Curate This! by Steven Rosenbaum Summary

Curate This! explores the critical role of human-driven content curation in the digital age, arguing that algorithms alone cannot replicate the nuance of human judgment. Steven Rosenbaum provides frameworks for selecting, organizing, and presenting content effectively, with examples from platforms like BuzzFeed and YouTube. The book emphasizes curation as a skill for cutting through information overload and building trust with audiences.

Marketers, content creators, entrepreneurs, and professionals navigating information overload will benefit most. It’s ideal for those seeking strategies to enhance brand authority through curated content or to streamline digital workflows. Rosenbaum’s insights are particularly valuable for individuals aiming to balance automation with human creativity in content strategy.

Yes, particularly for its actionable advice on content curation. Rosenbaum blends theory with real-world examples, such as BuzzFeed’s viral success and YouTube’s user-generated content model. The book offers timeless principles for building audience trust, though some tech examples may feel dated (originally published in 2014).

Rosenbaum argues that curation requires a human touch to contextualize content meaningfully. While algorithms gather data, humans excel at identifying relevance, emotional resonance, and narrative flow—critical for engaging audiences. He positions curation as a solution to the “signal vs. noise” problem in the digital era.

• Curated Content Strategy: Selecting high-value content and presenting it with context.
• Audience-Centric Curation: Tailoring content to audience needs, as seen in MTV’s Unfiltered.
• The Three C’s: Collect, Organize, Share—a framework for effective curation.
• Video Curation: Leveraging user-generated video to enhance brand storytelling.

Steven Rosenbaum is a media entrepreneur, Emmy-winning producer, and author of Curation Nation. He founded five media startups, including Magnify.net, and pioneered user-generated content with MTV’s Unfiltered. His work focuses on the intersection of technology, storytelling, and audience engagement.

Rosenbaum highlights humans’ ability to adapt to cultural context and emotional nuance, unlike rigid algorithms. For example, he critiques automated newsfeeds for prioritizing engagement over accuracy, advocating instead for hybrid models where humans guide algorithmic outputs.

• Use video testimonials to showcase authentic customer experiences.
• Build niche-focused content hubs (e.g., The Huffington Post’s verticals).
• Implement “curated storytelling” by repurposing user-generated content.
• Regularly audit content to align with audience interests.

Some readers note the book’s tech examples (e.g., early social media tools) feel outdated in 2025. Others argue it underestimates AI’s evolving role in curation, though Rosenbaum acknowledges this limitation in later interviews.

While Curation Nation (2011) focuses on curation’s economic impact, Curate This! (2014) offers a hands-on guide for practitioners. The latter includes case studies like the Guardian Datablog and actionable frameworks for content strategists.

As AI-generated content proliferates, Rosenbaum’s emphasis on human judgment aligns with 2025 trends prioritizing authenticity. The book’s principles underpin modern strategies like LinkedIn’s “expert curation” badges and TikTok’s creator-led trends.

This phrase encapsulates curation’s power to transform chaos into coherence. Examples include the 9/11 video archive Rosenbaum curated for the National Memorial, which wove disparate footage into a cohesive narrative.

“Algorithms are tools, not storytellers.” Rosenbaum uses this to stress that technology should enhance—not replace—human curators’ ability to craft narratives.

• Marketing: Curate customer stories to build brand loyalty.
• Education: Create topic-specific resource hubs for students.
• Media: Use hybrid human-AI systems to filter misinformation.