7 Startups Changing Journalism and Publishing

Remember when everyone used to say, “There’s an app for that”? Lately, we should start saying, “There’s a day for that.” From National Cat Day to National Donut Day, calendars and social media feeds are filling up fast with honorary holidays. While we love cats and donuts (we’re human, after all), something we love even more is the way people and brands tell stories. So, since today happens to be National Storytelling Day, we found seven startups around the South who are reshaping journalism, publishing, and the way we tell stories in the modern world.

Founded in 2014 in Alexandria, VA, Shuffle is “your personal news dealer.” The app delivers relevant news stories in a daily “deck of cards,” sorted according to attributes like personal interest, location, and trending or breaking news. Feeling lucky? Check it out here.
Based in Washington, DC, OpenReporter is a map-based newswire that helps journalists discover real-time stories by searching a world map or a specific location. The map pulls data from Twitter and from the OpenReporter “Bulletin” of citizen-submitted news tips.
Wish the news sites you follow would only deliver key headlines that interest you? Winston-Salem startup Reportory is developing an “a la carte news” service that delivers a customizable, daily digest based on topic and keyword preferences.
Most of us want to know what’s happening in our own communities, but how do local journalists and small publishers get their stories in front of us amidst all the noise? DC-based Bloom has a “digital solution for local news,” using mapping and geographic delivery tools to improve local journalism online.
Also based in Washington, DC is Cont3nt – the “Ebay for breaking news.” Cont3nt is the first Platform-as-a-Service for media transactions, enabling brands, newsrooms, and freelance writers and photojournalists to buy and sell content in real-time. The platform also allows for social media sourcing, so newsrooms can access footage, photos, or stories from anywhere in the world.
So you’re not a journalist, but perhaps you’re interested in writing your first book? Charleston-based Bublish has a platform to help “authorpreneurs” write, promote, and sell their books. Features include “book bubbles” to promote excerpts during the writing process, reader engagement tracking, and social marketing.
“Storytelling on demand” is the core of Miami-based Jurnid, a publishing platform and marketplace for freelance journalism. Users select between two options: “I’m here for content” or “I’m here to freelance,” and buy or sell content ranging from blog articles and editorials to whitepapers and case studies.

Know of other storytelling startups? Tell us about them in the comments!