As society evolves rapidly and competition in the content market intensifies, capturing and sustaining readers’ attention has become one of the most pressing challenges for news organizations. To deliver differentiated journalistic value, the leading business publication Chosun Biz set out to develop a high-quality journalism strategy focused on contributing to social discourse.

With support from the Google News Initiative (GNI), Chosun Biz launched a New Year’s special series titled “53.9%: I Am an Elderly Person with a Disability,” presented in an interactive format. The project was conceived in response to Korea’s entry into a super-aged society, with people aged 65 and older surpassing 20 percent of the total population by the end of 2024. Its aim was to raise awareness about the growing issue of elderly people with disabilities — a topic often perceived as heavy or emotionally distant by readers.

To make the topic relatable and engaging, the reporting team prioritized immersive storytelling. Over four months, journalists met with more than 100 elderly individuals with disabilities, uncovering stories that evoked empathy and connection. They combined photographs, audio, and video into an interactive format designed to draw readers in and sustain engagement throughout the series.

However, as with many interactive projects, the production required significant resources — more than ten team members participated, far exceeding typical newsroom capacity. To address these challenges, Chosun Biz reviewed a range of GNI case studies and experimented with generative AI to simplify visual production. The team also introduced a social contribution mechanism, in which a KRW 5,000 donation was automatically made to support programs for elderly people with disabilities when readers completed the entire series — providing additional motivation for readers to engage fully.

Chosun Biz continues to explore ways to make such innovative formats more repeatable and scalable, through internal process innovation and collaboration with external partners.

The interactive New Year series “53.9%: I Am an Elderly Person with a Disability” resonated strongly with readers, generating both measurable engagement and tangible social impact.

Quantitatively, the series delivered a clear increase in reader engagement. Two stories from the series ranked top 16 in engagement among all Chosun Biz articles published over the past year, while within the social-affairs section, all three stories ranked top 3 in engagement. Each article achieved an average engagement time 1.5 to 2 times higher than the section average, results that the newsroom credited to its multimodal, emotionally compelling storytelling.

Beyond engagement metrics, the series also influenced public policy discussions. Shortly after publication, the Ministry of Health and Welfare convened a task-force meeting to address the growing number of elderly people with disabilities and discussed plans for an integrated-care pilot program. Public and legislative interest also grew around the Integrated Care Support Act, scheduled to take effect in 2026, with Representative Nam In-soon’s office emphasizing the urgency of closing care gaps in an aging society. In academia, a professor at Luther University’s Department of Social Welfare used the series as teaching material, further underscoring its educational and social value.

The reporting team was recognized with the 2025 Science Reporting Award from the Korean Association of Science Journalists. The judging panel commended the project for “delivering the message that aging and disability are issues that affect us all, through visually powerful storytelling that embodies public-interest journalism in the digital era.”

Ultimately, the project marked a milestone in Chosun Biz’s evolution — from a traditional business publication to a media outlet recognized for empathy-driven journalism. Grounded in data and deep field reporting, the series strengthened the newsroom’s credibility and served as a model of impactful, human-centered storytelling.