NBC News partners with Joanna Stern to elevate tech coverage
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NBC News is teaming up with veteran tech journalist Joanna Stern to bring exclusive reporting and analysis from her new independent venture, New Things, to its TV and digital channels, Stern and NBC News president of editorial Rebecca Blumenstein told Axios in a joint interview Tuesday.
Why it matters: The partnership will strengthen NBC News' tech coverage, while also serving as a blueprint for further collaborations between the storied network and independent journalists and creators.
Catch up quick: Stern has been covering the industry for nearly two decades and is considered one of the top consumer technology journalists in the country. She has deep expertise in artificial intelligence, specifically.
- Stern was hired by Blumenstein at the Wall Street Journal more than a decade ago, where she most recently served as senior personal technology columnist. She left the Journal last month to launch New Things in April.
- Blumenstein joined NBC News in 2023. Under her leadership, the network just launched a new digital paid subscription offering, which includes a lot of custom video from subject matter experts.
Zoom in: As part of the arrangement, Stern will shift from her current role as an NBC News contributor to chief tech analyst and contributing correspondent.
- She will remain an independent contractor, publishing content from New Things separately through the publishing platform Beehiiv, but she'll bring some of her exclusive reporting and analysis from New Things to NBC News.
- Stern will work with NBC News to customize her content to fit the needs of NBC News' platforms, including its linear and streaming TV shows, its digital channels, and its subscription offering.
- Stern is represented by talent agency UTA.
Between the lines: Partnering with NBC News will allow Stern have access to a well-resourced newsroom while also broadening her reach.
- She plans to cross-post some of the content from her independent newsletter to NBC News' digital channels, while also working with the network to develop custom content that suits its broader audience.
Zoom out: More newsrooms are exploring ways to partner with creators to get access to outside expertise and broaden their audiences.
- Blumenstein told Axios the partnership with Stern represents a new talent model for NBC News, but she said the network still plans to invest heavily in elevating its own journalists.
- She pointed to the expansion of Steve Kornacki's role ahead of the midterms as an example of that commitment.
- "Our priority is always strong journalism and serving our audience," Blumenstein says. "When we see an opportunity to bring in exceptional journalists to strengthen our coverage, we will absolutely pursue it."
What's next: Stern will make her first appearance in her new role on the "Today" show next Tuesday.
- Her new book, "I Am Not a Robot: My Year Using AI to Do (Almost) Everything," will be published in May.
Editor's note: This story was corrected to reflect Joanna Stern is repped by UTA (not CAA).
