The joint venture gives users access to premium news outlets, vetted by experts, to create a trusted media platform free of fake news and misinformation, says Dow Jones. News sources available on the app include The Wall Street Journal, Reuters and Bloomberg.
The first curators to work with the app include Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO of Thrive Global, Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, Harvey L. Pitt, CEO of Kalorama and former SEC Chairman, and Edgar Bronfman Jr., Managing Partner at Accretive LLC. They will be joined by an array of marquee name journalists, business leaders, authors, educators, philanthropists, artists and politicians.
Posting to the app on a daily basis, curators - called “ProPickers” - will pick news to share with their followers, providing original commentary and analysis on each story.
Arianna Huffington said of the project: “In this digital age, more than at any other time in history, it is absolutely vital to know where our news and information is coming from. I am delighted to be part of this team and look forward to sharing my personal news picks.”
Ken Breen, CEO of NewsPicks, said: “Social media has revolutionized the way we share and access the news, but with so many sources of information, it can be hard to decipher what’s important, factual and trustworthy. NewsPicks fills a gap in the market for curation by peers and respected influencers. This will be a safe social activation, using truly premium content, to give voice to views of consequence.
“With ProPickers leading the curation of this app, we are not only providing trusted sources for our readers, but trying to encourage better engagement and thoughtfulness when it comes to daily news consumption.”
Users can follow individual publications, ProPickers and keywords, with the app creating a more curated and personalized news experience based on levels of use. NewsPicks also features a simple, customizable interface.
“The last year has shown that millions of people in the U.S. are prepared to invest in high quality journalism and stamp out fake news. By bringing NewsPicks from Japan to the world, we provide a new platform for smart people to share what they’re reading with other smart people. It’s about digitally driven, clever curation to help people consume and comment on the best content out there,” said William Lewis, CEO of Dow Jones and Publisher of The Wall Street Journal.
The app will be free to download at launch and is available on the App Store for iOS devices. An Android version will be released in the coming months.
Links / further reading: NewsPicks on the App Store
