Newpress raises $12M and lands ex-60 Minutes boss Bill Owens
What's the deal? NewpressDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a startup that publishes video journalism from independent creators on YouTube and other platforms, has raised $12 million led by Emerson Collective. The company also said Bill Owens, the former executive producer of CBSDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →'s "60 Minutes," will join as executive producer on March 1, once his noncompete with CBS ends.
Why now? Owens left "60 Minutes" last year after clashing with CBS executives, telling colleagues that added layers of oversight had encroached on the show's independence. "Legacy media right now is worried about the politics in the country," he said. "They're worried about lobbies and sponsorships and advertisers."
What's the endgame? Founded in 2024 by Iz Harris and the journalist Johnny Harris, Newpress gives independent creators research, fact-checking, production, and business support typical of traditional newsrooms, and shares profits with them. It funds itself through ads and $5-a-month memberships, and the new money will go toward producing shows and expanding into newsletters and podcasting, said Harris, the chief executive.
The hire: Owens will recruit journalists and help conceive and edit stories, bringing established editorial credentials to a 20-person operation that already includes geopolitics specialist Max Fisher. Emerson Collective, founded by Laurene Powell Jobs and owner of The AtlanticDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, adds a prominent media backer to the round.
The signal: Newpress reflects a broader shift toward creator-led journalism, with a hybrid bet that pairs independent voices with newsroom-style infrastructure. The company's valuation is undisclosed and its expansion untested, leaving financial sustainability as the open question.
Read more: mediagazer.com
Image credit: NASA Goddard Photo and Video
