SWM launches digital news platform, The Nightly

Seven West Media has launched The Nightly, its new national digital news platform that will bring premium, quality journalism to Australians – for free.

The Nightly is a digital weeknight newspaper, website and app. Its Editor-In-Chief is Anthony De Ceglie, who takes on the new role in addition to his position as Editor-In-Chief of West Australian Newspapers. Sarah-Jane Tasker, previously Business Editor of The West Australian, has been appointed Editor of The Nightly.

Seven West Media WA Chief Executive Officer, Maryna Fewster, said: “We are very pleased to introduce The Nightly, which has been created in response to a clear consumer need.

“People’s lives have never been busier, and their mornings have never been so chaotic. Your ‘me time’ is now at night. That’s when you can sit back or lie down and read the news to get ahead of the next day. The catchline for The Nightly says it perfectly: ‘Get in front of tomorrow, spend your night wisely’.”

De Ceglie said: “The Nightly will be the first choice for smart Australians to get ahead of the news. It’s the home of quality national journalism, giving people the stories they need to read and the information they need to know for free. No paywall, no clickbait – just commonsense ‘mainstream middle’ journalism backed by the power and resources of Seven West Media.”

The Nightly will focus on politics, policy, business and culture, with an editorial team that includes former Editor-In-Chief of The Australian, Christopher Dore, and experienced editors and journalists including Sarah Blake, Matthew Quagliotto, Kristin Shorten, Wenlei Ma and Ben McClellan.

Contributors will also include David Koch, Seven Network’s Mark Riley, Michael Usher and Gemma Acton, and sporting legends including AFL great Leigh Matthews and cricketing icons Justin Langer and Mitchell Johnson.

And, in an Australian first, every edition of The Nightly’s digital newspaper will feature two pages of content produced by editors of The New York Times International Report, a branded publication that features the best articles from The New York Times.

De Ceglie said: “The content licensing deal with The New York Times was a game-changer for Australians wanting a daily global outlook. The Nightly will also publish an additional selection of articles from The New York Times News Service.”

The Nightly also has access to other content licensed from The New York Times, plus content deals with The Economist and CNBC.

De Ceglie added: “We’ve built an amazing team of Australian reporters and contributors to launch The Nightly and we will keep adding more great voices.

“The Nightly’s philosophy is to inform our readers through quality journalism. We won’t be swamping them with one thousand stories in the hope that they might click on a few. We’re going to give them only the best and only the stories they need to read.”

Fewster said: “The response from advertisers has been very strong and we appreciate the great support we’ve received so far. Now we can’t wait to show everyone what we’ve been working on. We’re passionate about helping Australians get ahead of the news by spending their nights wisely – with The Nightly.”