As legacy media institutions look to shepherd in the next generation of readers, the challenge of reaching a younger, more diverse audience isn’t new.

Attention spans are shrinking, video feeds are growing, and journalists are feeling the truth of Darwin’s words that “it is not the strongest that survives, not the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”

At Boston Globe Media (BGM), we boast one of the oldest and largest daily newspapers in the United States: The Boston Globe, which has been in business for more than 153 years. We knew our journalism was valuable to a young, local audience, but we understood the vehicle had to evolve.

Since 2021, we’ve perfected a daily newsletter and social media channel called The B-Side, a weekday newsletter with social media channels on a mission to inform, connect, and entertain young Bostonians with local stories they both need and want to know — for free.

Thinking young

The original concept was birthed by a cross-functional team at one of our biannual Innovation Weeks, where employees have the opportunity to pitch ideas for the company.

Thanks to internal support and leadership investment in its implementation as a startup within the organisation, The B-Side has proven to be a real solution to authentically engage with a younger audience, serving as an example of innovation and collaboration across BGM.

For the newsletter, B-Side’s Gen Z and Millennial audience is at the centre of all editorial decisions. We poll every new reader on their interests, and the results are overwhelmingly focused on things to do, food, and local politics.

This allows our editorial mission to comfortably sit at the intersection of local news and lifestyle, covering everything from local elections to new restaurant openings, all packaged in the conversational voice of your informed friend.

The B-Side is a quick, five-minute read, and most of the featured news stories link back to the extensive coverage found in BGM brands, including The Boston Globe, Boston.com, Boston magazine, and STAT. 

As a result, we’re reaching a younger audience who might be reluctant to — or outright opposed to — buying a news subscription, providing them with essential updates from BGM journalists.

Getting social

But the newsletter is just half the story. As young audiences turn to social media for information, we knew we couldn’t authentically reach them without speaking their language.

“Edutainment” is the name of the game on B-Side’s Instagram and TikTok accounts, where we delight followers with memes and trending sounds that illustrate local news stories, with vertical videos that dive into feel-good features and things to do.

Humour, accessibility, and relatability have been B-Side’s guiding pillars in reaching new audiences, and the proof is in the pudding: two-thirds of B-Side’s 48,000 newsletter subscribers are under 34, and 85% are under 45. The newsletter averages a 60% open rate and nearly 8% click-through rate, showing deep engagement with readers. We have over 80,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok.

Most emblematic of B-Side’s reach: 90% of the audience accesses the newsletter via e-mail addresses that are new to the Globe. And now, we’re offering a premium membership for readers to access exclusive content, insider events, and local business discounts, plus a birthday shoutout in our newsletter!

We’ve found a successful way to provide the elusive Gen-Z audience with a sample of the feast of journalism from BGM that we hope will feed them for years to come.

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