Al Jazeera launches youth-skewed news

Al Jazeera has launched its new youth-focused news service AJ+ as a free app for iOS and Android mobile devices.

AJ+’s content is designed to be easily sharable on social networks and includes bite-size videos, topical polls and quizzes and links to additional relevant stories.

The service will also encourage users to engage and join in conversations on the app, as well share good quotes from stories on social media.

“AJ+ gives Al Jazeera the flexibility to innovate and grow and adjust in an era of rapid change in the news industry,” said Yaser Bishr, Al Jazeera Media Network’s executive director of strategy and development.

“AJ+ is topical, direct and tonally relevant to a younger audience that relies heavily on mobile consumption and their social streams. Storytelling in the 21st century has become a one-way medium compared to what it was: an engaging experience. AJ+ encourages millennials to engage in conversations, build communities and question everything they see and hear.”

Al Jazeera began soft-launching content for AJ+ online earlier this year. It said that AJ+ content will continue to be available on its dedicated YouTube channel and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.