Today’s guest is Adam Ruggiero, Editor-in-Chief of GearJunkie. GearJunkie leads the outdoor industry in breaking news and product reviews in the active-lifestyle world. From offices in Denver and Minneapolis, GearJunkie’s journalists, writers, and video producers advance the conversation online and beyond. Millions of monthly readers follow GearJunkie online through multiple channels.

Adam has been with the publication since 2015 when he started out as a news reporter. He spearheaded the creation of the GearJunkie podcast in 2018, holds a degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota, and was named Outdoor Media Summit’s "Editor of the Year” for 2022.

In this episode, you’ll hear Adam discuss his journey with GearJunkie and its current success, the changing landscape of media as a business, utilizing AI and chatbots in journalism and content creation as a helpful tool, and shaping future generations of media.

The Channel Mastery podcast is brought to you by Verde Brand Communications, a consumer-centric brand strategy and communication agency serving the outdoor recreation industry. Your host is Kristin Carpenter, Chief Strategy Officer, Founder and Chair at Verde Brand Communications. Channel Mastery is sponsored by our partner Life Time, Inc., owner of the Sea Otter Classic and producer of the Sea Otter Classic Summit outdoor recreation executive gathering.

Discussion points:

• GearJunkie and its increasing scope and momentum
• Outdoor media and where it’s headed
• Relationships, trust, and ethics in the media landscape
• YouTube and trucks
• The GearJunkie chatbot article, and the impact of AI
• Freelance writing, Grammarly, bots, and wabi-sabi
• Hopes for the future of journalism

Resources:

GearJunkie Website

GearJunkie Podcast

GearJunkie’s Chatbot Article

Adam Ruggiero LinkedIn

Sea Otter Classic Summit, April 2023

Kristin Carpenter on LinkedIn

Verde Brand Communications