Stacker CEO Says Brand-Funded Content Business Topped $5 Million as Journalists Shift Roles
Updated
Updated · Fortune · Jun 9
Stacker CEO Says Brand-Funded Content Business Topped $5 Million as Journalists Shift Roles
2 articles · Updated · Fortune · Jun 9
Summary
Stacker says its brand-content distribution revenue exceeded $5 million last year and is on pace for $10 million in 2026, as CEO Noah Greenberg uses viral LinkedIn job posts to spotlight journalists moving into corporate editorial roles.
Founded in 2017, the bootstrapped company connects brands with several thousand news outlets—about 90% local—after in-house editors vet data-driven stories for disclosure and promotional claims.
Former newsroom staff at companies including Chime and Hone Health say the work still uses reporting skills and can surface stories traditional outlets might miss because brands hold proprietary data and audience insight.
Reuters Institute researcher Felix Simon argues such work is information production, not journalism, unless funding and sourcing are transparent; without independence, he says, it cannot replace accountability reporting.
The debate reflects a broader media shift as weak digital ad economics push brands, creators and platforms into publishing, expanding explanatory content while leaving open who will fund the bad-news investigations.