BROOKLYN, NY – July 16, 2025 – JIG Media today announced that Todd Betzold has joined the company as the new Managing Editor of NYCPolitics.com, the digital publication dedicated to comprehensive coverage of politics in New York City. NYCPolitics.com delivers features, exclusive interviews, political news, a calendar of key events, legislative updates, and the newly launched NYC Legal Spotlight, which introduces New Yorkers to judicial candidates, attorneys, and elected officials behind significant legislation.
Betzold is an accomplished entertainment and political journalist, and digital media contributor, currently writing for EntertainmentNow covering reality TV and pop culture, with a particular focus on Survivor, Dancing with the Stars, The Voice, and American Idol. He has worked as a freelance entertainment writer for over 15 years, with his first paid assignment covering the debut season of The Voice. His bylines have appeared in outlets including MSN (US), MSN Australia, MSN UK, Inquisitr, Screen Rant, Radar Online, OK! Magazine, EntertainmentNow, NewsBreak, and Reality Wanted. Betzold holds a degree in Journalism and Broadcasting from Central Michigan University.
Vernon Jones, CEO of JIG Media, emphasized the significance of Betzold’s appointment for the company’s mission and growth. “Bringing Todd on board is a major step forward for us,” said Jones. “His diverse experience across entertainment and political journalism aligns perfectly with our vision for NYCPolitics.com. We’re committed to delivering political coverage that’s not only accurate and insightful, but also engaging for readers. Todd’s leadership will help ensure NYCPolitics.com becomes an essential source of political news and conversation in New York City.”
JIG Media, which owns 15 digital media publications reaching a combined audience of 2.5 million New Yorkers, is in the midst of a significant growth phase focused on expanding its digital footprint across New York City. The company plans to appoint Managing Editors for several other publications in its portfolio, including NYC Sports Network, Healthy NYC, NYC Education News, NYC Business Daily, and more.
A key part of this expansion is NYC Newswire, JIG Media’s digital media distribution hub. Editors across the network rely on NYC Newswire as a primary source for collecting news and distributing content tailored to their specific audiences, making it a vital engine for efficiently delivering hyper-local and niche coverage throughout New York City.
“This is the first phase of a massive expansion to grow our digital footprint across New York City,” said Vernon Jones, CEO of JIG Media. “We’ve recently launched proprietary smart AI technology that makes operating our digital publications dramatically more efficient. This technology is allowing us to accelerate the rollout of new platforms much faster than ever before.”
“I’m thrilled to join JIG Media and lead NYCPolitics.com at such a pivotal time for digital journalism in New York City,” said Todd Betzold. “My background in both entertainment and political journalism has shown me how powerful engaging, well-crafted stories can be in connecting with audiences. I’m excited to bring that experience to NYCPolitics.com and help deliver political coverage that informs, inspires, and empowers New Yorkers.”
As part of this expansion, JIG Media is offering Managing Editors an equity position in the publications they lead, along with a share of the revenue generated.
“In a media landscape marked by widespread layoffs across both traditional and digital outlets, we’re offering top editors an opportunity to become part owners and revenue partners in the digital publication they manage,” added Jones. “We believe JIG Media can become one of the most important digital media networks in New York City, and we want the talented journalists who help build it to share in that success.”
For more information, visit www.JIG.Media or contact [email protected].
JIG Media is a digital media company based in DUMBO, Brooklyn, owning and operating 15 digital media publications across diverse sectors, including politics, health, sports, business, aging, dining, education, and more. Through innovative technology and hyper-local coverage, JIG Media delivers trusted content to over 2.5 million New Yorkers, by zip code, sector and demographics.