LinkedIn News: Paving the Way for Social Storytelling

While profiles, connections and job boards may be at the heart of LinkedIn’s interface, the world’s most recognizable business networking site is also dedicated to delivering news, insights and trends on a global scale. LinkedIn News, the company’s international conglomerate of award-winning journalists and creators, is changing the face of news journalism and digital publishing. Recently, students enrolled in the M.S. in Publishing: Digital and Print Media program attended a virtual visit to LinkedIn News for a conversation about how social media is intersecting with news journalism, moderated by Jordyn Dahl, Senior News Editor.

LinkedIn News was named in 2015 as the official rebranding of LinkedIn’s editorial team. With over 160 journalists and editors, the team’s goal is to both report and circulate the news. The circulation component is key. As primarily a social media platform, LinkedIn has a unique ability to spark conversation. Deputy Managing Editor Ashley Peterson, who has been with the company since her senior year of college, said, “We’re able to use our members and their posts to build out our stories. A big advantage of reporting through social media is that things are happening in real time.”

The news cycle never halts at LinkedIn News – “Everything develops so quickly. We work around the clock,” Dahl explained. The team’s global presence ensures that coverage is ongoing, on time, and on brand for LinkedIn’s general audience. “Because we’re a professional news site, everything takes on a bit of an economic angle,” Dahl continued. “We report on current events as to how they might affect global economics.”

Beyond its editorial news team, LinkedIn is also working to build relationships with over 3,000 creators to keep the conversation going. LinkedIn has opened up a unique avenue for creators, consisting of mainly industry experts and emerging opinion leaders, to contribute to the news cycle and create an unparalleled stream of content in the form of articles, videos, and images. Trish Lindo, Senior Creator Manager, is a main player in LinkedIn’s “Power Creator” program. “It’s an exciting role as a creator manager,” Lindo said. “You feel good working with creators because you can really change people’s lives by giving them opportunities that they never would’ve had before.” 

As demonstrated by the four unique voices presenting to NYU students, LinkedIn News is an exciting form of nontraditional publishing that will continue to shape the game in an ever changing media landscape. Increasingly, LinkedIn is becoming a major force in the world of news media, fueled by the fundamental need to continue telling stories. 

The speakers concluded the conversation by stressing to publishing students the importance of building their writing skills. This advice was best summarized by Lindo’s closing remarks: “If you can write, you can go anywhere. That skill will never leave you.”

By Katie Teas

Katie is a first-year M.S. in Publishing: Digital and Print Media student from Denver, CO. Her love of storytelling and communication prompted her to pursue higher education in the publishing field. Katie currently works in marketing and hopes to begin a career in magazine media or book publicity.