# Columbia Journalism Review's Guide to Online News Startups

> reviews of US digital news outlets

**Wikidata**: [Q101246972](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q101246972)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/columbia-journalism-review-s-guide-to-online-news-startups

## Summary
The Columbia Journalism Review's Guide to Online News Startups is a database launched in 2010 to track and review digital news outlets in the United States. Published by the Columbia Journalism Review (CJR), it documents the rise of online news startups during a pivotal shift in journalism, providing detailed profiles and analyses of emerging media ventures. The guide serves as a resource for researchers, journalists, and industry observers to understand the evolving media landscape.

## Key Facts
- **Launched**: January 4, 2010, as recorded in its inaugural post.
- **Publisher**: Columbia Journalism Review, a leading media criticism and journalism education organization.
- **Format**: Functions as both a **website** and **database** (instance of: website, database).
- **OCLC Number**: 760311481, cataloged in the Online Computer Library Center system.
- **Focus**: Specializes in **news websites**, specifically reviewing US-based digital news startups.
- **Language**: Content is published in **English**.
- **Aliases**: Known as CJR’s Guide to Online News Startups, News Startups Guide, News Frontier Database (NFDB), and CJR News Startups Guide.
- **Geographic Scope**: Concentrates on the **United States** digital media ecosystem.
- **Website**: Hosted at [https://www.cjr.org/news_startups_guide](https://www.cjr.org/news_startups_guide).

## FAQs
- **When was the guide launched?**  
  The guide was launched on January 4, 2010, as part of CJR’s effort to map the emerging online news landscape.

- **What is its primary purpose?**  
  It aims to document, review, and contextualize US digital news startups, offering insights into their business models, editorial focus, and sustainability.

- **Who publishes the guide?**  
  The Columbia Journalism Review, a publication affiliated with Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, maintains the database.

- **Is the guide still active?**  
  While the inception date is 2010, the provided source material does not specify its current status or update frequency.

- **How is it accessible?**  
  The guide is available online at [https://www.cjr.org/news_startups_guide](https://www.cjr.org/news_startups_guide), with content in English.

- **What distinguishes it from similar projects?**  
  It is notable for its early and systematic tracking of digital news startups, backed by CJR’s journalistic credibility and academic affiliation.

## Why It Matters
The guide is significant as a pioneering effort to catalog and analyze the wave of online news ventures that emerged during the 2000s–2010s, a period marked by the decline of traditional print media and the rise of digital-first journalism. By providing standardized reviews and data on these startups, it offers a historical record of innovation and experimentation in journalism, highlighting successes, failures, and evolving industry standards. For scholars and practitioners, it serves as a lens to examine the challenges of sustainability, ethics, and audience engagement in digital media, making it a critical resource for understanding 21st-century journalism’s transformation.

## Notable For
- **First-of-its-kind database**: One of the earliest comprehensive efforts to map the US online news startup ecosystem.
- **Academic affiliation**: Benefits from CJR’s reputation as a trusted authority in journalism studies and criticism.
- **OCLC cataloging**: Assigned an OCLC number (760311481), integrating it into global library and research networks.
- **Focus on US innovation**: Provides a localized yet detailed view of digital media trends in the United States during a transformative period.

## Body

### History and Launch
The Columbia Journalism Review's Guide to Online News Startups was launched on **January 4, 2010**, as part of CJR’s "News Frontier" initiative. Its creation coincided with the rapid proliferation of digital news outlets following the 2008 financial crisis, which accelerated the decline of legacy media and spurred entrepreneurial journalism projects. The guide’s inception is documented in its welcome post, which framed the database as a response to the "chaotic" and "fast-moving" digital media environment.

### Structure and Content
- **Database Entries**: The guide profilesd individual news startups, analyzing their editorial missions, revenue models, and target audiences. Entries were structured to highlight key metrics such as launch dates, geographic focus, and funding sources.
- **Review Process**: While specific methodology details are not provided in the source material, the guide emphasized transparency and critical evaluation, reflecting CJR’s journalistic rigor.
- **Language and Accessibility**: All content is published in **English**, aligning with its focus on US-based startups and catering to an international audience of media scholars and professionals.

### Publisher and Affiliation
The guide is a project of the **Columbia Journalism Review**, a magazine and website founded in 1961 and based at Columbia University. CJR’s mission to critique and improve journalism practice lent credibility to the guide, positioning it as an authoritative voice amid the often-hype-driven discourse around digital media innovation.

### Recognition and Legacy
- **OCLC Number**: The guide’s assignment of an **OCLC number (760311481)** signals its integration into academic and library catalogs, enhancing its visibility for researchers.
- **Historical Significance**: As of the provided data, the guide remains a unique time capsule of early 2010s digital journalism, capturing the optimism and experimentation of the era. Its profiles of startups—some now defunct, others evolved into established outlets—offer valuable case studies for media historians.

### Related Entities and Context
- **Digital News Startups**: The guide’s subjects include hyperlocal news sites, nonprofit investigative outlets, and early experiments in crowdsourced or participatory journalism. Examples from the era might involve sites like *ProPublica* (2008) or *The Texas Tribune* (2009), though the source material does not specify which startups were included.
- **CJR’s Broader Work**: The guide complements CJR’s other resources, such as its media criticism articles and journalism education programs, reinforcing its role as a hub for industry reflection and innovation.

### Technical and Access Details
- **Website**: The guide is hosted on CJR’s domain at [https://www.cjr.org/news_startups_guide](https://www.cjr.org/news_startups_guide), reflecting its integration into the publication’s online presence.
- **Language**: English-language content ensures accessibility for global users, though the focus on US startups limits geographic scope.

### Limitations and Scope
The provided source material does not address the guide’s current status, update frequency, or criteria for inclusion/exclusion of startups. Its scope is explicitly US-centric, reflecting the media landscape of the 2010s, when many digital journalism innovations were concentrated in the United States.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.cjr.org/news_startups_guide/2010/01/welcome-to-the-news-frontier-database.php/)