1440 Daily Digest

1440 Daily Digest is a popular email newsletter that aims to provide concise, unbiased news coverage to its subscribers. Founded in 2017 by Andrew Steigerwald and Tim Huelskamp, the newsletter has grown to over 4.2 million subscribers as of February 2025.

Content and Format

The newsletter is designed to be read in under five minutes, offering a broad overview of daily events across various topics including culture, science, sports, politics, and business. Each edition contains approximately 40 links to news stories, with content curated from over 100 sources. The format includes sections such as "Need to Know" for major headlines and "In the Know" for summaries of top stories in different categories.

Editorial Approach

1440 Daily Digest prides itself on delivering objective, fact-driven news without political bias. The newsletter employs human curation to ensure relevance and accuracy of content. Media Bias/Fact Check rates 1440 as "Least Biased" and "High" for factual reporting, noting minimal editorializing in their content.

Business Model

The newsletter is free for subscribers and generates revenue through native advertising and sponsorship slots. As of May 2024, the company reported $15 million in revenue with a team of just 15 staff members. Advertising spots in the Daily Digest newsletter can cost around $100,000 per day.

Strengths

1. Conciseness: The newsletter's brevity is appreciated by busy professionals seeking quick news updates.
2. Objectivity: Many readers value the newsletter's commitment to unbiased reporting.
3. Curation: The human-curated content helps filter out less important stories and focuses on key events.

Criticisms

1. Depth: Some critics argue that the newsletter's "inch deep and mile wide" approach may oversimplify complex issues.
2. Content selection: Questions have been raised about the importance and relevance of some included stories.
3. Transparency: There are concerns about the lack of clarity regarding the newsletter's editorial process and story selection criteria.

Recent Developments

In 2024, 1440 Media launched "Topics," a web-based extension of their newsletter that aims to provide more in-depth coverage on specific subjects. However, this feature has been criticized for its current disorganization and incomplete content.

While 1440 Daily Digest has gained popularity for its concise and allegedly unbiased approach to news delivery, it continues to face challenges in balancing brevity with depth and maintaining true objectivity in its reporting. As with any news source, readers are encouraged to critically evaluate the content and seek additional sources for a comprehensive understanding of current events.