From Zero to 3  Billion Views: The Social-First Content Strategy Behind Courier Newsroom

“Every newsroom, whether they acknowledge it or not, is values-driven. The choice to cover something or not cover something, the choice to use a word in a headline or not, is a statement on your values and your mission. We are just more transparent about it.”

RC Di Mezzo is a Democratic digital strategist with a decade of experience building online brands that connect directly with voters.

As Vice President of Brand & Social at Courier, he led the 2023 launch of @CourierNewsroom—a social-first, values-driven progressive newsroom that became the fastest-growing news brand in the US, reaching over 100 million weekly views and generating more than 3 billion social views throughout the 2024 cycle.

Courier’s rapid growth—from 1.8 to over 5 million subscribers in a year—has positioned it as a benchmark for both legacy and emerging digital news outlets.

This episode is especially timely: a recent Reuters/Oxford report reveals that 54% of Americans now get their news from social media, surpassing TV’s 50% for the first time.

While the right has spent years building creator-driven narrative ecosystems, the left has lagged—Courier Newsroom has emerged as our leading response, creating shareable, social-first content built for group chats and feeds.

🎧 What we covered:

How Courier built a digital-first content machine for today’s social audience
Why editorial and digital teams must work in lockstep—no silos
Why context outperforms clickbait
Creating content in the app without fancy 3rd-party editing tools
Balancing national messaging with state-level storytelling
Lessons from successful campaigns—from Gavin Newsom to Kamala Harris
Why campaigns should invest in digital early
Which social platform is Courier’s fastest-growing (hint: it’s not TikTok!)

Plus: RC’s tips for campaigns and creators building momentum from day one.

If you want to unlock the digital tactics that drove billions of views, this is your behind-the-scenes guide. 🎙️

Listen here or wherever you stream podcasts.

If you prefer video, you can also watch our full conversation:

Find all episodes at HelloMergeTag.com or wherever you stream podcasts.

Links

Report about more Americans getting their news from social media than from TV.

A helpful Axios piece on their local expansions.

We discussed several relevant newsletters: The FYP, FWIW News and Chaotic Era.

Courier’s Channels

RC’s Channels

Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter

Big thanks to our sponsor Civic Shout. Learn more about the great work they’re doing to help Democratic campaigns and progressive nonprofits build their lists ethically at civicshout.com/partners.