Newsreel

What Newsreel does

Newsreel (legally Newsreel Media Corp., a Delaware corporation) is a Brooklyn-based news platform founded in 2024 that distributes journalism from credentialed journalists and trusted creators through a mobile and web application. The core product is an ad-free, follower-based feed presented in chronological publish order with no algorithmic shuffle or engagement bait, augmented by gamification mechanics (streaks, XP, levels), interactive polls, and quizzes embedded in each story. Every contributor carries a verified profile showing photo, outlet, reporting history, and monthly readers, and the platform is positioned against a backdrop of record-low trust in news (37% globally per Reuters Institute 2026).

The business operates a hybrid go-to-market across three motion types: (1) a freemium consumer product distributed product-led via the iOS App Store, Google Play, and the web app; (2) a community-led Fellows program placing student ambassadors on college campuses; and (3) sales-led B2B distribution to schools and public libraries with annual subscription pricing scaled by population served (Small Library $1,000, Medium $2,500, Large $5,000, Metro/Consortium custom). Additional revenue comes from the Newsreel Academy, a selective <20%-acceptance summer internship for high school students priced at $550 per student, backed by American Public Media Group. Selected customers include Hoboken Public Library (6,000 stories read in three months with no promotion budget) and named contributors from TechCrunch, The Washington Post TikTok, and CBS Evening News. The company is privately held, appears bootstrapped with no disclosed institutional funding, and operates with 1–10 employees.

Name

Newsreel

Legal name

Newsreel Media Corp.

Website

https://newsreel.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Newsreel is a Brooklyn-based mobile news platform founded in 2024 that delivers ad-free, vetted journalism from credentialed journalists through a chronological, gamified app for Gen Z readers, with institutional subscriptions for schools and libraries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

News Aggregation Platform

NAICS

Information (51), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

News & Current Affairs Aggregators (MPACAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

News Streaming Platforms (MPACAAAF), News Agencies & Wire Services (General & Specialized) (MPAJADAE)

Keywords

• News aggregation platform
• Verified journalism app
• Media literacy education
• Digital news subscription
• Institutional news platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Subscriptions (Freemium): Free app for individual consumers. App is ad-free with optional premium features or institutional upgrades.
2. Educational Institution Subscriptions: Annual plans for schools, libraries, and academic programs. Flat pricing based on population served. Includes educator dashboard, full archive, and community features.
3. Newsreel Academy Tuition: Selective summer internship for high school students at $550 tuition per cohort.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Newsreel is a mobile-first news aggregation platform that condenses current events into short reels and summaries from credentialed journalists and verified creators. The app delivers an ad-free, chronological follower-based feed with interactive polls, quizzes, and gamification features (streaks, XP, levels), and is complemented by paid institutional offerings for schools and libraries plus a paid summer journalism internship program for high school students.

Product overview

Newsreel operates as a unified news platform with a core mobile/web app at its center, complemented by specialized institutional offerings and educational programs. The core Newsreel App delivers vetted journalism from credentialed journalists through an ad-free, follower-based feed with interactive quizzes and gamified streaks. Supporting products include The Daily Stack newsletter (daily briefing with quiz/poll), Newsreel Classroom (educator dashboard for schools), and Newsreel for Libraries (patron engagement with community leaderboard). The company's educational extensions—Newsreel Academy (high school summer internship) and Newsreel Fellows (college semester program)—develop the next generation of journalists. The Contributor Portal enables journalists to publish directly to the platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Newsreel App Mobile and web news app delivering vetted journalism from credentialed journalists and trusted creators through a chronological follower-based feed with interactive quizzes, polls, and gamified streaks. Ad-free, non-algorithmic platform for individual news consumers.
• The Daily Stack Newsletter Free daily morning newsletter delivering the day's most important stories with an embedded quiz and poll to test reader engagement and perspective.
• Newsreel Classroom Premium institutional offering for schools and teachers featuring an educator dashboard, full news archive access, and community features for classroom instruction in media literacy and current events.
• Newsreel for Libraries Library-specific tier providing full app access, a real-time community leaderboard tracking patron engagement, and ad-free nonpartisan content. Pricing scales by population served from $1,000 to $5,000+ annually.
• Newsreel Academy Selective 2-3 week virtual summer journalism internship for high school students at $550 tuition per cohort. Includes reporting, OSINT, video editing, and business of journalism training, with published bylines and certificate of completion. Backed by American Public Media Group.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6,000 stories read by patrons at a single library in 3 months with no promotion budget
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Public Media GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBacks Newsreel Academy as the parent organization of the working newsroom. Strategic partnership providing editorial credibility and institutional support for the summer internship program.
• Brooklyn BreweryminorOthersVenue partner for The Feed is Cooked launch event on May 11, 2026. Hosted panel discussion and networking for journalists, creators, and industry stakeholders.
• Morning BrewminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeature sponsor of the launch event. Co-marketing opportunity aligning two digital media brands targeting young professionals.
• SubtextminorGTM or Marketing PartnerByline sponsor of the launch event. SMS/text messaging platform partnership.
• BallotpediaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity sponsor of the launch event. Nonpartisan political encyclopedia providing civic information.
• Lenfest InstituteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity sponsor. Nonprofit focused on sustainable local journalism.
• LION PublishersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity sponsor. Association of independent online news publishers.
• RJI (Reymond Judkins Associates)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity sponsor. Reynolds Journalism Institute at University of Missouri.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Substack: Subscription platform enabling journalists and writers to publish directly to paying readers. Comparable on the journalist-supply side as Newsreel's 50% revenue share and direct-publish model competes with Substack for credentialed creators.
• Ground News: Subscription-based news aggregation platform that emphasizes bias transparency and trusted sourcing. Closely comparable to Newsreel's trust-first, anti-algorithm positioning targeting readers who want credible news without mainstream media noise.
• 1440: Free daily newsletter summarizing the most important news in a brief, digestible format. Comparable as a neutral, nonpartisan news digest product competing for daily readership.
• Flipboard: Social magazine and news aggregation app with personalized feeds and curated content from publishers. Comparable as a mobile-first news curation platform with magazine-style presentation for engaged readers.
• Morning Brew: Free daily business and news newsletter for young professionals, with quizzes and polls embedded. Highly comparable to Newsreel's Daily Stack newsletter format and Gen Z/young millennial audience; co-marketing partner of Newsreel at the launch event.
• The Skimm: Daily newsletter and media brand targeting millennial and Gen Z women with simplified news digests. Comparable in audience (young news-avoidant readers), format (digest/summary), and trust-based value proposition.
• SmartNews: Mobile news aggregator that curates stories from publishers using machine learning, distributing via a freemium app model. Comparable as a mobile-first news aggregation consumer product competing for similar reader attention.

Broad incumbents

• The New York Times: Established national newspaper with a large digital subscription business and mobile app. Comparable as a trusted news source with verified journalists, but a broad incumbent competing in the same reader wallet for paid digital news subscriptions.
• Apple News: Apple's default news aggregation app pre-installed on iOS devices. Comparable as a curated news consumption experience with publisher partnerships, but a broad incumbent with massive distribution advantage.

Emerging players

• Semafor: Newer digital news startup focused on transparent, global news for a next-generation audience. Comparable as an emerging news brand targeting similar trust-and-clarity values with a direct reader-relationship model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/newsreel
• Instagraminstagram.com/newsreel.co
• TikToktiktok.com/@newsreel.co
• Facebookfacebook.com/newsreelmediaco

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Newsreel