Politics site PolicyMic’s editor-in-chief on how to appeal to millennials

When I met PolicyMic co-founder and CEO Chris Altchek a few years ago, he described the site as “Bleacher Report for politics,” so I’ve kept an eye on it ever since. The site focuses on news for the “millennial” generation, which is also B/R’s core audience, though unlike PolicyMic, we don’t state that as an explicit goal.

Altchek’s co-founder and editor-in-chief, Jake Horowitz published a post on the Knight Blog this week headlined PolicyMic offers lessons on delivering compelling news for millennials. It’s packed with smart ideas and good advice.

After dismissing some media stereotypes about millennials as lazy, spoiled and self-obsessed with stats about the generation’s levels of education and political engagement, Horowitz writes:

We started PolicyMic with a desire to empower young people to have smart conversations about important topics. We offer incisive news and analysis to an audience of millennials who are too often ignored and mischaracterized by other media outlets …

Gone are the days of cut-and-dried wire stories reprinted in newspapers around the country. To succeed in the crowded digital space, news outlets need to distinguish themselves with a distinct, consistent voice. A clear understanding of who your audience is, and how to talk to them, sets you apart from the many outlets cluttering readers’ social media feeds.

At PolicyMic, Horowitz writes, that means a “relentless” commitment to young people. “We propel conversations taking place on social media or offline among our peers.”

For a different organization focused on a different subject or audience, the commitment will be to something else. But relentless commitment to a core idea, to creating distinction between a site and “the many outlets cluttering readers’ social media feeds,” is key.

For PolicyMic, Horowitz writes, that means three things:

• Resist the temptation for empty calories

• It’s all about social and mobile
• Experiment: Pivot, shift and adapt strategy as needed

What is it for you?