Snapchat’s online magazine Real Life

If you think Snapchat is just about ephemeral messages and videos, think again. The company is behind a new online magazine called Real Life, which will publish roughly one article each weekday on the subject of technology, starting on June 27.

In a blog post elaborating on the new initiative, Snapchat employee and social media critic Nathan Jorgenson has written that “Snapchat is now funding Real Life.” “Real Life will publish essays, arguments, and narratives about living with technology,” Jurgenson added. “It won’t be a news site with gadget reviews or industry gossip. It will be about how we live today and how our lives are mediated by devices.”

The publication will cover beauty, power, privacy, and relationships, among other things, and “we aim to address the political uses of technology, including some of the worst practices both inside and outside the tech industry itself,” wrote Jurgenson.

This means Snapchat will now technically have web content that is visible on desktop computers. No longer will Snapchat be constrained to mobile devices. And, at least initially, the medium will be primarily text, unlike the video stories and snaps the Southern California company has become known for.

According to Jurgenson, Real Life will have editorial independence. So he and his team, including Rob Horning, Alexandra Molotkow, Sarah Nicole Prickett, and Soraya King will presumably have final say over what goes on the site (rather than deferring to Snapchat executives).

Real Life is “fully funded” by Snapchat, but the company declined to comment any further.