Quartz – An introduction
A current key player in the business journalism sphere is Quartz, Atlantic Media’s business-focused, digital-only site. Founded on overcoming the very principles that cripple our grandfather’s Sunday ledgers, Quartz is setting the bar through its unique business model, approach to sustainability and exemplary content.
Launched in September of 2012, Quartz immediately established itself as a leader in the global business journalism community. Part of Quartz’s initial success directly stemmed from when it launched, and its intent while doing so. Following the tumultuous years of 2008 and 2009, the repercussions of the crashes were just subsiding. This relative upswing allowed Atlantic Media to establish this new venture, spearheaded by former Nieman Lab contributor Zachary Seward.
What makes it so special
Quartz has focused on branded content and high-quality advertising from its beginning, setting itself apart as revenue-focused beyond being strictly content-driven. This differentiated Quartz from other media startups because of the non-profit approach many others adopted. One could argue that Quartz emerged victorious, as some of those others floundered. Therefore, from the moment it came to be, Quartz’s background has shaped its future.
Similarly, Quartz’s business strategy is directly linked to its identity as a web-native outlet. It has not strayed from this identity or business strategy since it was launched. As briefly mentioned above, operating digitally first instantly eliminates some of the headaches that plague legacy print outlets on the business side. Gone are the yearnings for a page one headline, replaced by an insatiable need to innovate to remain on the top of your online game.
Furthermore, Quartz established substantial revenue streams that others are struggling to monetize. Quartz does not depend on crippling paywalls or subscription services to squeeze pennies out of readers, unlike the Wall Street Journal or the Financial Times. Not even its apps or niche newsletters require payment of any kind. Instead, Quartz relies on high-quality advertising and sponsored content to drive revenue, allowing them to operate globally.
Why it looks so darn good
Quartz, unlike legacy prints outlets, had the privilege of being born entirely online. It never went through the awkward transition phase of fitting formerly relevant pages into an online page. As stated above, the desire to be on page one is eliminated because the entire site is a sliding page one, until the reader interacts with a piece.
Additionally, all visual elements were designed for a digital-native or digital-fluent audience, relying heavily upon a scrolling timeline and tiled articles, coupled with punchy graphics and high-quality images. Gone are the days of rigid columns and consistent font across an entire outlet. Quartz’s ability to evolve, as it has already done significantly since its conception, is what makes it a dominant player in economic reporting.
Paige Smith 