Social:Upworthy
Upworthy is a media brand that focuses on positive storytelling.[1]
It was started in March 2012 by Eli Pariser, the former executive director of MoveOn, and Peter Koechley, the former managing editor of The Onion. One of Facebook's co-founders, Chris Hughes, was an early investor. In 2017, the company was acquired by Good Worldwide. Between the two platforms, they reach 100 million people a month.[2][3][4][5]
History
Upworthy was launched in 2012 with a focus on aggregating positive content, which aligned with Facebook's algorithm.[1] Originally, Upworthy curators searched the internet for existing content to feature on the site.[6] Once selected as an option, curators brainstormed different headlines and shareable images for the content, and tested it with a small sample of Upworthy's visitors before sharing it on the site.[6]
The site popularized a clickbait style of two-phrase headlines.[7] The company simplifies issues that are controversial by nature, which are presented with from a politically liberal point of view.[8][9][10][11]
In June 2013, an article in Fast Company called Upworthy "the fastest growing media site of all time".[12][7] It had 8.7 million unique monthly visitors in the first six months,[13] and in November 2013, had a high of 87 million unique visitors in a single month.[14] In 2013, Facebook changed its algorithm, leading to a significant decline in readers from that platform.[1][6][7]
Upworthy fired one round of writers in 2015, and another in 2016, after an unionization effort by some of the staff. The union involved, the Writers Guild of America, East, has organized several online "viral" news publishers.[15]
In January 2017, Upworthy was acquired by media company GOOD Worldwide. The newsrooms of the two organizations would merge as part of the acquisition. About 20 staffers were laid off as part of the merger.[16]
In March 2020, Upworthy saw a 65% increase in Instagram followers and a 47% increased interest in positive content on-site page views as a result of increased interest in positive content during the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]
In January 2023, National Geographic Books bought Good People: Stories From the Best of Humanity from Upworthy, with a publication date of September 3, 2024.[17] The book is described as "a heartwarming collection of first-person tales that will provide comfort and inspiration to anyone who could use a little dose of joy right now". It was created by two senior Upworthy team members, Gabriel Reilich and Lucia Knell, and features 101 stories from Upworthy's audience.[18][17] The co-creators encouraged Upworthy followers to connect with the brand through questions on their posts, opening the door for organic and personal stories to be shared in the comment sections.[19] The book debuted on The New York Times nonfiction bestseller list on September 22, 2024, and remained on the list for two weeks.[20][21] The book is seen in the top 10 on Publishers Weekly Fall 2024 Adult Preview: Lifestyle and on The Washington Post's "5 feel-good books".[22][23]
See also
- Mashable
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Lorenz, Taylor (2020-04-14). "The News Is Making People Anxious. You'll Never Believe What They're Reading Instead.". https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/style/good-news-coronavirus.html.
- ↑ Carr, David (March 26, 2012), "New Site Wants to Make the Serious as Viral as the Shallow", The New York Times, http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/new-site-wants-to-make-the-serious-as-viral-as-the-shallow/, retrieved April 11, 2012
- ↑ Pilkington, Ed (March 26, 2012), "New media gurus launch Upworthy – their 'super-basic' internet start-up", The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/media/us-news-blog/2012/mar/26/upworthy-new-media-website-facebook-moveon, retrieved April 11, 2012
- ↑ Gannes, Liz (March 26, 2012), Viral With a Purpose? Upworthy Finds Serious Web Content Worth Sharing., AllThingsD, http://allthingsd.com/20120326/viral-with-a-purpose-upworthy-finds-serious-web-content-worth-sharing/, retrieved April 11, 2012
- ↑ "The woman behind Upworthy's viral explosion". http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news-and-opinion/cover-story/The-woman-behind-Upworthys-viral-explosion-241467451.html.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Sanders, Sam (2017-06-20). "Upworthy Was One Of The Hottest Sites Ever. You Won't Believe What Happened Next". https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/06/20/533529538/upworthy-was-one-of-the-hottest-sites-ever-you-wont-believe-what-happened-next.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Meyer, Robinson (8 December 2013). "Why Are Upworthy Headlines Suddenly Everywhere?". The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/12/why-are-upworthy-headlines-suddenly-everywhere/282048/.
- ↑ Kaufman, Leslie (14 October 2013), "Viral Content with a Liberal Bent", The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/14/business/media/upworthys-viral-content-with-a-liberal-bent-is-taking-off.html, retrieved March 12, 2014
- ↑ James Ball (16 March 2014). "Read this to find out how Upworthy's awful headlines changed the web". the Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/mar/16/upworthy-website-generation-y-awful-headlines.
- ↑ "Create Your Own Overly Emotional, Click-Baiting Headline With the Upworthy Generator". AdWeek. 20 November 2013. http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/create-your-own-overly-emotional-click-baiting-headline-upworthy-generator-153984.
- ↑ Christopher Zara (11 December 2013). "The Rise Of Clickbait Spoilers: Bloggers Expose What's Behind Upworthy's Histrionic Headlines". International Business Times. http://www.ibtimes.com/rise-clickbait-spoilers-bloggers-expose-whats-behind-upworthys-histrionic-headlines-1505972.
- ↑ "How Upworthy Used Emotional Data To Become The Fastest Growing Media Site of All Time". Fast Company. 7 June 2013. http://www.fastcompany.com/3012649/how-upworthy-used-emotional-data-to-become-the-fastest-growing-media-site-of-all-time.
- ↑ Lowenstein, Fiona. "Why you should pay attention to Upworthy measuring engagement in 'attention minutes'". https://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/upworthy_attention_minutes.php?_ga=2.64278442.442946450.1719264572-788878402.1719264566.
- ↑ Sanders, Sam (2017-06-17). "Upworthy Was One Of The Hottest Sites Ever. You Won't Believe What Happened Next". https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/06/20/533529538/upworthy-was-one-of-the-hottest-sites-ever-you-wont-believe-what-happened-next.
- ↑ "Report: Upworthy's Lefty Owners Scared Employees Out of Unionization". 10 August 2015. http://gawker.com/report-upworthys-lefty-owners-scared-employees-out-of-1723101414.
- ↑ Sutton, Kelsey (January 27, 2017). "Upworthy to merge with Good Worldwide, newsrooms to consolidate. About 20 staffers were laid off as part of the merger". Politico. https://www.politico.com/media/story/2017/01/upworthy-to-merge-with-good-worldwide-consolidating-newsrooms-004919.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Deahl, Rachel (2022-12-30). "Book Deals: Week of January 2, 2023". https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/book-deals/article/91200-book-deals-week-of-january-02-2023.html.
- ↑ Vermillion, Stephanie (2024-06-17). "How to Find and Share Positive Stories". https://www.adorama.com/alc/how-to-find-and-share-positive-stories/.
- ↑ Hunkins, Alain. "What Upworthy's New Book 'Good People' Teaches About Trust And Connection". https://www.forbes.com/sites/alainhunkins/2024/09/03/what-upworthys-new-book-good-people-teaches-about-trust-and-connection/.
- ↑ "Hardcover Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - Sept. 22, 2024 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2024/09/22/hardcover-nonfiction/.
- ↑ "Hardcover Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - Sept. 29, 2024 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2024/09/29/hardcover-nonfiction/.
- ↑ Grossman |, Miriam. "Fall 2024 Adult Preview: Lifestyle". https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/new-titles/adult-announcements/article/95294-fall-2024-adult-preview-lifestyle.html.
- ↑ Meloan, Becky (October 19, 2024). "5 feel-good books to provide a distraction from election stress". https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2024/10/29/books-election-season-distractions/.
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