At NJ.com, we recognize a defining reality of modern journalism: the news must reach our audience where they are. According to Pew Research, about half of U.S. adults say they at least sometimes get news from social media platforms. That shift demands more than repurposing headlines. It requires rethinking how journalism shows up in feeds that are crowded and littered with click-bait.
The idea driving our work is simple: meet audiences where they are, deliver news in a format they can easily consume, and create content that invites conversation rather than passive scrolling. Across every NJ.com social platform, we have evolved our strategy to prioritize connection, clarity and community. That means producing timely coverage in digestible, platform-native formats; from breaking news updates to concise TikTok explainers all while maintaining the credibility of the state’s largest newsroom.
Our goals on social media are threefold. First, connect by showing up consistently in the spaces where our audience already spends time. Second, inform by delivering accurate, timely reporting in formats that make complex issues accessible. Third, engage by fostering conversation. We encourage comments, respond to questions and create content designed with authenticity top-of-mind. By aligning our editorial standards with the expectations of social audiences, we are not simply distributing news differently. We are building a more immediate, interactive relationship with the communities we serve.
The 2025 New Jersey gubernatorial election was our opportunity to meet audiences’ demand for news as it happens. We knew viewers wanted real-time updates, so we designed a strategy that spanned every major social platform, combining speed, accessibility, and engagement. On Instagram and TikTok, we delivered breaking updates on debates still in progress, created reporter-led explainers on TikTok, and compiled a YouTube playlist featuring nearly a dozen gubernatorial candidates addressing timely issues. On election night, we produced a live, interactive Youtube/Facebook event that allowed viewers to ask questions and shape the conversation as results came in.
Execution of the election-night livestream required coordination across the newsroom and agility in real time. Reporters were accessible on multiple platforms, graphics and updates were continuously refreshed, and our team pivoted quickly to respond to breaking developments. A major challenge was producing the first livestream of its kind for our newsroom while maintaining both speed and accuracy. We were building the plane as we flew it and adjusting our approach on the fly, all while remaining dialed in to what was resonating with viewers. By listening to our audience in the moment and refining our execution as the night unfolded, we turned experimentation into innovation.
What makes this work unique is how deeply social engagement informed the journalism itself. Our audience didn’t just watch; they participated, asked questions, and shaped our months-long coverage of the gubernatorial race. By meeting viewers where they are, delivering news in digestible formats, and prioritizing authentic interaction, we proudly created a comprehensive, platform-native election season experience.
Our objective was to connect, inform and engage audiences where they already consume news on social media platforms. The results demonstrate that this strategy resonated at scale. In 2025, we more than tripled our TikTok video views compared to the previous year, generating 110 million views and adding 125,000 news followers to the platform. On Instagram, we achieved 20% follower growth, signaling sustained audience interest beyond a single election cycle.
These metrics reflect more than reach. They validate our commitment to platform-native storytelling and authentic engagement. By delivering timely updates, concise explainers and interactive live coverage, we made complex political issues accessible and relevant in crowded social feeds. The significant growth in followers shows that audiences were not just sampling our content but choosing to build an ongoing relationship with our newsroom.
We consider this effort a success because it proves that credible, in-depth journalism can thrive on social platforms when presented in formats designed for how people consume information today. Our approach strengthened our connection with existing audiences while introducing NJ.com to hundreds of thousands of new users. Most importantly, it transformed social media from a distribution channel into a meaningful space for conversation and community.
