Andrew Deck of Nieman Lab writes about how Business Insider has changed its strategy from its original aggregation philosophy.
Deck writes, “Business Insider says that since Heller joined the organization, the amount of “original content” it publishes has more than doubled. In 2024, the company says, about 40% of its content was scoops, exclusives, and other original stories. Today, that content makes up more than 80% of its output, as the publication has made a concerted effort to move away from news aggregation and break its own news. Last year, the newsroom landed 788 scoops, the most it’s ever recorded annually, former CEO Barbara Peng wrote in a recent memo.
“Business Insider is trying to overhaul its editorial strategy as the digital news industry reckons with major traffic declines. Google’s AI Overviews and chatbot products like ChatGPT are killing traditional search traffic. Social platforms like Facebook and X have deprioritized news links.
In May 2025, Business Insider laid off 21% of its staff. ‘We must be structured to endure extreme traffic drops outside our control,’ Peng wrote in a memo to staff that month. ‘We’re reducing our overall company to a size where we can absorb that volatility.'”
Read more here.
