The British newspaper the Guardian announced Tuesday it's launching an open platform designed to offer third parties free access to its content and data, in exchange for carrying the publication's advertising.
With the platform, the Guardian aims to ease the process for third-party developers to design applications and services using free Guardian articles, videos, photo galleries, and other content.
One partner, for example, has developed a service to encourage Guardian readers to geotag all of the publication's content, with the goal of making it easier for readers to find news, video, and other related information in their area.
The Guardian is also offering a free data service to third parties, allowing them to use the publication's statistics and data for use on their own Web sites.
In exchange for the free content and data, users would be required to carry Guardian advertising.
Newspapers and magazines have seen a pullback in advertising revenue over the years, as readership has dropped. Advertising rates are tied to circulation levels, which reflect the number of readers who subscribe to a publication.
The recession has compounded the problem for the newspaper and magazine industry, which has seen an acceleration in the rate of decline for advertising revenue.
ContentNext Media, which operates PaidContent.org, announced Friday that it was acquired by Guardian News & Media (GNM), in a move to bolster the parent company of Guardian's B2B division and give it a U.S. presence.
(Credit:
PaidContent.org)
Under the deal, PaidContent.org will become part of the Guardian Professional group division of GNM's parent company, Guardian Media Group. ContentNext, which sells news and analysis to media, entertainment, and technology executives, will remain a standalone business as part of GNM.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
According to a PaidContent.org blog, the company was planning another funding round when Guardian approached the company about a merger.
All the pegs fit into the right holes: a company that will help us scale, add to our existing portfolio of products, and most importantly, help keep "Our Essence of Being" intact. For our team, the biggest consideration was working with a media company known for its journalistic integrity, its long-term view of the businesses - and its international outlook in editorial coverage as a business..
PaidContent.org hints that further expansion and a "deepening" of its activities are on the horizon.
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