CNN is set to launch a digital news curation service to challenge Apple News+. The forthcoming service is internally known as NewsCo, The Information revealed.
CNN Take on Apple News+ and Facebook
The service is understood to be based on a mix of advertising and subscription funded content. CNN is in discussions with other media firms about aggregating their content. Andrew Greene, the man credited with much of the success of Spotify Stations, is overseeing the technology of NewsCo.
It is clear that CNN, an established player in the news business, does not want to be superseded by newcomers such as Facebook and Apple. The company said it will strive to be as politically neutral as possible as a way of differentiating its platform. “In the same way that entertainment companies don’t want to cede ground to the streaming platforms, why should we cede the ground of journalism to the technology platforms” Andrew Morse, CNN’s digital chief said.