How should media companies respond to the rising popularity of news influencers

By Massimo Barsotti

Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Product Officer

Eidosmedia

Milan, Italy

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It was only a matter of time before influencers came for the news.

Roughly 20% of Americans told the Pew Research Center they regularly get news from influencers on social media. That number is even higher (37%) when you narrow it down to adults under 30.

For news publishers, whether these often-inexperienced interlopers are a threat or an ally in the changing news landscape is still up for discussion. For news consumers, questions surround the accuracy and reliability of their reporting.

All about news influencers

More than three-quarters (77%) of news influencers have no affiliation or background with a news organisation, and their favourite platform is Twitter/X.

Pew tells us 85% of news influencers are on this site, but they are not limited to it. About 50% are also on Instagram, and 44% are on YouTube. While 27% of news influencers identify as Republican, conservative, or pro-Donald Trump, 21% call themselves Democratic or liberal. There is, however, a clear divide among the sexes - 63% of news influencers are men.

TikTok, as is so often the case, shakes things up a bit. While men outnumber women about two-to-one on other platforms, on TikTok the split is more evenly distributed with 50% being men and 45% being women. The same goes for political identity on TikTok, where 25% of influencers are right-leaning, and 28% express a left-leaning political ideology.

A more personal touch

Of the Americans who get news from news influencers, 65% say influencers have "helped them better understand current events and civic issues." Meanwhile, 70% say influencer-driven news is "at least somewhat different from the news they get from other sources." A minority (31%) say they "feel a personal connection to a news influencer."

While they report a mix of breaking news, opinions, and funny posts, viewers say they see an even mix of opinions they agree and disagree with (61%). Meanwhile, 30% say they mostly agree with what they see, while only 2% disagree.

Influencers: the worldwide picture

On the international stage, news influencer trends play out differently.

For instance, Reuters looked at the United States, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, and Argentina. It found "news-related accounts of any kind are cited much more often in Brazil, the United States, and Argentina than they are in the United Kingdom or France. This is in line with greater use of social media for news in those countries."

They also say that, in the United States and Brazil, "there are a greater number of alternative news or individual accounts cited …" In the United Kingdom, mainstream media brands still rule. Over in Argentina and France, they find themselves with a more even split, "where the most mentioned account overall is a young news creator."

High trust, low accuracy

Unfortunately, even among the more traditional journalists, accuracy is not always high on the priority list.

Reuters noted: "We find that many of the most cited accounts belong to partisan political commentators (from left and right)" who have worked in traditional news media. Predictably, Reuters reported, "Some of these creators have been criticised for factual inaccuracies and for spreading conspiracies or misleading narratives, even as they are highly trusted by those who share their political views."

Partnership with news publishers?

It's only a matter of time before partnerships between influencers and news outlets cease to be unthinkable and become part of the news landscape. Jacob Granger wrote for Jounalism.co.uk that, in the past, publishers could have traded influencers' credibility for publicity, but today, money is on the table.

He predicted, "In 2025, newsrooms will run out of excuses for keeping influencers at arm's length and the experimentation will begin."

Part of the experimentation, however, must include figuring out how to deal with a social media landscape rewarding "exaggerated and hostile" takes, "rather than moderate and nuanced" explanations from "an educated centrist establishment," according to John Burn-Murdoch, who wrote about the subject in the Financial Times.

Take away the fact-checking requirements and liability traditional media is subject to, and you've got a recipe for trouble.

How will newsrooms go about holding influencer partners accountable without compromising their authenticity? Granger hopes that, as the first publishers into the fire learn important lessons, they will share them with others.

He is also more optimistic about the quality incentives for influencers: "Social audiences are more discriminating than we think. They crave accurate information and are prepared to vote with their clicks."

Let the buyer beware

It's not just the publishers who should be sounding the warning siren, though. The public should be concerned about the news they are consuming.

According to The Conversation, "A recent UNESCO survey found two-thirds of digital content creators failed to perform even basic fact-checking before sharing information. And the majority are unfamiliar with regulatory frameworks and international standards relating to digital communications."

In other words, while influencers may be good at making news more engaging, they are not too concerned with the veracity of the facts or quality of the opinions they share.

While many publishers have already waded into the TikTok waters and are hiring their own stars to reach new audiences, the future may require them to learn how to work with influencers too.

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About Massimo Barsotti

Massimo Barsotti is chief marketing officer and chief product officer at Eidosmedia in Milan, Italy. Massimo can be reached at massimo.barsotti@eidosmedia.com.

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