If you don’t think broadcast TV companies are serious about building their digital strategies, look at what TEGNA — the company formerly known as Gannett — just did.
In a hire announced Thursday (8/10), the second-ever employee at digital darling Mashable has been tapped as TEGNA’s new Chief Digital Officer.
Adam Ostrow comes to TEGNA after serving as Chief Strategy Officer at Mashable, where he’s been since 2007. At TEGNA, he’ll be responsible for “creating, evangelizing and implementing TEGNA’s digital vision and strategy,” the company said. “He will build on TEGNA’s already strong digital assets and products to inform, engage and grow audiences across multiple platforms.”
At Mashable, known for its click-friendly entertainment news stories seen across many a social media news feed, Ostrow was closely involved in virtually all aspects of developing and growing the brand. He spearheaded new growth initiatives across the company including international expansion, e-commerce and creating the Mashable Studios division. Ostrow was also responsible for all strategic business development efforts, including content acquisition, distribution and licensing deals with media companies, social networks and OTT platforms.
Ostrow joined the company as editor in chief, leading the company’s editorial and social strategy while overseeing the newsroom.
“I have been impressed with TEGNA’s innovative culture and its digitally-fueled and data-driven approach to storytelling,” said Ostrow. “Whether it is ‘Charlie Foxtrot,’ VERIFY or ‘Daily Blast LIVE’, TEGNA is producing high-quality, original content across platforms. I look forward to further super-charging the company’s growth through new digital initiatives.”
Ostrow is known for his “TED Talk” After Your Final Status Update, which has been viewed more than 1 million times.
