Ken Kurson on the Value of Social Media for Digital Media Properties - Social Media Explorer
Ken Kurson on the Value of Social Media for Digital Media Properties
Ken Kurson on the Value of Social Media for Digital Media Properties
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As the longtime editor in chief of The New York Observer and the Commercial Observer, Ken Kurson has had extensive experience witnessing the value that social media can have on promoting valuable content that a news property is seeking to highlight in promoting the vast works of journalism of their talented and gifted staffs, to the masses. The key however, is to ensure that the news property in question is utilizing their respective social media channels and platforms in an effective fashion. As more and more content has been produced around digital media platforms, and as the journalism industry has continued shifting from print to digital, the importance of social media for editors and their staffs has never been greater. 

The transition for so many news properties from print to digital media platforms have been a challenging transition that has for many been filled with difficulties. AP News ran a Newsblaze story recently, featuring Kurson’s thoughts on this evolution and the impact it  will have for decades to come on the way audiences consume news and on the financials and health of the journalism industry. The layoffs and number of furloughed journalists due to the economic complications associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has been an incredibly sad development in the journalism industry. 

As is, the industry was experiencing a tremendous amount of layoffs as a result of the basic economics and financials of the current media environment and reality. With the transition to digital, advertising dollars have dried up for many outlets – even while most shrewd editors and their marketing teams have invested considerably into generating advertising revenue on their newly established digital news properties. Some have focused surgically on producing as much analytical data as possible to learn about the needs, wants and desires of their audience, as well as their audience’s general make-up by demographic. 

This is just one of the many advantages that news properties’ editorial and marketing teams now have the ability to do, in the wake of the transition to an increasing amount of digital consumption of news. This allows them to effectively create content that’s most favored by their audiences, and highlight the work of their reporters that are most popular among members of their readership and audiences. 

The evolution in digital media has been a transformative experience not only for those in the journalism industry; but also for those in the publishing industry focused on the commercial side of producing and distributing valuable content. It  has fostered a renewed interest in finding out more and more information about the patterns and trends of a publication’s audience’s reading habits. 

Recognizing the future of the journalism industry, Kurson himself has created a network of digital news properties, that have already developed loyal and dedicated followings. By example, Book and Film Globe has galvanized the enthusiasm of many literary enthusiasts with an interest in some of the greatest works of fiction and nonfiction of our time. The site covers books, movies, TV and streaming entertainment. The site focuses on publishing smart and funny commentary from some of the internet’s wittiest writers. It  features movie reviews, critiques, film essays, book reviews and first-person literary essays. 

Kurson has also further developed his empire of news properties with Fine Art Globe, which is dedicated to the visual arts. The news property covers the latest trends in art news, including shedding light on the intriguing stories of collectors, artists,  events, galleries, museums and curators. The site has a global reach and has engendered and fostered a renewed enthusiasm among art collectors and those who can appreciate the value of fine art. 

Ken Kurson has some very intriguing insights to share on this subject given his breath of experience in the journalism industry in the past and present. Overall, with the proper and efficient employment of social media, digital news properties will continue being able to expand their reach to their respective audiences. They will also be able to have the added benefit of getting to understand and recognize their audience’s preferences in terms of news types and categories better. Overall, if used properly, the evolution of digital media can prove to be a boon for editorial and marketing teams at news properties that pursue these opportunities in a strategic manner.

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Mary Smith

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