News startups have taken on a notable role in the journalism industry. These new organizations are often backed by large investors, venture capital, and technology entrepreneurs. A newly published study by Matt Carlson and Nikki Usher examines 10 news startups by focusing on the manifestos the organizations offer when they introduce themselves to the public.

These texts provide examples of metajournalistic discourse in which the organizations’ founders work to shape how their sites are understood. Carlson and Usher argue that this is “an interpretive act with ramifications for the formation of shared meanings of journalism and the emergent practices that will shape the news for years to come.”

This article is published online by Digital Journalism and it is available here. (abstract public)

Picture: 16/365²: Sin ideas by Andrés Nieto Porras Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0