Gannett announced Tuesday that it has invested in the news aggregator Digg. That investment, for an undisclosed amount, will help Gannett’s USA Today Network reach more people and offer Digg more original and local content, according to a press release.
Digg was born in 2008, then reborn in 2012. Last year, it built a new commenting platform and added more videos. At Gannett, news organizations in the USA Today Network have started leveraging that network for big projects. The company has also made news in the last few months while courting Tronc.
For Gannett, the partnership is a significant one that gives the company added clout in the digital realm. Gannett’s previous web-only ventures include investments in Billy Penn and in Cars.com, a stake its spinoff company doubled down on in 2014.
USA Today Network has more than 100 million unique digital visitors a month, according to the release, and Digg brings in 40 million monthly through the web, mobile and social. The partnership will also result in new branded content.
Bob Dickey, president and CEO of Gannett, said the partnership will help both companies “quickly develop new content discovery products and bring them to market.”
USA Today Network’s Chief Product Officer Daniel Bernard will also join Digg’s board.
“We are excited to have one of the world’s premier media companies as an investor and partner,” said Gary Liu, CEO of Digg. “Gannett’s impressive volume of great original content across the USA TODAY NETWORK will improve the discovery experience on Digg, and we are looking forward to building new products together that honor the tradition of high quality journalism.”
