An understanding of current events cannot be two-dimensional. The way most news is delivered creates exactly that dynamic. The reader’s point of reference interacts with the delivered facts. Those facts then filter through the reader’s biases, presumptions, and context base to effectively reinforce what he already knew – that he was right. Yes, new information has come in, but the level of understanding has not changed.
Exposure to alternate perspectives is invaluable in a media source. Without this exposure, the breadth of understanding will always be limited to the pre-existing context of the reader. If the aim of a media source is to expand the understanding of its readers, to help them better understand their perspective and those of others, then publishing different points of view is fundamental.
The evolution of blogs, from eccentric personal diaries to influential and reliable news sources, has created the opportunity for a new genre of newspaper - one that can effectively expose its readers to myriad points of view while maintaining the highest editorial standards. The Issue aims to harness these perspectives in order to shed light on the news that affects us all. Our mission is ambitious, but we believe that even partial success will create a valuable resource.
Yet blogs and Citizen Media have become a powerful force in media today. 40% of online readers read blogs; Bloggers are breaking major news stories, covering stories staff reporters wouldn’t dare touch and even influencing the direction of the 2008 elections. And newspapers are petrified.
Why? Because among all of the junk, lie absolute gems.
Blogs are as diverse as the people who write them; but can be grouped into three broad categories that each provide a different perspective on news: experts, eye-witnesses and impassioned bloggers.
Whether it is Greg Mankiw (Bush economic advisor, Harvard professor and author of the most widely-used Econ 101 textbook) blogging about economics or Seth Godin (marketing guru) blogging about the constant evolution of marketing, or Jeff Jarvis (media maven) writing about the state of Media, blogs are filled with expert insight. They bypass the middleman, traditional journalists, and go straight to the experts. The blogosphere is filled top experts who directly convey their own thoughts to the reader.
Eye-witnesses shed as much insight as experts. Whether it be a student live-blogging from a school shooting, a protester recording the atrocities in Burma, a cancer patient documenting what it’s like to go through the medical system, a Kenyan shopkeeper describing what it feels like to see his country torn apart, or an astronaut blogging from the International Space Station, each person offers insight that you cannot get anywhere else.
Finally, there is little that people admire more in this world than passion. The passionate blogger is the person who gets home at the end of a long day's work and has the choice between watching an episode of 24 or reading a book, and instead decides to write about his life passion. Whether it be the beauty of the cardiovascular system or the art of coffee, it is rare to find the unadulterated passion that is so uniquely common in blogs. You just need to know where to look.
The Issue exists to harness all of this user-generated genius and funnel it into a daily newspaper. At the end of the day, we are selling the insight of our 70 million journalists. And it is here that we shine.
Search Engines like Google Blogsearch and Technorati, are great if you want to search for a topic. They aren’t good if you want to know what is good.
Aggregators and Algorithms approximate what is good by finding what is popular (e.g. inbound links). However, a popularity contest is not a quality contest.
Blog Portals like The Huffington Post and Pajamas Media, are limited to their roster of writers, not the millions of voices from across the blogosphere.
The editors at The Issue act as a human filter to the unregulated blogosphere, sifting through thousands of untamed blog posts to compile the genius of the wisest people into a simple, easy-to-read newspaper format. The Issue combines the first-rate editorial standards of a news daily with the perceptive observations of bloggers to form a fusion between the quality of your trusted newspaper and the unabashed insight of the best blogs.
This is not a trivial difference. None of the other resources cast the net wide enough nor filter with a discerning enough eye to capture the sharpest insight from the people who know the most. Without that, the blogosphere falls far short of its extraordinary potential.
A deep dive into a relevant topic that highlights three differing perspectives from three different sources. Articles are selected to reveal as many sides of an issue as possible. Updated Monday - Saturday.
Featured Stories
Because news is always being made. The stuff worth reading. Updated when needed.
Best of the Blogosphere
News by genre: U.S., World, Business, Science & Health, Arts & Leisure, and Musings. Updated Monday - Saturday.
Cartoons
To educate and entertain. One click, two cartoons. Updated Monday - Saturday.
The Darkroom
A picture is worth a thousand words. But two? We can't count that high.
Like everything else, we handpick our photoblogs. And here you can really
see the difference. Updated Monday - Saturday.
What Ever Happened To...
The “What Ever Happened To…” section revisits topics that have been covered and subsequently forgotten by the mainstream media. Old news is still news. Updated every weekend.
Book Alcove
Historical events to current events. Two books. Same topic. Complemented by a pair of related blogs to stimulate the discussion. Updated every weekend.
The Newsroom
Let’s work together. An open forum in which we construct the Issue of the
Day for the upcoming Weekend Edition of TheIssue.com. Discuss, debate,
contribute, and help create a better publication.
The Issue was founded in the spring of 2007.
Does The Issue have a political bias?
The only bias we have is for open-mindedness.
How do you choose your articles?
This depends on the section, but our editorial team handpicks articles that represent the best of the blogosphere. Selected articles are clearly written, intuitively organized, and have theses and make arguments that are supported with well-researched and salient points. No article selection is ever arbitrary or automated.
What does the newsletter include and when is it sent?
The newsletter includes a hyperlinked summary of the week’s featured Issues as well as weekly content from the Book Alcove and WEHT section.
Is The Issue compensated by any of the content providers it features?
Absolutely not. We make money (sort of) by incorporating advertisements on our site and through our book program with Amazon.com. We understand that the best way to put food on the table and achieve our mission is to provide the best content for our readers. To that end, we promise never to compromise quality or our readers’ trust for financial gain. Ever.
Are you hiring? Job inquires.
What we do takes a lot of time and expertise, so we’re always looking for more team members. However, our needs are constantly changing, so email us at info@theissue.com for up-to-date information.
Who did your graphic design? It’s awesome.
Our good friend Whitney Clark. He is as handsome as his design.
How old are you guys?
Combined, we are 143 years old.
How can I contribute?
There are plenty of ways to contribute. Visit our Contribute page for more information.
Where can I send gifts to show my love?
Awww, that’s sweet, but your continued readership is all the love we need. And spread the word.
Where do I email my questions?
Feel free to email questions, comments, rants, raves, and love letters to info@theissue.com. We want to hear from you.
