Publish2 raises $2.75 million to build social network for newsrooms

Publish2, an online news aggregation service for journalists, said Monday that it raised $2.75 million in a series A round of financing from Velocity Interactive Group. As part of the deal, former Fox Interactive President Ross Levinsohn and former AOL CEO Jonathan Miller have joined the company's board.

Publish2, which launched in a private beta on Monday, is the latest experiment in online journalism. Many companies are trying to invent new models to improve the journalism profession in the face of disruptive technologies and trends. For example, the Twin Cities Media Alliance and Assignment Zero are two ventures between professional and citizen journalists to produce news that better involves the community. Others like Federated Media Publishing are attempting to support new models of journalism by selling advertising and partnerships for independent writers and bloggers.

Reston, Va.-based Publish2 aims to bolster journalism by giving newsrooms and journalists the tools to save articles from around the Web and network with others in the field, according to the company. It was founded last year by blogger Robert Young and Scott Karp, former director of digital strategy for Atlantic Media. The company plans to use the money to hire staff, develop its technology platform, and market the site to journalists, editors, and newsrooms. It did not say when it will formally launch the site.

"This financing allows us to continue building a strong team aimed at developing a Web platform for journalists that helps them bookmark and organize news articles..., connect with other journalists with similar interests, and contribute to their newsrooms' editorial efforts in linking to interesting news around the Web," Karp said in a statement.