I lead VentureBeat’s coverage on social media news, but also cover news and industry trends in e-commerce and mobile.

Previously, I was a senior reporter at Mashable. I also have experience in broadcast television and introduced social media reporting to the NBC San Diego newsroom.

I hold a Bachelor of Arts in English from UCLA.

You can find me pretty much anywhere on the web under the handle “jbruin.” I often tweet, instagram, facebook, and path on tech and the world at large. Sometimes I get a little NSFW on these channels, so consider yourself warned.

I also abide by VentureBeat’s Ethics Statement. I don’t hold stock in any company that I cover and I don’t accept gifts of any kind for coverage (though I do possess some startup swag collected from parties and such over the years). On occasion, companies send me samples and test products, but I disclose these details in stories whenever applicable. I do have a Bruin-bred bias against USC, a fact that causes more conflict in my personal life than it does in my reporting.

stories by Jennifer Van Grove

No top Internet company is more mobile than Pandora, but Twitter is a solid #2

The most mobile-centric properties in the world are two you probably wouldn't immediately expect: Pandora and Twitter.

Batter up! Groupon signs multi-year deal with Major League Baseball

Don't call it a home run, but slumping deals company Groupon isn't striking out with Major League Baseball -- quite the opposite, actually. The organizations announced Thursday that Groupon is now official daily deals site of MLB.com.

LivingSocial axes 10% of workforce

LivingSocial, once the promising number two deals company behind Groupon, confirmed today that it has laid off 400 workers, or around 10 percent of its global workforce.

Open Sesame for a mobile gifting experience that delights from app to doorstep

Steep me. Fill me. Remember me. Those messages greeted me upon opening my blue, tea-themed gift set, which Matt Brezina selected for me using his latest mobile-gifting venture called Sesame.

Brezina is CEO and co-founder of two-year-old Sincerely, makers of …

Coach Mayer’s game plan for a Yahoo comeback: mobile, partnerships, and acqui-hires

In her first public interview as Yahoo's CEO, Marissa Mayer channeled Vince Lombardi, the legendary former coach of the Green Bay Packers, to explain how she prioritizes her demanding life.

Relive your top 2012 moments with this nostalgic instant video tool

Feeling nostalgic? Skip the endless status-update sifting and turn to startup Animoto to relive your top moments of 2012.

Making sense of the Cyber Monday disconnect between social networks and sales

Facebook was either an amazing driver of purchases and traffic over the holiday shopping weekend or a complete non-factor. So which is it?

Lift fattens up with funding to help you keep your New Year’s resolutions

With fresh funding and big-name backers, Lift is now exponentially more fit to help people keep their resolutions.

Here’s what to make of Facebook’s Black Friday data: all talk, no action

Facebook members were chatting up a storm about retailers on Black Friday, but did their conversations, "likes," and shares amount to sales?

Mobile is the new black at eBay and PayPal

Fresh Black Friday data from e-commerce juggernaut eBay and payments specialist PayPal highlights this year's holiday shopping theme: the mall of America is in your pocket.

Apple’s iPad powers Black Friday mobile shopping bonanza (infographic)

Holiday shoppers didn't totally forgo long lines and early call times on Black Friday, but they did grab their smartphones and iPads to help them navigate to the best destinations, online or off.

Oh, Baby! Gangnam Style now most watched video in YouTube history

The Biebs may want to brush up on his dance moves. In just four months, Korean pop star Psy has outdanced the teen heartthrob to the top of YouTube's charts.

Forget family and food, Thanksgiving Day 2012 was all about the online shopping

Turkey Day is no longer just a day to gorge, give thanks, and watch football. We're now celebrating our American heritage with our pocketbooks too, using the holiday as an excuse to shop until the tryptophan kicks in.

Opower embraces big data to lower your utility bill

You want to save money. Utilities want you to conserve energy. Middle-man Opower thinks it can satisfy everyone with a brand-new platform designed to get people excited, yes excited, about energy conservation.

Facebook Ads Manager add-on helps marketers craft more effective campaigns

Facebook is now better assisting its direct response marketers with the addition of a self-service tool designed to measure and optimize campaign performance.

With beauty and brains, new MySpace seems too good to be true (review)

This is no redesign. It's a new product with a new purpose and a design meant to evoke emotion. And, if you have the patience to get used to a whole new experience, it's addictive.

Loyalty startups, beware: Belly lands in Bay Area with its quirky perks

Belly today arrived in San Francisco with 150 partner merchants ready to go live with quirky digital loyalty programs.

Facebook finally adds a share button to the mobile experience

Facebook launched a share button for its mobile website. The feature finally makes the once complicated process of reposting status updates on mobile effortless.

Facebook introduces Pages-only view for News Feed

Facebook today launched a new section that allows members to view more updates from the Pages they follow. The release could be enough to proactively stop a dustup from erupting into something bigger.