By Phil Corso
While readers of the satirical news source The Onion may be tearing up with laughter, one Bayside native said he wanted to take that reading experience one step further.
Last Thursday night, 25-year-old Adam Gassman took to Manhattan to celebrate the launch party of newsmakeup.com, his own satirical news network with a twist. According to Gassman, News Makeup takes stories from a range of subjects, including politics, media, entertainment, sports and more and presents them in ways that leave readers both entertained but also informed and aware.
“We are a fact-based satire that walks that middle ground between real news and comedy,” Gassman said. “Hopefully, people will read our articles and think about an issue in ways they never have before, and maybe want to find out more.”
Though the news articles are written to make jokes out of real-life stories, Gassman said News Makeup strives to create a relevant political conversation through a nonpartisan voice that plays off what he called the absurdity that dominates American news media.
Gassman said he was unhappy with what was being discussed in mainstream news and wanted to find his own way to go after partisan media, which he said has become partly responsible for political polarization in the United States.
“While the primary goal of a comedy website is entertainment, newsmakeup.com is also dedicated to providing insightful assessments of political developments and promoting thoughtful discussion among its readers,” he said. “For this reason, newsmakeup.com generates stories that forces people to confront the disturbing realities of politics and culture.”
The site also features satirical blogs and recurring segments, Gassman said, including the “Weekly Fast Forward,” which reveals news stories one week before they happen.
As the site grows, Gassman said important political and social issues would be discussed through satirical, but fact-based, news stories that also include additional interactive videos and links so users could learn more about what they read.
“If we can do this, our other hope would be that businesses see this as a way to do a lot of good work with different charities and groups,” Gassman said.
Newsmakeup.com, based in Bayside, currently operates with about 14 writers Gassman hired from different parts of the country, Vice President Conor Biller and a small team handling the technology end. The writers, Gassman said, possess a healthy mix of both journalistic and comedic prowess with a passion for shedding light on the things mainstream media neglect.
“In starting this, we wanted to figure out a way to have a good time while going after partisan media and political hypocrisy while still informing people,” Gassman said. “This idea would be worthless without the people who have helped execute it and there is much more to come.”
Reach reporter Phil Corso by e-mail at pcorso@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4573.
