Tegna In Digital, Mobile-First Content Deal

Tegna Inc. today announced a strategic content partnership with Independent Media, a digital media company that launched The Outline in 2016. Together, Tegna and The Outline will collaborate on mobile-first storytelling and investigative content across platforms, “building on each company’s strengths and offering consumers fact-based journalism of consequence.”

The Outline uses its proprietary and integrated content and technology platform to publish “thoughtful” stories — from long-form to interactives to audio and video — geared toward smart, young audiences. The Outline’s highly visual stories cover three main topics: power, culture and the future. Since launching in December 2016, The Outline has gained a loyal and growing audience of millions. 

As part of the partnership, Tegna and The Outline will work together to co-create original content and investigations that will appear across Tegna’s digital channels as well as on The Outline’s digital platform. This collaboration, Tegna said, will expand its digital footprint and help to amplify its existing content.

Tegna has launched several new storytelling initiatives, like VERIFY, and original investigations, such as “Selling Girls.”

In addition, Tegna and Independent Media plan to work together to create new content brands and test new digital advertising concepts.

“We continue to strategically partner with promising, emerging, digital-first companies that align with our innovative approach to content transformation,” said Adam Ostrow, Tegna’s chief digital officer. “We are excited to work with The Outline on joint investigations and extend Tegna’s impactful content to new digital audiences. Independent Media’s cutting-edge storytelling tools and integrated ad platform will also create new opportunities to better serve our audiences and advertisers.”

“Tegna is not your traditional broadcaster,” said Joshua Topolsky, Independent Media’s CEO and founder. “Their forward-thinking, thoughtful approach to journalism matches our ethos as a company. We’re excited about telling important, digital-first stories with them that make a difference. Tegna has incredible investigative journalists all over the U.S., and we can’t wait to work alongside their teams.”