
Appealing to a
younger demographic, MSNBC has recruited social-leaning news start-up Vocativ to produce some edgier, more provocative fare. The Vocativ-produced stories will cover a range of topics from around the
world, and initially appear on MSNBC’s “Ronan Farrow Daily” and
msnbc.com.
Vocativ content -- which analysts have likened to that put out
by VICE Media -- will also appear on other NBCU News Group digital platforms.
Less than a year old, Vocativ’s editorial efforts are guided by its analysis of the “deep
Web” -- or the information that search engines fail to find -- according to Mati Kochavi, the startup’s founder.
“Our proprietary technology lets us identify and
analyze open data signals that are lost in the vast sea of digital information,” Kochavi stated.
While in beta, Vocativ broke a number of important stories, including its report
on assault rifle giveaways on Facebook, which led to a change in policy at the social network; some of the first reporting on the evidence of chemical weapons attacks in Syria; and a series of
interviews with Syrian Electronic Army hackers.
The deal is part of a broader effort by NBCUniversal News Group -- which includes NBC News, MSNBC, and CNBC -- to connect with new and
young audiences.
The News Group also recently announced strategic collaborations with Revere Digital and its new Re/Code property, and NowThis News.
Launched last
October, Vocativ already boasts a staff of more than 50 analysts, engineers and journalists.
Just happy not to see a news crawl...