New San Francisco media outlet aims to publish “really weird sh*t”

San Francisco is getting a brand new on-line publication devoted to overlaying town’s “bizarre, unconventional spirit,” and serving up content material “you really would not see wherever in any other case,” founder and editor-in-chief Matt Charnock instructed Axios this week.

What’s taking place: Launching Thursday, Underscore will cowl subjects starting from the influence of local weather change on the Bay Space to San Francisco’s LGBTQ tradition. Hyperlocal information, restaurant critiques and private essays will probably be included as nicely.

• Charnock goals to put up round 10 unique items every week, some he’ll write himself and different work will come from contributors, who he hopes to pay “above market charge.”
• Underscore will even ship e mail newsletters on Wednesdays and Fridays.

What they’re saying: “I simply need to rejoice voices and provides folks a spot to publish actually bizarre s**t,” Charnock mentioned. “Like bizarre s**t that’s actually good — nicely researched and nicely written.”

The intrigue: The debut of Underscore_SF comes sooner or later after Charnock introduced he was stepping away from his function as editor-in-chief of The Daring Italic, a digital “journal” based in 2009 that grew to become a hub for off-beat, zany protection of town, particularly through the tech growth of the early 2010s.

• Medium acquired The Daring Italic in 2019, although Charnock, who was not a full-time worker, mentioned that for the previous 12 months, he was the one particular person operating its day-to-day operations.
• Medium CEO Tony Stubblebine instructed Axios on Wednesday that The Daring Italic will “proceed as an outlet,” and the corporate will quickly announce “a brand new plan for its future.”

What’s subsequent: Charnock mentioned that success for his upstart publication will probably be to grow to be “a family title” in San Francisco and “financially steady.”

• On the enterprise facet, to start out, he plans to run advertisements on his web site, and have native firms pay for sponsored content material.
• He additionally launched an Indiegogo marketing campaign on Thursday to lift funds for Underscore’s early contributors.

“As a author, it is at all times meant loads to me when folks publish one thing that I am actually happy with,” Charnock mentioned. “I’ve at all times needed to construct a media firm that gives that for different folks.”