beehiiv is investing millions on a hunch that newsletters are the next newsrooms

The newsletter platform beehiiv is appealing to journalists with a program that addresses their basic needs. The brand-new beehiiv Media Collective is a coalition of writers who will share their thoughts through beehiiv’s platform in exchange for benefits like health insurance and legal support.

beehiiv, founded in 2021, is one of several newsletter platforms providing an outlet for independent journalists and reporters. Like its competitor Substack, beehiiv has recruited writers who want to operate outside of the traditional ecosystem. With the hire of Twitter vet Katherine Rundell at the start of 2024, beehiiv has talked directly to creators who want to talk directly to fans, subscribers, and assorted readers. (Note: Tubefilter‘s daily newsletter is one of more than 20,000 active publications powered by beehiiv.)

Now that beehiiv has equipped itself with $33 million of venture capital, it is ramping up its outreach to disaffected journalists. CNN vet Oliver Darcy, Emmy winner Catherine Herridge, and Garbage Day author Ryan Broderick are three of the notable names who have brought their reportage to beehiiv — and they’re forming the vanguard for the platform’s new Media Collective.

Leaving legacy media in the dust and going indie is noble in theory, but taxing in reality. The beehiiv Media Collective looks to ease that transition by providing members with numerous perks, including health insurance, legal services (including up to $1 million in errors and omissions coverage), access to editorial and accounting tools, and on-platform support from dedicated account managers.

For working journalists, that sizable investment does more than just keep the lights on. It also helps them compete for attention in a news landscape that is moving away from traditional channels and toward the creator economy. Creators who move into news coverage have a lot of resources at their disposal, with more on the way. The beehiiv Media Collective levels the playing field to help out journalists who feel boxed in by the rising influencer-reporter class.

The next four years will provide beehiiv writers with plenty of news to unpack. By the time the 2028 election rolls around, digital media platforms will be firmly entrenched as go-to news hubs, and the indie journalists who become newsletter authors will be right there to report on all the hubbub.