My obsession with Quartz continues. Thanks to Phil for pointing at this MondayNote analysis (the first in a two-parter) into their more 'digitally native' editorial practices. Quartz is interesting as an examplar of what the piece calls "the emergence of a new breed of smaller, digital-only outlets that are closing the gap, quality-wise, with legacy media".
It is showing rapid growth. It utilises a distinctly mobile friendly infinite scroll flow of stories. It seems to be unencumbered with the need to change legacy structures, processes and behaviours. It has a lean staff of 50, including 25 journalists and editors. Instead of siloed functions and responsbilities, the journalists are empowered to produce the complete article package including selecting the picture (a process which apparently often leads to better audience numbers), ready to be processed by editors. Using a WordPress interface gives familiarity, functionality and flexibility. Team chats help decide headlines. A bespoke, easy to use tool encourages improved use of graphics and charts. Its software lives in the open-source world.
Instead of a heavy reliance on a home page as signposting and traffic, the infinite scroll of articles provide a stream of highly shareable entry points. Assets like the daily email become its distributed equivalent. Editor-in-chief Kevin Delaney says:
“We wanted to minimize friction and encourage readers to share our stories. We designed the site first for tablets, then for mobile and as a classic website, in that order".
It seems to be working. Delaney says that 85% to 90% of their traffic is 'earned' and social referrals account for around 50% of the site’s traffic.
Lots to admire, lots to like.
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