The Skimm Newsletter: Your Daily News Briefing in 5 Minutes (2026)
Join 5 million+ millennial women who start their day with The Daily Skimm - the conversational morning newsletter that makes staying informed effortless.
Founded in 2012 by Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin, The Skimm delivers news, politics, and culture every weekday morning at 6am - like a smart friend texting you what you need to know.
Quick Facts: The Skimm
Daily Skimm Subscribers
5 million+
Total Audience
12 million across platforms
Founded
2012 by Danielle Weisberg & Carly Zakin
Target Demographic
92% female, millennials
Total Newsletters
6 (Daily, Money, Well, Shopping, Parenting, Report)
Cost
Free
Morning News Newsletters Comparison
| Newsletter | Target Audience | Tone | Subscribers |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Skimm | Millennial women | Conversational, friendly | 5M+ |
| Morning Brew | Business professionals | Witty, casual | 4M+ |
| Axios AM | Executives | Concise, Smart Brevity | 2.5M+ |
| NYT The Morning | General news readers | Authoritative | Large |
All are free daily newsletters - perfect candidates for consolidation with Readless
Key Takeaways
- 5 million subscribers make The Daily Skimm one of the most popular newsletters in the US
- Founded in 2012 by Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin (former NBC producers)
- 92% female audience - pioneered news for millennial women
- 6 newsletters total covering news, money, wellness, shopping, and parenting
- Conversational tone - reads like a smart friend texting you the news
- Acquired by Ziff Davis in March 2025 (now part of Everyday Health Group)
What is The Skimm Newsletter?
The Skimm (stylized as theSkimm) is a daily email newsletter that delivers news, politics, and culture in a conversational, easy-to-digest format. Founded in 2012 by Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin, both former NBC News producers, The Skimm pioneered newsletter-first journalism specifically for millennial women who wanted to stay informed without spending hours consuming news.
The Daily Skimm arrives every weekday morning at 6:00 AM ET and can be read in 5 minutes or less. It covers 3-5 major news stories with brief, accessible explanations, plus quick hits on other important updates. With over 5 million subscribers and a 12 million total audience across platforms, The Skimm has become essential reading for busy professionals who value staying informed.
The Skimm Origin Story
Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin met while working at NBC News. They noticed their friends - smart, busy, millennial women - struggled to stay on top of the news despite caring about being informed. Traditional news sources felt overwhelming, too dense, or aimed at older audiences.
In July 2012, they quit their jobs and started theSkimm from their couch in New York City. The first Daily Skimm was sent on July 5, 2012 to about 50 friends and family members. The goal: "make it easier to be smarter" by delivering the news in a conversational, relatable way - like a smart friend texting you what you need to know.
What Makes The Skimm Different
- Conversational tone - Reads like a text from a friend, not a formal news report
- Built for millennial women - Covers news, culture, and lifestyle topics women actually care about
- Concise format - 5-minute daily read vs. hour-long news binges
- Explains the "why" - Provides context for why stories matter, not just headlines
- Consistent delivery - Every weekday morning at 6am ET, like clockwork
The Skimm's Growth & Success
The Skimm grew from 50 subscribers to over 100,000 in its first year (2012-2013), largely through word-of-mouth and a viral referral program called "Skimm'bassadors." By 2015, they hit 1.5 million subscribers. At its peak in 2024, theSkimm reported 7 million subscribers across all newsletters.
The company raised over $55 million in venture capital from investors including Google Ventures, 21st Century Fox, and Greycroft Partners. In March 2025, theSkimm was acquired by Ziff Davis (Everyday Health Group) to continue growing its wellness and lifestyle content verticals.
The Skimm vs Other Morning News Newsletters
How does The Skimm compare to Morning Brew, Axios, and NYT? A detailed breakdown.
| Newsletter | Target Audience | Tone/Style | Frequency | Subscribers | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Skimm | Millennial women | Conversational, friendly | Daily (weekdays, 6am ET) | 5M+ | Free |
| Morning Brew | Business professionals | Witty, casual | Daily (6am) | 4M+ | Free |
| Axios AM | Executives, decision-makers | Smart Brevity, concise | Daily (6am ET) | 2.5M+ | Free |
| NYT The Morning | General news readers | Authoritative, in-depth | Daily (morning) | Large | Free |
| Politico Playbook | Political insiders | Insider, DC-focused | Daily (morning) | Large | Free |
Choose The Skimm if you:
- Want conversational, relatable news vs. formal reporting
- Care about culture and lifestyle in addition to hard news
- Prefer 5-minute reads with context and personality
- Value content written for women by women
Or subscribe to all of them:
Most busy professionals read The Skimm and Morning Brew and Axios and NYT. That's 20-30 emails per week just from morning briefings.
Readless consolidates all of them into one AI digest. See how →
- ✓ No duplicate stories (AI detects overlap)
- ✓ Organized by topic, not source
- ✓ 10 min read vs. 60 min scattered
- ✓ Links back to full originals
Your Morning Reading: Before & After Readless
Before Readless
6:00 AM - The Skimm arrives (5 min read)
6:05 AM - Morning Brew arrives (7 min)
6:15 AM - Axios AM arrives (8 min)
6:30 AM - NYT The Morning (10 min)
7:00 AM - Skimm Money, Well, Shopping (10 min)
7:30 AM - Other newsletters (15 min)
Total: 55 minutes scattered across 90 minutes
Plus duplicate coverage: Infrastructure bill mentioned in Skimm, Brew, Axios, and NYT
With Readless
6:00 AM - One Readless digest (12 min read)
- ✓ All Skimm newsletters consolidated
- ✓ Morning Brew business news included
- ✓ Axios AM top stories merged
- ✓ NYT analysis integrated
- ✓ Duplicates removed (AI synthesis)
- ✓ Organized by topic, not source
- ✓ Links to full originals for deep dives
Total: 12 minutes, one focused read with coffee
Infrastructure bill: Single synthesized summary from all 4 sources
Time Saved Annually
43 min
saved per day
268 hours
saved per year
78%
time reduction
What Readers & Industry Experts Say
"The Skimm is my go-to for staying informed without the overwhelm. It feels like a friend texting me the news over coffee."
— Typical Skimm reader testimonial
"I subscribe to The Skimm, Morning Brew, and Axios. Before Readless, I spent an hour each morning on newsletters. Now it's 10 minutes."
— Sarah T., Marketing Manager
Expert Insight: Newsletter Engagement Statistics
"Email newsletters have proven to be one of the most effective ways to reach and engage audiences. The best newsletters achieve 40-50% open rates - far higher than social media reach."
— Newsletter Industry Research, 2025
- Average newsletter open rate: 21.5% (industry average)
- Top newsletters open rate: 40-50% (includes The Skimm)
- Newsletter subscribers average: 12-15 newsletter subscriptions per person
On Information Overload
"The average knowledge worker switches between apps and websites 1,200 times per day, and information overload costs the global economy $900 billion annually in lost productivity."
— Research on workplace productivity, 2025
This is exactly why consolidating newsletters with tools like Readless matters - reducing context-switching saves both time and mental energy.
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