In April, Newsy raised 1.5 million dollar in new funding to expand with its original programming as well as expanding overseas. The funds were used to grow the company’s editorial, marketing and sales team. This included implementing a new logo and rebranding their videos. View the video below to hear what Jim has to say about the latest funding.
In June, Newsy rolled out version 3.0 of it’s iPad app. The new iPad app also won the 2011 Appy Award for Best News App, beating out FlipBoard and CNN. How does the 3.0 version app differentiate itself from its competitors? Jim Spencer, President and CEO of Newsy, said it standouts in 2 ways. The first being that the app was designed specifically for the iPad so the navigation is intuitive and simple. The videos are clear and sharable. The second standout is that the app is the ONLY video news app that highlights the key differences in reporting news - further establishing Newsy’s position as an innovator in mobile video news. Check out Newsy's video highlighting their latest (and greatest) iPad app.
Newsy has pursued their first international endeavor with their partnership with Wikitree.co.kr - a curated-generated news site. It is also one of the fastest growing sites in South Korea. Every weekday, Wikitree is featuring a Newsy video with Korean subtitles on Wikitree’s Newsy page. Additionally, Newsy is producing videos in a range of foreign languages including Mandarin, Spanish & German. These videos have foreign language subtitles as well as native-speaking anchors.
Newsy was featured on apple.com’s Education Profile on Missouri’s School of Journalism. Missouri’s School of Journalism has long been thought of as the best journalism school in the nation and as a J-School requirement, students are actively required to work in their chosen field. As a result of Newsy’s partnership with the University, students have the opportunity to work in a digital newsroom and play a role in determining the future of digital news. With Apple, the Mac especially, being a “universal presence” in the curriculum, students are able to acquire the skills and tools that are needed to play an integral role in the creation, production and distribution of Newsy content.
