The News Lens (TNL Media Group)

TNL Media Group, which now operates as TNL Mediagene, was established in 2013 by co-founders Joey Chung and Mario Yang with the aim of creating an independent, politically neutral digital news platform for Chinese-speaking readers. Chung, the CEO, brought a business background to the venture, having graduated from Harvard Business School and served as the president of Sanrio's China operations. Yang, the Chief Content Officer, provided the media expertise, with a history as a senior editor at Business Weekly in Taiwan and an editor at CNET Taiwan. They identified a gap in Taiwan's polarized media landscape and decided to launch a platform focused on diverse perspectives and in-depth analysis.

The company's core offering, The News Lens, provides content in multilingual editions—including Chinese, English, and Japanese—covering topics like politics, economics, and technology. Initially funded by the founders' savings, the group has since attracted high-profile investors like North Base Media, YouTube co-founder Steve Chen, and Twitch co-founder Kevin Lin. The business model has evolved significantly from its early reliance on advertising, which once constituted around 70-99% of its income. Recognizing the risks of a single revenue stream, TNL embarked on an aggressive expansion and diversification strategy around 2018. This involved acquiring a portfolio of vertical media brands covering technology (INSIDE), sports (Sports Vision), lifestyle (every little d), and food (iCook).

This strategic pivot transformed the company into a comprehensive media group. Its revenue is now diversified across three main pillars: media and branded content, technology and data services, and e-commerce and other services, with each contributing roughly one-third to the total. The technology division leverages AI-powered platforms for advertising, data analytics, and marketing services, turning its large reader base into a source of first-party data for targeted advertising and consumer insights. In May 2023, The News Lens merged with Mediagene, Japan's largest native digital media group, and was renamed TNL Mediagene. This merger expanded its reach to over 50 million monthly users and culminated in the company becoming publicly listed on the NASDAQ in December 2024.

Keywords: digital media, news platform, TNL Mediagene, Joey Chung, Mario Yang, Taiwanese media, financial news, data analytics, advertising technology, media acquisition, content licensing, pan-Asian media, Mandarin news, Japanese media, independent journalism, venture capital, martech, content commerce, AI-powered advertising, digital publishing