“The Hill” typically focuses on Washington policy and politics. But last week, some editorial and business executives insisted on shining a spotlight on New York.
“We’re going to have a great time,” said Bill Sammon, senior vice president of Washington content for The Hill and NewsNation, during a meeting with advertising agencies and potential sponsors. Cherie Grzech, president of news and politics for The Hill and NewsNation; said Adam Berkamen, senior vice president of revenue at The Hill, about the coverage expected in the coming weeks as the 2026 midterm election cycle gets even more heated. They were joined by journalists including Chris Stillwald, Amy Parnes, Blake Berman, and Sylvan Lane. Nexstar Media, a major TV station owner, operates both The Hill and cable news station NewsNation.
The goal was to remind the New York agency, which works with so-called “advocacy” clients — people who want to influence decision-makers to support or reject a particular cause or issue — about “The Hill,” which Verkamen calls “nonpartisan and brand-safe,” two attributes advertisers look for when partnering with news properties. For years, advocacy advertising has been overseen by people in Washington, but more New York agency offices are becoming involved, Berkamen said.
Sammon said executives emphasized that the magazine not only covers Congress and the White House, but also focuses on health care, finance and technology. They also noted an increase in web traffic. “The Hill” had 1.24 billion pageviews in 2025, a 7% increase compared to 2024, according to ComScore data.
“We want to keep it going,” Sammon says.
One way to do that is to hold an annual event that executives hope will draw more attention. The Hill Nation Summit is “our Super Bowl of nerds,” Sammon said. “We bring Democrats and Republicans together in the same room and ask, ‘What’s your plan to rebuild America?'” Some invitees break news that resonates far beyond the in-person meeting, he says.
