Newser
American news aggregation website
title: "Newser" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["american-news-websites", "internet-properties-established-in-2007"] description: "American news aggregation website" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newser" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary American news aggregation website ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox website"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Newser, LLC |
| logo | [[Image:Newser black.png]] |
| logo_size | |
| logo_alt | Newser wordmark |
| collapsible | |
| screenshot_size | |
| company_type | Private |
| founded | |
| location | Chicago, Illinois |
| United States | |
| founder | Michael Wolff |
| president | Kate Seamons |
| CEO | Patrick Spain |
| key_people | Mike Kline, CTO |
| industry | News Publishing |
| employees | 15 |
| url | |
| programming_language | ASP.NET |
| website_type | News aggregation website |
| advertising | Yes |
| registration | Optional |
| language | English |
| launched | |
| current_status | Online |
| :: |
| name = Newser, LLC | logo = [[Image:Newser black.png]] | logo_size = | logo_alt = Newser wordmark | collapsible = | screenshot = | screenshot_size = | screenshot_alt = | caption = | company_type = Private | founded = | location = Chicago, Illinois United States | country = | country_of_origin = | locations = | area_served = | founder = Michael Wolff | chairman = | chairperson = | president = Kate Seamons | CEO = Patrick Spain | MD = | GM = | key_people = Mike Kline, CTO | industry = News Publishing | employees = 15 | url = | programming_language = ASP.NET | website_type = News aggregation website | advertising = Yes | registration = Optional | users = | language = English | launched = | current_status = Online | footnotes = Newser is an American news aggregation website. It was founded in 2007 by journalist/media pundit Michael Wolff and businessman Patrick Spain, the former CEO of HighBeam Research and Hoover's.
Newser's president and editor-in-chief is Kate Seamons, formerly of the Chicago Sun-Times, who joined the site in 2007 as managing editor. She was promoted when founding editor-in-chief Caroline Miller left the organization at the end of August 2010; Seamons became president in December 2012.
History
Newser launched in October 2007 at a party at New York's Waverly Inn and was lauded as "Drudge-like" and "innovative."
Newser's tagline, “Read Less, Know More” embodies the idea behind the site's creation. The website utilizes human-powered aggregation; its staff of editors and writers curate approximately 45 stories each day and present them in a two paragraph, multiple source format.
In February 2009, The New York Times threatened legal action against Newser for trademark infringement and posting a photograph without permission. Newser removed the photograph in question, calling its publication an editor's mistake.
In June 2009, Newser received $2.5 million in first-round funding, mainly from a collection of individual investors.
In April 2010, The Wrap's Sharon Waxman accused Newser of not providing sufficient links or credit to original sources.
Michael Wolff was named editorial director of AdweekMedia on October 4, 2010, a position he held for a year. Patrick Spain stepped down as CEO on October 18, 2010 but returned to the role in March 2012 following Newser CEO Elisabeth DeMarse’s move to TheStreet.
In 2011, Newser was in talks to purchase and merge with Salon.com, but the deal ultimately fell through.
Newser was hoaxed by Triumph the Insult Comic Dog during the 2016 presidential election. Newser was featured as a site that published a story about fake "Trump TV" auditions.
Features
User interaction is handled by several third-party widgets including ShareThis, AddThis, and the Disqus commenting widget.
"Newser by Users" was a feature from 2010 to 2012, which allowed users to write and upload stories directly to the Newser website without editorial review.
"Off The Grid" was an occasional Newser blog by founder Michael Wolff that was written between 2008 and 2010.
References
References
- "Newser | Built In Chicago".
- "Kate Seamons {{!}} Newser".
- (2007-10-31). "Newser.com Launch Party: "Somebody's going to reinvent the way people get news!"".
- Nicole, Kristen. (2 August 2007). "Newser Is A Human-Powered News Aggregator".
- "NYT threatens news aggregator over use of logo; Newser's reply: "I'll put a skull and crossbones in its place"".
- (2009-06-19). "Wolff's Newser.com gets $2.5M in first-round funding".
- (11 April 2010). "Michael Wolff To Sharon Waxman: "Man Up And Sue Us, Any Time"".
- (2011-10-17). "Michael Wolff Leaves Post at Adweek". [[The New York Times]].
- "Newser Appoints Elisabeth Demarse as CEO".
- Peters, Andrew Ross Sorkin and Jeremy W.. "Salon.com Merger Talks Collapse".
- (3 November 2016). "A Mysterious Conservative News Network is Looking for Hosts, Reporters, and More".
- (21 November 2016). "Trump TV Auditions Set Up By Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, Hulu Special Reveals".
- "Newser".
- "Michael Wolff Launches 'Newser By Users' Grid: 'Rupert Murdoch's Worst Nightmare'".
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