Graham Media Group Acquires Social Media Management Startup SocialNewsDesk

CHICAGO--()--Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC), announced today that it has acquired SocialNewsDesk (www.SocialNewsDesk.com), a leading creator and provider of social media management tools for newsrooms and media organizations.

Founded by a team of journalists in 2010, SocialNewsDesk (SND) provides software tools that help newsrooms and media organizations publish content, manage social strategy, secure social access, measure social analytics and monetize social media, while providing news producers and writers the ability to better manage the flow of information put out on social platforms. The company is a Facebook Preferred Marketing Developer.

Emily Barr, President and Chief Executive Officer of Graham Media Group, said, “We are excited to bring SocialNewsDesk into the Graham Media Group family. In fact, we have been their client and appreciate, firsthand, the value they provide to our newsrooms. As we expand our digital efforts and offerings, it is only natural that we would find SND both appealing and compatible with our mission to inform and engage users/viewers in our markets.”

“Joining Graham Media Group will afford us important new resources,” said Kim Wilson, President, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of SocialNewsDesk. “This is an incredible opportunity to take SocialNewsDesk to the next level of innovation for our clients. And we have some awesome ideas and new products up our sleeve.”

The company’s next new product will be the release of “SND On Air,” which will allow TV stations to curate, style and broadcast social content.

SocialNewsDesk’s specialty is understanding the needs of a newsroom and constantly adapting its technology to fit that workflow. More than 600 newsrooms and media companies nationwide use SND software tools. A former journalist, Kim Wilson founded the company out of her own need for the product as newsroom manager at WJXT (owned by Graham Media Group). Wilson and Co-Founder and Vice President Elisa DeFoe, also a Graham Media Group alumna, have grown SND to become the news and media industry’s leading provider of social media software in less than four years. Both will remain with SocialNewsDesk following the sale.

Graham Media Group (www.GrahamMediaGroup.com), a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC), owns five local TV stations—each in a top-50 market and all recognized as news leaders—reaching 6.2% of U.S. television households: KPRC–Houston and WDIV–Detroit (NBC); KSAT–San Antonio (ABC); WKMG–Orlando (CBS); and WJXT–Jacksonville (independent). The stations also broadcast digital channels focusing on classic television and lifestyle programming, in addition to operating market-leading websites, mobile sites and mobile apps delivering breaking news, weather and community news, reaching millions of users across each platform.

Contacts

Graham Media Group
Kim Wilson, 904-254-8874
KWilson@SocialNewsDesk.com
or
Patty Oliva, 312-917-6242
POliva@GrahamMedia.com

Contacts

Graham Media Group
Kim Wilson, 904-254-8874
KWilson@SocialNewsDesk.com
or
Patty Oliva, 312-917-6242
POliva@GrahamMedia.com