Grid News
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Digital media |
| Founded | January 2022 |
| Fate | Acquired by The Messenger on March 22, 2023; website shut down March 27, 2023 |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
Key people | Mark Bauman (senior advisor), Laura McGann (executive editor) |
| Products | News website, podcast ("Bad Takes"), daily newsletter, weekly healthcare newsletter (Grid Health) |
| Owner | Media Investment Properties OpCo LLC |
Grid News, frequently referred to simply as Grid, was a digital media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. that commenced operations in January 2022. The company was initially overseen by Mark Bauman, who served as senior advisor, and Laura McGann, who held the position of executive editor. Among its productions was the podcast "Bad Takes," hosted by editors Matthew Yglesias and McGann, which focused on dissecting one flawed opinion each week.
The business entity behind Grid was Media Investment Properties OpCo LLC, a limited liability company registered in Delaware.
On March 22, 2023, the entirety of Grid—its brand and associated assets—was acquired by The Messenger, a news startup spearheaded by Jimmy Finkelstein, the former proprietor of The Hill. Subsequently, on March 27, 2023, Grid's website was shut down and visitors were redirected to the platform of The Messenger.
Overview
Grid News employed a "360" storytelling approach designed to deconstruct intricate narratives through multiple perspectives such as race, climate change, and misinformation. Articles were frequently co-authored by journalists specializing in different areas, emphasizing intersections with larger themes including the economy and healthcare. In addition to its primary news website, Grid distributed content via a daily newsletter launched alongside the company and introduced a weekly healthcare-focused newsletter named Grid Health in September 2022.
History
In February 2022, Grid conducted an investigation into the 2022 Canada convoy protests, which led the U.S. Oversight Committee to call on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg for action regarding the situation. In October 2022, Laura McGann received recognition as "Editor of the Year" from Adweek. On November 7, 2022, Mark Bauman resigned from his roles as president and CEO but continued contributing as an advisor. Later, on June 20, 2023, Digiday awarded Grid the title of Editorial Team of the Year during its Digital Awards ceremony.
Commercial Strategy
Grid developed its business model around engaging an audience exceeding two million monthly readers, including a politically diverse group of senior policymakers and influencers within Congress, the White House, and federal agencies.
Revenue streams primarily consisted of digital advertising, sponsorships for newsletters, advertisements within podcasts, and branded content collaborations. Prominent advertisers included Meta, GE, Amazon, Delta Air Lines, Business Roundtable, and PhRMA.
Funding
The launch of Grid News was supported by an initial investment of $10 million from International Media Investments alongside technology executive Brian Edelman. International Media Investments operates out of Abu Dhabi and is a division of the Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corporation—a privately held entity owned by UAE Deputy Prime Minister Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan—which also holds a minority interest in Euronews.
Team
For its launch phase, Grid retained public relations consultancy APCO Worldwide but assigned ongoing PR responsibilities to DKC News; by March 2023, APCO no longer maintained an active relationship with the company. John Defterios—a senior advisor at APCO and former CNN journalist—served on Grid's board along with journalists David Ensor, Madulika Sikka, Chris Isham, and diplomat Alberto Fernandez.
Key members of the founding team included Kay Steiger (previously Washington editor at Vox Media) and Tom Nagorski (former managing editor at ABC News). In August 2022, Leah Askarinam joined as senior editor after her tenure as a politics reporter at the New York Times.
Prior to her appointment as Vice President Kamala Harris's communications director, Jamal Simmons was paid $60,000 in consulting fees by Grid between August 2021 and January 2022 to help launch an online interview series.