NowPublic Mainstream

After receiving a US $10.6 million windfall of venture capital financing in July 2007, NowPublic.com co-founder and CEO Leonard Brody boldly promised that in 18 months the participatory news site would be “by reach, the largest news agency in the world.” The small Vancouver start-up that began as an experiment in co-founder Michael Tippett’s garage, Brody continued, was “changing the news business.” Now, nearly halfway through Brody’s time frame for world domination, NowPublic has an estimated 100,000-plus contributing members in nearly 5,000 cities and is growing steadily. About a year before receiving the grant, it had about 13,000 members.

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However, NowPublic has been criticized for the type of news it is providing. Rather than offering in-depth coverage, most posts either feature reprinted articles from mainstream media sites or member editorials. But content is almost beside the point. NowPublic isn’t poised to replace traditional news outlets; rather, it represents an evolution in news gathering that is becoming one more weapon in the mainstream media’s arsenal. 

Ryerson Review of Journalism