In tablets generally and the iPad particularly, consumers have found a device conducive to reading news.
It’s no surprise then that a growing number of newsreading apps have appeared, from individual, branded apps such as the Wall Street Journal for iPad to independent apps such as Flipboard, Editions and Zite, which are designed for consuming content from a variety of sources.
The last of these was acquired by CNN Tuesday. In an emailed statement, CNN’s general manager of digital, KC Estenson, suggested that Zite will continue to work with a wide array of media partners and that its technology will also be leveraged “to help CNN’s websites and apps serve more personalized content, making our current digital services even better.”
Zite would continue to operate as an independent company on a day-to-day basis under existing CEO Mark Johnson, the statement said.
Still, we were left with many questions. Why Zite? Will it truly remain independent? Will the new subsidiary be free to strike partnerships with other media outlets? Will the algorithms be tweaked to feature CNN content more prominently?
These are some of the questions we posed to both Estenson and Johnson in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon, parts of which are transcribed below.
Q&A With KC Estenson, CNN & Mark Johnson, Zite
Why Zite?
Estenson: We saw in Zite a best-in-class product. It’s deeply loved by the people who have it, and we thought it would be a nice addition to our digital portfolio. Secondly, there’s great technology behind it. We’re seeing a lot of inteest in this space now, but these guys have been working on this for six years.
Johnson: The iPad is really well suited to reading. I think what’s interesting about Zite is that it brings you really interesting information you might not have otherwise read. It’s not just repackaging information.
We’re seeing Flipboard move into TV and film, while Pulse is getting into bookmarklets and extensions. Where is Zite going next?
Johnson: We still see a huge market in giving you the information most relevant to you. We’re focusing on content right now, news-type content. We really want to focus on giving people a great personalized iPad magazine.
Your competitors are striking partnerships with content publishers left and right. Are you doing the same?
Johnson: We’re certainly having a lot of conversations right now. We’re looking at ways to work with publishers to help them monetize and distribute their content. But we have nothing to announce right now.
Flipboard has recently begun displaying ads in its app. Are you planning on doing the same?
Johnson: We’re not going to rush the business model here. Part of the [attraction of] the deal was not to have unnatural pressure on Zite to deliver financially. The goal is to get a great product and the business model will follow. We can imagine a variety of ways this company can monetize itself.
And how do you plan on integrating Zite with CNN’s existing digital properties?
Estenson: Zite is going to stand alone as an independent operation. Mark will be running it in San Francisco. The development office is in Vancouver. The technology that powers Zite over time we will begin to leverage with CNN’s digital services, but it won’t be an overnight thing. But over the course of the next 18 months or so I can imagine a world where CNN starts to serve up more personally relevant content. That can help with CNN’s traffic recirculation and those sorts of things on the site. The important thing is that Zite stays.
Can we expect CNN’s content to feature more prominently on Zite in the future?
Johnson: Absolutely not. Our personalization algorithms look for most interesting content on the web, whether that comes from CNN or elsewhere. Our algorithms are completely agnostic.
Will Zite still be free to pursue partnerships with media companies beyond CNN?
Estenson: Yes. You’ll see them do a wide variety of deals. We have a lot of experience at CNN with content partnerships. The web is a really interconnected space, a lot of linking and crosslinking of articles. That same philosophy will be remixed and repurposed. You’ll see us help Zite with that in a variety of ways.
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