CNET Networks UK creates community manager role at ZDNet UK
Karen Friar hired from CNET News.com in San Francisco to fill key post
CNET Networks UK, the UK's largest online-only publisher, has created a pioneering new role at ZDNet.co.uk with the appointment of Karen Friar as its first community manager.
Friar has been drafted in from CNET Networks' San Francisco-based CNET News.com site to drive user engagement and help readers get more out of all the elements of ZDNet.co.uk.
The role will specifically see Friar helping grow the site's traffic by working on strategies and tactics to help readers to interact with each other more.
Friar will develop ideas to harness patterns of behaviour and develop new ways that people can feedback, share their views and create a dialogue with ZDNet.co.uk journalists.
In six years at CNET News.com, Friar won several journalism awards, including one from the Society of Professional Journalists for her special reports. Prior to this she served at ZDNet. Before technology journalism, Friar ran a monthly magazine based in San Francisco aimed at film and video production companies.
Matt Loney, site director of ZDNet.co.uk, said: "Karen brings years of online journalism and communities knowledge and experience to ZDNet.co.uk. News is not a vacuum and Karen's appointment is a recognition that our readers can get so much more out of ZDNet.co.uk."
About CNET Networks UK
CNET Networks UK is a part of CNET Networks Inc. (NASDAQ: CNET), a worldwide media company and creator of content environments for the interactive age. CNET Networks Inc. is headquartered in the US and has offices in 12 countries globally, including the UK. CNET Networks takes pride in being "a different kind of media company", creating richer, deeper interactive experiences by combining the wisdom and passion of users, marketers and its own expert editors. CNET Networks UK focuses on the business technology, personal technology and entertainment categories through six UK-focused websites: ZDNet.co.uk, silicon.com, Builder UK, CNET.co.uk, atlarge.com, and GameSpot UK. CNET Networks UK also delivers one-to-one services through its direct marketing arm CNET Direct.
