The News Lens (TNL) is an independent digital media based in Taiwan,[1] founded by Joey Chung and Mario Yang in 2013, with multilingual versions in Chinese, English and Japanese.[2] Since 2017, it has maintained content partnerships with other outlets such as Time and Fortune.[3] Article categories include politics, economics, technology, society, and more.
| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Online |
| Founder(s) | Joey Chung and Mario Yang |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Political alignment | Independent |
| Headquarters | Taipei, Taiwan |
| Website | www |
| The News Lens | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 關鍵評論網 | ||||||
| |||||||
As of 2018, The News Lens had significantly fewer readers in Taiwan than the top local outlets like Apple Daily, Sanlih, or Dongsen, which led it to expand its readership to reach other places such as Hong Kong, the United States and Southeast Asia.[4][5]
By July 2020, following a series of acquisitions, TNL Media Group successfully expanded into data analytics and advertising technology fields.[6] In 2022, it was featured by Harvard Business School as a Case Study for Leadership & Managing People.[7] It has become one of the fastest-growing digital content and technology companies in the global Mandarin market. In May 2023, it acquired Mediagene, Japan's largest native digital media group, marking the first instance of a Taiwanese media company acquiring a foreign media entity. The following month, it announced its new company name as TNL Mediagene and declared its intention to list on the NASDAQ in the United States in 2024.
Investment
editTNL Media Group has completed its series D financing.[8] The existing high-profile investors include North Base Media, a firm created by Marcus Brauchli and Sasa Vucinic;[9] 500 Startups; Palm Drive Capital;[10] YouTube co-founder Steve Chen; and Twitch co-founder Kevin Lin.[11]
Staff
editThe principal staff members are:
Co-founder/CEO: Joey Chung (鍾子偉), former president of Sanrio in China.[12]
Co-founder/CCO: Mario Yang (楊士範), former editor-in-chief of CNET Taiwan; senior editor of Business Weekly (Taiwan).[13]
Director: Marcus Brauchli, former executive editor of The Washington Post; former managing editor of The Wall Street Journal.[14]
Advisory Director: Saša Vučinić, co-founder and former CEO and managing director of the Media Development Loan Fund.[15]
Awards and recognition
edit- In 2015, received a World Young Readers Award issued by WAN-IFRA.[16]
- In 2017, received the Bronze Award for Best Life, Sports or Entertainment Website, issued by WAN-IFRA's Asian Digital Media Awards.[17]
- In 2017, received Excellence in Data Analytics, issued by Asia-Pacific Biggies Awards.[18]
- In 2020, was awarded funding from Google News Initiative for the GNI Innovation Challenges in the Asia Pacific region.[19]
- In 2021, received the Gold Award for Best Data Visualisation, issued by WAN-IFRA's Digital Media Awards.[20]
- In 2022, was ranked #405 in a list compiled by Financial Times and Statista of Asia-Pacific's Top 500 High-Growth Companies.[21]
- In 2022, received Excellence in Audio Reporting Award, Excellence in Journalistic Innovation Honorable Mention and Excellence in Infographics Honorable Mention, issued by SOPA Award.[22]
References
edit- ^ "Tech in Asia - Connecting Asia's startup ecosystem". www.techinasia.com. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
- ^ 關鍵評論網 (2022-03-14). "關鍵評論網拓展日本據點 「The News Lens Japan」日文版正式上線". Cool3c. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
- ^ Kevin McSpadden (2017-03-22). "Taiwanese news portal The News Lens raises Series B, plans to diversify content channels". Yahoo! News. Singapore: e27.co. Archived from the original on 2023-01-23.
- ^ ALAN SOON (March 16, 2018). "The News Lens in Taiwan is doing what media startups in the region hesitate to do — acquiring other sites". Nieman Lab.
- ^ JANE RICKARDS (2016-03-25). "Taiwan's Changing Media Landscape". American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
- ^ Shu, Catherine (2020-07-29). "Taiwan-based TNL Media Group raises $8 million to build its publishing and data analytics businesses". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
- ^ Laura Huang and Katie LaMattina (April 7, 2022). "TNL Media Group". Harvard Business Review.
- ^ Shu, Catherine (2013-12-27). "With Angel Funding From Top Media Veterans, The News Lens Wants To Reshape Journalism In Taiwan". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
- ^ Sainul. "Taiwan's TNL Media Group ropes in Tim Draper as investor". e27. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
- ^ "Taiwanese Media House TNL Media Group Picks Up US$8M Series D - Jumpstart Magazine". 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
- ^ Juliet Shwe Gaung (June 24, 2018). "YouTube, Twitch co-founders back Taiwanese online media startup The News Lens". DealStreetAsia. Archived from the original on June 24, 2018.
- ^ Josh Horwitz (15 October 2013). "The News Lens, a Taiwanese media startup, wants to move the island away from gutter journalism". Tech in Asia.
- ^ Tatler Asia. "Mario Yang". Tatler. Retrieved 2023-01-08.
- ^ Josh Horwitz (2013-12-11). "The News Lens, the startup that wants to disrupt traditional media in Asia, just received its first round of funding". Tech in Asia. Retrieved 2023-01-08.
- ^ Shu, Catherine (2013-12-27). "With Angel Funding From Top Media Veterans, The News Lens Wants To Reshape Journalism In Taiwan". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2023-01-08.
- ^ Staff, WAN-IFRA (2015-07-21). "World Young Reader Prizes: 5 takeaways from winning newsrooms". WAN-IFRA. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
- ^ "Asian Digital Media Awards 2017". WAN-IFRA. Archived from the original on July 2, 2022.
- ^ "BIGGIES Awards | Big Data for Media Conference". Big Data for Media. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
- ^ "Selected Projects". Google News Initiative. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
- ^ "Asian Digital Media Awards 2021". WAN-IFRA. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022.
- ^ "FT ranking: Asia-Pacific High-Growth Companies 2022". Financial Times. 2022-03-17. Rank #405. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
- ^ "Awards Finalists". SOPAwards. Retrieved 2022-09-08.