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Funny or Die is tackling the news with the Wednesday launch of its newest content vertical.
Funny or Die News will feature daily editorial content about current events from the comedy website. The hub, which will be featured on the Funny or Die website and mobile app, is being overseen by editor-in-chief Dan Abramson, who leads editorial content and launched the Funny or Die digital magazine The Occasional. He will work with a team of four, led by news editor Nate Dern, out of New York.
“We’ve always done topical pieces,” Abramson tells The Hollywood Reporter. “But by having a new vertical and a new staff dedicated to news, we’re going to be really focused on having a lot more of them.”
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He points to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart as a model for how to combine covering the news with comedy. “You can be entertained while getting your news,” he adds. “This should be something that people can go to to stay informed but also get some really great comedy out of it.”
Initially, Funny or Die News will focus on blog posts that feature coverage of the day’s most important news, longer thoughtful pieces and columns from a roster of real and character-driven columnists. The site will include a blend of stories on a variety of topics, including politics, entertainment, science and sports.
Funny or Die videos that take on topical issues will also appear on the news hub. Abramson says his team has talked about adding video once the Funny or Die News becomes more established.
“When people stopped trusting the news years ago they turned to sources like The Daily Show and The Onion for their information,” added Funny or Die co-founder Adam McKay in a statement. “Now that they’ve become respectable sources it’s time for an even less respectable news outlet. We believe Funny Or Die can fill the void.”
Joining Abramson’s news team are The Onion Digital Studios veteran Matt Klinman, comedic writer John Howell Harris and YA novelist Melinda Taub.
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