Via the (sometimes spotty) Journalism Enterprise: French craft journalism* mag XXI makes money

For Beccaria and Saint-Exupéry, journalism in its current form aims at providing fodder for the next morning coffee-machine chatter. As the news cycle gains speed, articles are increasingly lost in a flow of information. Journalists tell bits of a broader story, putting readers at a loss if they haven’t read the last ten day’s newspapers.

Emotion has all but deserted the news landscape, Beccaria adds. Newspapers don’t know whom to address and fail at connecting with people’s lives. With his experience at publishing books, Beccaria knows how to touch readers so they feel personally affected. XXI typically features 10-page articles centered on a story, as opposed to an event.

With a $21 price tag, XXI makes its brand of journalism a premium product, but maintains the “Hey, you read that thing in the papers” infectiousness. I’m sure the writing is pretty damn good too.

With newspapers experiencing serial “OH NOES” moments and favorable views toward the format in key demographics, could the news magazine be a profitable product? What’s interesting is whether it will work as a social status marker.

* Craft journalism … sort of like craft brewing, but with news. Coined it. Dibs.