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| Industry | Digital media |
|---|---|
| Founded | December 2013; 11 years ago (December 2013) |
| Founder | Jessica Lessin |
| Headquarters | San Francisco |
Number of employees | 60[1] |
| Website | www |
The Information, legally theLessin Media Company, is an Americantechnology industry–focused business publication headquartered inSan Francisco. Founded in 2013 by journalistJessica Lessin,[2] the publication publishes content behind apaywall that allows subscribers access to the site and access to global networking events.[2][3] Lessin has stated that she aims to "build the nextWall Street Journal over the next 50 years" with the publication.[4]
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Jessica Lessin, a former reporter forThe Wall Street Journal, foundedThe Information as asubscription-based news website marketed to technology-sector executives in December 2013.[5][6][7] She hired reporterEric Newcomer as its first employee in 2014.[8] Lessin later formed an advisory board which included venture capitalistJohn Doerr,Politico co-founderJim VandeHei, andProPublica executive chairmanPaul Steiger.[9]
Lessin has stated that she wantsThe Information to eventually reach the point where it is spending more than eitherThe Wall Street Journal orThe New York Times, and stated "Our ambition isn't to build a subscription business — our goal is to build the most impactful news organization for the next century".[10]
In February 2020, the company announced a partnership withBloomberg Media, enabling customers to purchase a year-long joint bundle.[11] TheFinancial Times reported in November 2021 that the publication has 225,000 "users", a figure that includes subscribers and individuals who have signed up for newsletters.[12] As of 2022, the publication has 45,000 paid subscribers.[4]
In 2023, the publication launched a new subscription service for charts, proprietary data, and reader surveys. The service is geared towardsC-suite professionals, costing $999 annually.[13]
In addition to owningThe Information, Lessin Media has invested in other media companies includingSemafor andThe Ankler.[14]
Basic subscriptions forThe Information provide readers access to both the publication as well as worldwide networking events.[2][3] In October 2016, it was announced that a student edition and Investor level would be added to the subscription levels. An Investor subscription includes private monthly conference calls and in-person briefings with the reporting team.[15][16]
In July 2022, it was reported that Lessin intends forThe Information to launch a social networking service for subscribers, stating that platforms likeFacebook andLinkedIn have grown too large to be able to curate strong connections.[12]
In addition to its San Francisco headquarters, the company operates an Asia bureau headed byShai Oster inHong Kong.[17] The company held an international networking event 2016 inBeijing, where annual subscribers met with leaders from Asian companies such as electronics companyXiaomi, venture capital firmShunwei Capital, and investment management firmHillhouse Capital Group.[2][18]
The publication focuses on in-depth, data-driven analysis and exclusive investigative stories.Forbes reported that stories reported inThe Information led to the site contributing to over $97 billion worth of brokered industry deals since its founding.[3]
In April 2017,The Information announced the launch of Briefing, a new feature to the site consisting of a list of daily headlines with commentary on articles from other news sources.[19][20] In December 2019, the company launched 'The Tech Top 10', a basic, consumer-focused offering.[21] In 2021, the company launchedThe Electric, its first standalone subscription publication, which focuses onelectric vehicle news.[12] Lessin has indicated thatThe Information plans to expand its coverage into financial news, and that one third of the publication's reader base work infinancial services.[4]
Vanity Fair includedThe Information on its 2014 New Establishment list.[5]The New York Times reported in 2020 that "The Information’s reporters have become known in Silicon Valley for sniffing out the industry’s misdeeds and tweaking its powerful" and that theFinancial Times had expressed interest "in a possible takeover," but also noted close ties to leaders in the tech industry, which publication covers.[22]