Former liberal arts majors, journalists, and other lovers of the written word are flocking to a new career path: brand journalism.
This type of role involves much of the same research and writing work that journalists are accustomed to, but within a business setting instead of a newsroom. Depending on their role and the brand they work for, they might be doing things like writing news coverage of an awards show or sporting event, or explaining the latest medical research. The main difference is that they're doing so with the goal of promoting a company's expertise in a particular field.
An analysis by Alex Hamilton of workforce insights company Live Data Technologies found that more than 2,800 journalists have taken roles in brand journalism in the last decade. Hamilton's analysis used Live Data Technologies' workforce intelligence data to track role changes from publications into brand journalism, content, or communications roles between January 2015 and May 2026. He found that between 230 and 340 journalists are making this type of job transition each year.
The conditions are ripe for this kind of career move. Traditional media has weathered numerous layoffs as advertising revenue has fallen and the search landscape has been disrupted. Meanwhile, the rise of AI has made authentic, human-written content more valuable. A strong brand presence — like that created by compelling content — has become a must for brands looking to stand out from the competition without relying on paid advertising.
Three former journalists — AJ Smith of The Points Guy, Tracy Middleton of Hone Health, and Sarah Firshein of Tripadvisor — spoke about their experience moving into brand journalism during a panel discussion at Cited, an industry conference hosted by content distribution company Stacker.
They said that while they knew they were ready to do something different outside of journalism, the transition to the brand world hasn't always been easy. While many of the tasks of the job are the same, the goals and communication styles are often different. And despite improving standards of disclosure and transparency, critics of brand journalism sometimes question whether a newsroom created and run by a corporation can truly be editorially independent.
Here's what the panelists shared about this relatively new career path and how it has varied from their previous jobs — and how anyone with this skill set could make a similar move.
How brand journalism roles are similar to journalism jobs
All three panelists previously held traditional journalism roles, either in print media like magazines or in broadcast. They decided they were ready for a change of pace as they watched the media business evolve in recent years.
Smith, the Senior Vice President of Content and Audience Growth at The Points Guy, said that while she now describes her job as a marketing role, she initially described it as just a slight deviation from her professional path.
"I'm still a journalist," she said she would tell people when she first made the move. "I'm just doing it in a different place, with a different company."
Middleton said that leading the editorial department at Hone Health as Senior Editorial Director feels similar to her work in traditional media. She's still fielding pitches, assigning stories, and editing. However, there has been plenty that is new and challenging in the work.
"What really was attractive to me was the opportunity to build something from the ground up," Middleton said. "To do it at a place and a company that was in the health sector — that was my niche — and an organization that was doubling down on scientific accuracy, it felt very aligned."
How brand journalism is different from traditional media
Still, the goals of a brand journalism team are different in that they are expected to show measurable impact of their work on the business, not just readership growth.
"Even though we are editorially independent — no one's telling us what we can and can't publish — we're being judged on different standards” than in traditional journalism jobs, Middleton said.
This was a common theme throughout the day at Cited. Several former journalists spoke of creating new ways to track the success of their work in order to communicate more effectively with senior leaders.
"Being a little bit more bombastic about your success has been an interesting thing to figure out with the team," said Firshein, Tripadvisor's Global Head of Content. When the team creates an interesting content package, they have to think through how they explain its impact to others across the company, including those who might not be as familiar with journalism.
"It's a great way to get people to go to bat for their work and not rest on their laurels," Firshein said.
How to get a brand journalism job
Frequent layoffs in traditional media have meant that many talented writers, editors, and strategists are on the job market. According to the panelists at Cited, job seekers interested in a brand journalism role should focus on highlighting their transferable skills, including:
- Operational chops: Middleton said that former journalists are seasoned to "balance deadlines like nobody else can." She said it has been amazing to see their "unrivaled operational prowess" transfer to a new environment.
- Curiosity: Loving to ask questions is key to transitioning from traditional to brand journalism, the panelists said.
- Adaptability: Journalists are adaptable by nature, having made many transitions in their careers as the industry has evolved in the digital age. The panelists agreed that journalists have a built-in hunger to learn the next thing.
As newsrooms shrink and brands continue to compete for attention, the path from newsrooms to the corporate world may get even busier. Those who make the change will be in good company.
Madeline Stone is the Content Manager for Editorial & Insights at Stacker. She was previously a longtime business and tech journalist at Business Insider and a content and communications consultant for tech startups.
