Casey Craig is the Global Head of Communications for CoinDesk, the award-winning media platform for cryptocurrencies and Web3. In this role, she manages all communications and public relations.
With nearly a decade of experience in strategic media and communication services for fintech and blockchain organizations, Craig has previously overseen public relations for Publicis Sapient’s digital banking clients, including Goldman Sachs, Lloyds, and HSBC.
Her exceptional work in raising the profile of CoinDesk’s journalists has been showcased in several high-profile publications, including The New York Times, Business Insider, CNN, New York Magazine, The Verge, and The Information. This recognition is for CoinDesk’s work in financial journalism, notably the breaking news story that led to FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried’s $32 billion crypto empire collapsing within a matter of days, earning it the prestigious George Polk Award.
Craig spoke to JCC about her mission, the need for transparency in news outlets, and the role of AI in journalism.
What initiatives or strategies have you implemented to preserve journalistic integrity, and how do you differentiate between communication strategies for traditional media publishers versus emerging media publishers in Web3-centric news, given the diverse areas that CoinDesk covers?
My mission is to stop the spread of misinformation by spotlighting and promoting quality journalists and their stories. I am an avid advocate for journalists to develop their own personal brand so that they become recognized figures and experts in their field.
I position top journalists as subject matter experts in mainstream media. The more exposure quality verified journalists have, the more accurate information is available to the public. Traditional media companies are stuck. They cannot innovate, because they cannot evolve with new audiences and news platforms. Emerging media companies, however, are nimble. They have more opportunities to reach a wider audience, because they are not stuck in legacy strategies.
Given the recent closure and bankruptcy declarations of publishers like VICE, BuzzFeed, and Paper Magazine, what do you believe should be considered for the future of media and its longevity?
Quality journalism is critical for mass audiences to know what’s going on. If people only rely on social media as their news source, they’re interpreting personal opinions as news, which is not fact-checked or verified as an accurate source.
Accurate and transparent news articles are crucial for a mass audience to understand crypto. The social media platforms and certain trade outlets that promote cryptocurrencies for financial gain are hurting crypto’s reputation.
In light of the rapid advancements in technology and the media landscape, how do you ensure that communication strategies remain adaptable and effective in reaching the target audience?
Being concise is key. People’s attention spans are getting shorter and shorter, the best way to communicate is to communicate efficiently. Keeping up to date with trends on how news is distributed across different platforms ensures adaptable communication strategies.
Technology like ChatGPT will probably replace some editorial roles like copyeditors, but technology can never replace a human voice because it can’t relate to human emotions. ChatGPT could never write a moving piece that touches people the way another person can because it can’t feel tragedy or sadness, or empathy. The human element of journalism is how readers feel connected to news and the wider world around them.
