The New York Times (NYT) is one of the biggest and the most trusted names when it comes to journalism. It is the second largest newspaper in the US and has years of history behind it, featuring the best of American journalists. The NYT has been keen on innovations over the years, and it looks like their eyes are now set on the blockchain technology for news publishing!
The New York Times now appears to be tapping on the latest innovations in technology, as a job listing on their website pointed out that they are looking forward to hire a person who can “design a blockchain-based Proof of Concept for news publishers.” The job title here was “Lead, Blockchain Exploration.”
The job description for this position reads that the candidate who gets selected would be required to work in the Research and Development division of the NYT. The person who gets selected would need to develop a vision statement - i.e. the problems that the NYT is focusing on, how blockchain is going to solve it and about what is (and what is not) going to happen in 2019.
Furthermore,the Blockchain Exploration Lead would also be responsible for the branding of this blockchain-based publishing effort, as well as developing a website for the same. The New York Times job vacancy also pointed out that the selected candidate would also be involved with the recruitment and selection process of the initial stakeholders, who would be from the world of news, academics and social media.
New York Times and Blockchain in Journalism
Interestingly, the New York Times has been quite supportive of the blockchain technology in the past. The company has published a number of stories about the technology. This includes one special project called “Demystifying the Blockchain”. Furthermore, New York Times’ Nathaniel Popper is a celebrated name in the blockchain/cryptocurrency ecosystem as he is the author of the book: “Digital Gold: Bitcoin and the Inside Story of the Misfits and Millionaires Trying to Reinvent Money.”
The idea of blockchain in journalism has been around for quite some time. Especially at a time when ‘fake news’ is one the rise and causing major outrage and polarizing the readers, there is a strong need of objectivity. Blockchain-verified facts can help add credibility to the news system. It will be interesting to see how New York Times attempts at making use of a blockchain-based news publishing platform.
Stay tuned with us for more stories and news updates from the world of cryptocurrencies and the blockchain technology!