Disheartened by some of the inconveniences of conventional media outlets – political division, sensationalized language and promotional articles – millennials are searching for something new. To quench their thirst for personally curated news which delivers exactly what they are willing to read, millennials are looking toward these platforms.
Newsletter platforms differ from big-name daily news providers in the sense that they offer specialized news. Each one of these news sites have a niche area of its own, such as business, economics, technology or current events. As with other multimedia platforms adopting the subscription system rather than an all-open, non-targeted system, readers must first subscribe to their newsletter of interest. Once they submit their e-mail address to the news website, the platform regularly sends its letters to the readers.
Ewha Voice was able to interview with Lim Jae-wan, Editor-in-chief of techNeedle. Founded in 2012 to spread the latest news on Silicon Valley in Korean, techNeedle gained attention for its original contents, with its estimated ten thousand readers.
“The format we have adopted has many benefits including the reader’s convenience, both space- and time-wise,” he said.
“Even for the writers themselves, news can be delivered efficiently, and sent out with almost no cost. Finally, it is very easy for readers to share them with their friends through email or social media.”
The company does not have separate PR strategies and simply increases its readership by word of mouth, or by shared posts on blogs and social media.
“Our main subscribers are young people in their twenties and thirties who are interested in computers, the automobile industry and the global technology business,” he added. “Many readers including the Koreans living abroad such as those in the U.S. and Australia also read our letters.”
The newsletter, however, does not seek profit. None of the writers or members affiliated to techNeedle work full-time either. Instead techNeedle is run solely for the purpose of sharing information.
“Our writers include those working in the tech industry in various countries including Korea, the U.S., Germany and Hong Kong,” Lim explained.
“They apply to write for techNeedle on the website, and are selected after a designated process. It would be hard for techNeedle to exist without the voluntary enthusiasm of our writers.”
Lim went on to explain how techNeedle differentiates itself from conventional media platforms. Firstly, there are no promotional articles. The platform is run on a donation system, and techNeedle writers deliver their interest area with insight. Next, the newsletter can be run in an agile way as there is no personnel management or rigid organizational structure. The platform is able to concentrate on the quickly changing nature of the IT industry, by saving time on website design or organizational structure. Lastly, techNeedle is immensely quick in its communication with readers. The editor-in-chief takes care of all external inquiries and responds to e-mails and Facebook messages.
Personally curated, efficient newsletters are continuing to grow in size and readership, even though their history is short. Most newsletter platforms are less than ten years old, but quickly gaining traction for their approachability. techNeedle will continue its growth following recent trends marked by heightened interest in the latest tech industry news.