our first journalist. She'll collaborate with Sophie and me to develop our initial formats and produce content for testing with focus groups, and later, publication on larger platforms.
The search for a business developer and a designer is ongoing, so if you know someone, please let us know!
Our key principles
Over the past month, our focus has been on refining our ideas and hypotheses regarding news consumption among social natives and translating them into our editorial strategy. We've formulated our mission around several key principles that we deem essential:
Optimism and Constructivity: Our journalism will focus on the future, being realistic yet solutions-oriented.
Honesty: We prioritize making independent journalism and transparency. We aim to present factual perspectives and avoiding sugar-coating.
Audience-Centric: We aim to establish a connection with our audience-to-be, as inclusive as possible. Our journalism should be as accessible, developed through interaction with our audience.
Innovation & Experimentation: As we focus on the future, we'll adapt journalism to align with how people consume information on online platforms. We'll innovate through experimentation.
Uniqueness: To attract people, we must distinguish ourselves from other online content. Our content doesn't have to be entirely serious; it can entertain and be enjoyable.
Empowerment: This is the ultimate goal. If our journalism succeeds, it will enhance understanding of global events and offer recognition of individual situations.
Why do social natives prefer social over search?
Today, we also have new insights to share regarding search behavior. Danuta Bregula, known to you as one of the authors of report How publishers can grow with todays youth, has written an article for us on why young people prefer social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for information search over search engines.
Read her insightful article with tips on how editorial teams can navigate this, such as: Focus on creating content that transcends different platforms, offering fresh perspectives, clear explanations, and practical tips.
How the youth search for news and what can we do about it
In the rapidly evolving realm of digital media, the once unassailable reign of search engines faces a formidable challenger: social media. As platforms like TikTok and Instagram become Gen Z's go-to sources for information, the very essence of how we discover content is undergoing a seismic shift. In this era where Google's dominance wanes and conversat…
How can we help?
Do you have a question about reaching and engaging social natives in the newsroom? Next month, we're launching a new section where we'll answer a question or discuss a dilemma every month on how editorial teams can reach young people. So, if you have a question, please share it with us!
Finally, we'll wrap up this edition with a recommendation: A.G. Sulzberger, publisher of The New York Times, delivered this year's Reuters Memorial Lecture on the importance of independent journalism. The panel discussion featuring Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, director of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, and Melissa Bell, founder of Vox Media, is also worth watching.
Thanks for reading our newsletter! Feel free to reach out to us!