As the lines between traditional journalists and digital influencers begin to blur, CAA hopes to be able to guide reporters through both types of terrain.
The major talent agency, which represents George Stephanopoulos, Mary Bruce and The Bulwark, recently hired former CBS News producer Becky Van Der Kook. He recently helped manage communications and media for Jack Schlossberg, one of President John Kennedy’s grandsons and an emerging political influence. Ms. Van Dercook currently works as an agent in CAA’s television news division, but her expertise will allow her clients to explore a wider range of media opportunities.
Van Dercook is tasked with helping existing clients expand their profiles online while identifying opportunities outside of traditional media through newsletters, podcasts, live events, and social media content. She also looks at influencers, street reporters, and news personalities skilled in short-form content.
“Becky provides masterclasses in social media coaching for our news clients and creator clients across the agency, finding creative ways to help them build, grow and monetize their brands,” Rachel Adler, head of news at CAA, said in a recent interview.
She further added: “We are very mission-driven. We are here to future-proof our clients’ careers and develop new models for how the work they do can be developed and distributed.”
CAA is starting down a path that many have had to walk. The economics of news are becoming increasingly difficult as the economics of streaming take revenue away from traditional media operations. This has prompted the launch of a wide range of high-profile organizations to put a new shingle on the digital outpost. Don Lemon, Megyn Kelly, Chuck Todd, Joy Reid and Tucker Carlson are among the familiar faces joining the new video podcast. WME, another of Hollywood’s major talent agencies, helped former CNN media correspondent Oliver Darcy launch his own newsletter, Status, and former Washington Post reporter Jennifer Rubin launched a new outlet called The Contrarian. Former CNN anchor Jim Acosta is moving to Substack.
What is one reason why digital leakage is increasing? money.
The Interactive Advertising Bureau, an industry advocacy group, predicts in a new report released Thursday that advertising dollars invested in creator-driven media will reach $37 billion in 2025, a 26% increase from last year and about four times faster than the media business as a whole. Some 48% of advertisers surveyed by the group feel that creators are something they “must buy,” ranking behind social media and paid search advertising.
Van Dercook is already counseling CAA clients. She helped Alex Wagner, who contributes to both Crooked Media and MSNBC, launch his TikTok profile and meet with influential creators. Van Der Kook “served as a spiritual guide for my social media strategy,” Wagner says. “Becky has a unique talent. She learned the business as a television producer and has adapted seamlessly to the new media landscape. This means that while she understands traditional and organized media, she is at the crossroads of change. She is an important resource to help us all navigate this moment of great disruption in the news industry.”
She was also assisted by ABC News’ Jonathan Karl. He said Van Dercook was “very helpful in identifying emerging media opportunities, using my social platforms to promote my new book, and bringing my reporting to new audiences.” He added: “CAA is wise to have decided that this is an area worth investing in.”
Van Der Kook says he learned by doing. “I spent the better part of a year working for Jack Schlossberg throughout his 2024 campaign. By working closely with the talented creator and building his business from the ground up, I learned how to succeed on social media and how to be nimble and adjust when things don’t go my way,” she says. “This is a transformative moment in news, and a great opportunity for CAA to meet consumers wherever they are, whether online, listening to a podcast or reading a newsletter.”
Van Dercook graduated from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs with a master’s degree in public policy and earned his bachelor’s degree summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa degree from Middlebury College. During her time at CBS News, she helped produce political coverage across the news division and helped manage coverage of the 2020 election, President Biden’s inauguration, and the Capitol riot.
Adler said the new hire “means we have a journalist who can speak not only on behalf of our clients, but as a production partner.”
