If you haven’t noticed, broadcast news journalists and hosts who dominated the traditional newsdesk until recently are quickly adapting to a new and much different digital realm. Former broadcast stars like Megyn Kelly, Don Lemon, Katie Couric, Tucker Carlson and, more recently, Hoda Kotb, are now creating content more dynamically and directly – eschewing the formalities of traditional television news production for something more immediate and ultimately more satisfying for both journalists and news audiences.
That fading dominance of traditional television news brands like NBC, CNN and Fox also means these familiar news faces, now more than ever, must think of themselves as a brand.
As noted in a recent Associated Press story, “the realities of business and changing consumer tastes are both driving forces. YouTube claims more than 1 billion monthly podcast views, and a recent list of its top 100 shows featured seven refugees from legacy media and six shows made by current broadcasters. Substack, which launched in 2017, and added live video in January, has more than doubled its number of paid subscribers to participating content creators to 5 million in less than two years. … [T]he prospect of layoffs, audiences that are aging and becoming smaller and constant worry about disappearing revenue sources, are a way of life for legacy media. Moving to independent media is still not an easy decision.”
Journalists leaving legacy platforms often bring deep credibility, a built-in audience and a wealth of storytelling experience. But translating those assets into a digital experience is another matter entirely. From a customer user experience perspective, too often these platforms replicate the structure of traditional media — dense, text-heavy and overly functional. The result is something that may look and feel professional but feels outdated, and worse, fails to establish a true relationship with the user.
The new playbook
What’s emerging now is a new playbook, one built not just on content but on user experience. Today’s most effective digital platforms for media personalities aren’t just delivering stories — they’re inviting users into ecosystems that are emotionally resonant, intuitively designed and built for the small, daily rhythms of modern life.
That’s the design challenge at the heart of today’s media transformation: how to translate individual voice and journalistic authority into digital experiences that feel effortless, human and deeply personal.
The most effective platforms are not just content repositories — they’re extensions of the creator’s identity, shaped around the rhythms of daily life and the contexts in which audiences engage. From modular storytelling formats that reduce cognitive load, to adaptive interfaces that flex across moods, platforms and devices, the new frontier of digital UX is about meeting users exactly where they are — and making each interaction feel like a conversation, not a broadcast.
I had the opportunity to explore this firsthand in our work with journalist, author, CEO and longtime former TODAY Show co-host Hoda Kotb on the design of her digital platform, Joy 101. Designing for emotional wellness is part of a wider trend in UX that prioritizes positive reinforcement without pressure. These principles are now being embraced in everything from mental health apps to productivity tools. Short, curated content sessions. Gentle reminders instead of alerts. The goal is not to overwhelm or instruct, but to be a companion.
But perhaps the most important takeaway is this: authenticity must guide every decision. The most successful platforms are the ones where the design reflects not just a brand identity, but a lived personality. If users can feel a familiar voice not just in the videos, but in how the app responds, how it guides and how it adapts — that’s when the experience transcends content and becomes something deeper.
Key UX principles for digital media platforms
- Authentic narrative integration: Ensure the platform reflects the creator’s voice and values not only in content, but in tone, pacing and visual language.
- Meet the audience where they are: Design content and experiences that adapt to the user’s real-world context — platform, mindset, and attention span — making the experience feel natural and native wherever it’s encountered.
- Curated microcontent: Package stories in modular, flexible formats — audio snippets, visual recaps, or swipeable narratives — designed to meet users in motion and reduce cognitive load.
- Designing for credibility: Elevate credibility through the experience—transparent sourcing, evidence trails, and explainable AI — to build deeper user confidence and distinguish quality from noise.
- Personalized experiences: Use adaptive UX — context-aware, time-sensitive and interest-led—to deliver content that feels timely, relevant, and shaped by the user’s unique rhythm of consumption.
As the media landscape continues to decentralize, we are likely to see more journalists making this leap into digital media platforms. And when they do, the ones who thrive will be those who understand that storytelling is no longer just about what you say — it’s about how you make people feel in every touchpoint, every tap and every scroll.
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