In recent months, a growing number of corporations have begun publishing news stories based on data gathered from their own operations. This practice, often called brand journalism, allows companies to contribute original reporting to the broader media landscape.
How internal data becomes a news source
Traditionally, news outlets have relied on external sources, press releases and interviews. Today, many firms are sharing proprietary data with journalists or publishing articles themselves. The shift reflects the expanding role of technology platforms in everyday life and the wealth of information they generate.
Financial‑technology firm Ramp provides corporate cards and expense tools. By analyzing its customers’ spending, Ramp identified how many U.S. businesses were adopting artificial‑intelligence solutions. The company published its findings, noting that Anthropic had overtaken OpenAI in corporate adoption for the first time. Major outlets such as The Wall Street Journal and Business Insider later cited Ramp’s data in their coverage.
During a panel at the Stacker‑hosted conference Cited, Ramp’s lead economist Ara Kharazian explained the motivation: “People make better decisions when they have better data.” He emphasized that the goal was to answer questions business owners could not answer on their own.
Other examples of data‑driven reporting
Samsara, a technology company that manages physical operations and logistics, used its data to track construction activity around World Cup stadiums in the two years leading up to the tournament. Kelly Soderlund, Samsara’s head of insights, also highlighted a prior project at Navan, a corporate‑travel platform, where she mapped travel patterns during the COVID‑19 pandemic to challenge the narrative that the industry was irreparably damaged.
Earlier in her career, Soderlund wrote a story for Hipmunk using the travel company’s booking data. The piece showed a dip in reservations at Trump Hotels during former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, drawing attention from The Washington Post and The New York Times.
These examples illustrate how corporate data can illuminate human behavior, offering journalists concrete evidence to support broader stories.
Impact on traditional journalism
The rise of brand journalism coincides with continued layoffs in the newsroom. According to the Press Gazette, an estimated 3,400 journalists in the United States and United Kingdom have been let go in 2026. As newsroom staff shrink, more reporters are turning to corporate‑sponsored outlets for story ideas and data.
Alex Hamilton of Live Data Technologies analyzed workforce trends and found that more than 2,800 journalists have moved into brand‑journalism roles over the past decade, with 230‑340 transitions each year between 2015 and 2026.
Industry observers note that brand journalism is improving its standards for disclosure and transparency. Companies are increasingly citing sources, providing evidence and avoiding purely self‑promotional pieces. Nonetheless, critics question whether a newsroom owned by a corporation can remain fully objective.
What this means for readers
As more firms invest in editorial teams that leverage internal data, readers are likely to encounter brand‑journalism stories more often. While these pieces can offer valuable insights, it remains important for audiences to consider the source and look for independent verification.
The trend underscores a broader shift in how news is gathered and distributed, blending corporate expertise with traditional reporting practices.
Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.
