# Influencer Journalism > The resource for newsroom-creator partnerships. Case studies, frameworks, and strategies for ethical collaboration in journalism. Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages ### About this site URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/about/ Last updated: 2025-07-22T19:31:26.000Z Influencer Journalism Blog is an independent publication launched in July 2025 by Adriana Lacy. If you subscribe today, you'll get full access to the website as well as email newsletters about new content when it's available. Your subscription makes this site possible, and allows Influencer Journalism Blog to continue to exist. Thank you! ### Access all areas By signing up, you'll get access to the full archive of everything that's been published before and everything that's still to come. Your very own private library. ### Fresh content, delivered Stay up to date with new content sent straight to your inbox! No more worrying about whether you missed something because of a pesky algorithm or news feed. ### Meet people like you Join a community of other subscribers who share the same interests. --- ### Start your own thing Enjoying the experience? Get started for free and set up your very own subscription business using [Ghost](https://ghost.org/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), the same platform that powers this website. ### Home URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/home-687fe8267a0590001b437f77/ Last updated: 2025-01-28T05:09:15.000Z # Where Journalism Meets Influence. Influencer Journalism bridges the gap between traditional newsrooms and digital-first storytelling. We empower media organizations to engage audiences where they are – on social platforms, through compelling short-form video, and via trusted digital voices. [Work With Us ](https://adrianalacyconsulting.typeform.com/to/LIk06YEZ?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) Contact Us ![](https://influencerjournalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/arrow-header.svg) ![](https://influencerjournalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/iphone-nav.png) ![](https://influencerjournalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/iphone-15-nav.png) ## Transforming News for the Social Era #### Influencer Partnership Matching & Management We connect media organizations with influential digital creators to build strategic storytelling partnerships. Our matchmaking service ensures authentic alignment between newsrooms and influencers, creating content that reaches new audiences while maintaining editorial integrity. Explore #### Short-form Video Consulting & Production Support Transform your newsroom's video strategy for today's attention economy. Our expert team guides media organizations in creating compelling short-form content that drives engagement without compromising journalistic standards, helping you build a sustainable video operation. Connect #### Digital Engagement Workshops & Training Master the techniques for building genuine connections with digital audiences through our hands-on workshops and training programs. We teach journalists and media organizations how to adopt proven engagement practices from the influencer world while staying true to their journalistic mission. Learn ## Get Started with Us Today We're reimagining journalism for the digital age, connecting trusted newsrooms with influential voices to reach audiences where they are. Work With Us Contact Us https://influencerjournalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CTA-Video.mp4 ### About Us URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/about-us-687fe8267a0590001b437f78/ Last updated: 2025-01-28T06:41:39.000Z # Who We Are We empower media organizations to engage audiences where they are – on social platforms, through compelling short-form video, and via trusted digital voices. LEARN MORE JOIN US ## Where Journalism Meets New Media The media landscape has fundamentally shifted. As social platforms prioritize short-form video and audiences increasingly turn to digital creators for information, newsrooms must evolve while maintaining their journalistic integrity. We help newsrooms and media organizations thrive in this new era by combining journalistic excellence with influencer partnerships and modern storytelling techniques. Traditional journalism brings deep reporting, fact-checking, and editorial standards. Social media creators bring authentic engagement, platform expertise, and massive reach. We bridge these worlds. Through strategic partnerships, video production training, and engagement workshops, we empower media organizations to tell powerful stories that reach today's audiences where they are – without compromising the foundations of quality journalism. ![](https://influencerjournalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Our-Mission-and-Vision.png) ![](https://influencerjournalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Innovate-min.png) ###### Our Mission To strengthen journalism in the digital age by connecting newsrooms with influential voices, teaching short-form video excellence, and sharing proven audience engagement strategies. ##### Our Vision To build a media ecosystem where traditional journalism thrives on social platforms, reaching audiences where they are with stories that matter. LEARN MORE JOIN US Dedicated ## Our Founder Adriana Lacy brings a unique perspective to the intersection of journalism and social media as both a veteran journalist and digital innovator. Named to Forbes 30 Under 30, she has pioneered approaches to short-form video storytelling while working in newsrooms, giving her firsthand understanding of how media organizations can evolve for the digital age without compromising journalistic standards. She leads a dynamic team of digital media experts who share her vision for the future of journalism. Our crew includes experienced video producers who understand the nuances of platform-specific storytelling, social media strategists who stay ahead of ever-evolving trends, and engagement specialists who know how to build meaningful connections with digital audiences. Together, we combine deep newsroom experience with cutting-edge digital expertise to help media organizations thrive in today's landscape. ![](https://influencerjournalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Lacy_Adriana_693-MuckRack-Ona30029.webp) # We're hiring! Join our dynamic team and make an impact. OPEN POSITIONS ### Services URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/services-687fe8267a0590001b437f79/ Last updated: 2025-01-28T06:41:55.000Z ![](https://influencerjournalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Arrow-2.svg) Influencer Management ## Influencer Partnership Matching & Management In today's fragmented media landscape, connecting trusted journalism with influential digital voices is more crucial than ever. Our partnerships help newsrooms reach new audiences authentically. We connect media organizations with influential digital creators to build strategic storytelling partnerships. Our matchmaking service ensures authentic alignment between newsrooms and influencers, creating content that reaches new audiences while maintaining editorial integrity. ![](https://influencerjournalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/dfgtyu.webp) ![](https://influencerjournalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Hand-drawn-accents.svg) ![](https://influencerjournalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/ep_promotion-1.svg) ## Short-form Video Consulting & Production Support As platforms increasingly prioritize short-form video content, newsrooms must adapt their storytelling approaches while maintaining journalistic excellence. We're here to guide that transformation. Transform your newsroom's video strategy for today's attention economy. Our expert team guides media organizations in creating compelling short-form content that drives engagement without compromising journalistic standards, helping you build a sustainable video operation. ![](https://influencerjournalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Mask-group.webp) ![](https://influencerjournalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Hand-drawn-accents-2.svg) ![](https://influencerjournalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Arrow-2-1.svg) ![](https://influencerjournalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Arrow-2.svg) Consulting ## Digital Engagement Workshop & Training The most successful digital creators have mastered the art of authentic audience connection. We help journalists apply these engagement strategies while staying true to their editorial mission. Master the techniques for building genuine connections with digital audiences through our hands-on workshops and training programs. We teach journalists and media organizations how to adopt proven engagement practices from the influencer world while staying true to their journalistic mission. Learn more JOIN US ![](https://influencerjournalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/dfrt.webp) ![](https://influencerjournalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Hand-drawn-accents-1.svg) ### Newsletter URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/newsletter/ Last updated: 2025-01-28T06:42:23.000Z # Stay Informed with Influencer Journalism Insights Join our community of engaged readers and gain exclusive access to the latest trends and stories in influencer journalism. Our newsletter delivers valuable insights straight to your inbox, helping you stay ahead in the ever-evolving media landscape. [SUBSCRIBE ](#) LEARN MORE ## Join Our Influencer Journalism Newsletter Stay updated with the latest insights and trends. By subscribing you agree to with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company. 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Selected creators will receive training in foundational journalism practices, ethics, fact-checking, and responsible reporting. [ GET STARTED ](https://adrianalacyconsulting.typeform.com/to/LIk06YEZ?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) [ LEARN MORE ](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/services/) Collaborate ## Partnering with Influencer Journalism for Impact At Influencer Journalism, we believe in the power of collaboration. Brands, newsrooms, and influencers can unite to create compelling narratives that resonate with audiences. - Leverage our platform to amplify your message effectively. - Join forces with us for innovative storytelling. - Together, we can drive meaningful conversations and engagement. 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Please read them carefully. ### Our Services Influencer Journalism provides: - Partnership matching between media organizations and digital creators - Short-form video consulting and production support - Digital engagement workshops and training - Related consulting services ### Use of Our Services You agree to: - Provide accurate and complete information - Maintain the confidentiality of any account credentials - Use our services only for lawful purposes - Not infringe on intellectual property rights - Not interfere with or disrupt our services ### Partnership Matching Program When participating in our partnership program: - We facilitate introductions but are not responsible for the outcome of partnerships - All parties are responsible for their own due diligence - We do not guarantee specific results or engagement metrics - Participants must disclose any conflicts of interest ### Workshop and Training Services For our workshops and training: - Registration is required for participation - Payment must be made in advance unless otherwise arranged - We reserve the right to modify or cancel sessions with notice - Materials provided are for participant use only and may not be shared ### Payment Terms - Fees are as quoted for specific services - All fees are in USD unless otherwise specified - Refunds are handled on a case-by-case basis - Payment terms are net 30 for organizations unless otherwise specified ### Intellectual Property - Our content, branding, and materials are protected by copyright - Workshop materials may not be recorded or redistributed - Participants retain rights to their own content - We respect intellectual property rights and expect users to do the same ### Confidentiality We maintain strict confidentiality regarding: - Partnership discussions and negotiations - Client information and data - Workshop participation details - Organizational strategies and plans ### Disclaimer of Warranties Our services are provided "as is." We make no warranties regarding: - Specific outcomes or results - Partnership success rates - Platform changes affecting strategy - Third-party actions or content ### Limitation of Liability Our liability is limited to the amount paid for specific services. We are not liable for: - Indirect or consequential damages - Lost profits or opportunities - Third-party actions - Technical failures beyond our control ### Changes to Terms We may update these terms with notice. Continued use of our services constitutes acceptance of updated terms. **Termination**We reserve the right to: - Terminate services for violation of these terms - Refuse service to anyone for any lawful reason - Modify or discontinue services with notice ### Governing Law These terms are governed by Massachusetts law, without regard to conflicts of law principles. ### Privacy Policy URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/privacy-policy-687fe8267a0590001b437f7d/ Last updated: 2025-02-07T12:26:07.000Z Information # Privacy Policy Last Updated: February 10, 2025 #### Table of contents [Our Commitment to Privacy](#our-commitment-to-privacy) [Information We Collect](#information-we-collect) [How We Use Your Information](#how-we-use-your-information) [Information Sharing](#information-sharing) [Data Protection](#data-protection) [Your Choices](#your-choices) [Cookie Policy](#cookie-policy) [Updates to This Policy](#updates-to-this-policy) ### Our Commitment to Privacy Influencer Journalism ("we," "our," or "us") values your privacy and is committed to protecting any information shared with us through our website and services. ### Information We Collect We collect information that you voluntarily provide when: - Reaching out through our contact forms - Signing up for our workshops or services - Participating in our partnership matching program - Subscribing to our newsletters or updates This information typically includes: - Name and email address - Organization and role - Professional background - Communication preferences We also automatically collect standard website data like: - Browser type - Device information - Pages visited - Time spent on our site ### How We Use Your Information We use your information to: - Provide our consulting services - Facilitate partnerships between newsrooms and creators - Deliver workshops and training - Send relevant updates about our services - Improve your experience on our website ### Information Sharing We only share your information as necessary to provide our services: - With potential partners (only with your explicit consent) - With workshop facilitators for training purposes - With service providers who help operate our website We never sell your personal information to third parties. ### Data Protection We take reasonable measures to protect your information through secure systems and encrypted connections. While we implement appropriate security measures, no website can guarantee absolute security. ### Your Choices You can: - Update your contact information anytime - Opt-out of marketing communications - Request deletion of your information - Access your data - Choose not to provide certain information, though this may limit access to some features ### Cookie Policy We use cookies to improve your browsing experience. You can adjust your browser settings to decline cookies, though this may affect some website functionality. ### Updates to This Policy We may update this policy occasionally. We'll post any changes on this page and, if the changes are significant, provide a more prominent notice. ### Documents URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/documents/ Last updated: 2025-05-28T13:46:21.000Z Documents ## Explore Our Documents Download ## Posts ### How a French Broadcaster Is Racing to Transfer a Creator’s Trust back to the newsroom URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/hugodecrypte-tf1-france-creators/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T18:58:15.000Z Hugo Travers was an 18-year-old college freshman when he launched the “HugoDécrypte - Actus du jour” YouTube channel from his dorm room. Eleven years later, it reached 22% of French under-35s, according to [Reuters Institute’s 2025 Digital News Report](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/622b78ab1e61497a953bc219/6862631d11110c3084ab2b6a%5FDigital%5FNews-Report%5F2025-compressed%20further.pdf?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). That reach translates into an outsized influence: a 2024 Reuters survey found he’s cited [more often than Le Monde, Le Figaro, and Libération combined](https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2024/rise-alternative-voices-and-news-influencers-social-and-video-networks?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), among people who used social networks for news. By May 2025, a [Harris poll](https://www.strategies.fr/actualites/medias/LQ5157542C/hugodecrypte-et-gaspard-g-les-nouveaux-visages-de-linformation.html?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) had him tied with TF1, France’s biggest private network, in trust among under-35s — at 18% each. This means four out of five young French people trust neither one of them. At 29, Travers commands over 20 million followers across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Travers is now a news guide to millions, but he didn’t start that way. “I was lost,” he told [France Culture](https://direct-radio.fr/france-culture/podcast/francois-saltiel/la-fabrique-de-linformation?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), describing how he felt watching political shows as a student. That’s when he started explaining the news to his 15-year-old sister. He got his first real breakthrough reacting live to the 2022 presidential debate between Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen. A[ single Twitch livestreaming with real-time commentary](https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1461894657?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) drew 697,341 views. The scale came later. In 2023, Travers’ [interview with Macron, by then reelected president, aired live on YouTube and TikTok](https://sfxpp.satellifacts.com/news/actualite/hugodecrypte-1-5-million-de-spectateurs-devant-l-interview-d-emmanuel-macron?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com); its replay drew 1.6 million views, topping France’s trending list. His access has climbed ever since. When Macron traveled to Washington in February 2025 to press Trump on Ukraine, [Travers covered the visit from inside the White House](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/81nIJWy6sxk?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) and even asked [Trump about Vladimir Putin](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/b3-ioEYtQS0?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). That same evening, Travers also had a seat on the presidential plane to interview Macron once again. When Macron traveled to Washington in February 2025 to press Trump on Ukraine, Travers covered the visit from inside the White House and even asked Trump about Vladimir Putin. *Influencer Journalism* spent months attempting to reach TF1, Hugo Travers and Gaspard Guermonprez, another creator the broadcaster has been working with, but they didn’t respond to our attempts. To grasp what these alliances represent, what’s been working and doesn't, we turned to [Pierre Caulliez](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/pierrecaulliez?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), a French media industry leader who has worked with newsrooms and creators across Europe to track how young audiences consume news. Caulliez observed that young French people type “information + HugoDécrypte” into TikTok just to check if something’s true. “That’s quite remarkable,” Caulliez told *Influencer Journalism.* ### **The Legacy Counter-Move** As France’s larger private network, TF1 runs a news operation of more than 500 journalists across its main channels. Its flagship [“20 Heures” draws 5.1 million viewers on average in 2025](https://www.lefigaro.fr/medias/il-faut-etre-capable-de-nouer-des-alliances-tf1-s-allie-avec-l-influenceur-gaspard-g-pour-des-podcasts-video-20251126?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) — its best year in fifteen years. Despite these strong ratings, [TV viewing time continues to decline](https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/2026/streaming-shatters-multiple-records-in-december-2025-with-47-5-of-tv-viewing-according-to-nielsens-the-gauge/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) as audiences turn to digital channels. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/09/Design---2-2-.png) TF1 is answering on various fronts: [commercial deals with creators,](https://europe.streamtvshow.com/event/streamtv-europe/session/case-study-1?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) including HugoDécrypte; editorial co-productions; [original podcasts](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XJZ28sCByE&list=PLOInMnMM0%5FfcA%5FTQw8cdc54Oen0HnUIH4&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com); a streaming platform ([TF1+](https://www.tf1.fr/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com)); and a [distribution partnership with Netflix](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/f1-and-tf1-live-channel-now-available-on-netflix-in-france?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). Caulliez sees TF1’s experimentation as a step forward, a sign legacy media may be learning creators’ mindset: test formats fast, see what works, adapt in real time. But he’s not convinced TF1 is learning fast enough. “The media environment changes extremely quickly,” he says. Thierry Thuillier, TF1’s Director of Information, isn’t new to this. He ran one of the group’s earliest creator experiments back in 2017, when LCI, its 24-hour news channel, [signed HugoDécrypte](https://www.tf1info.fr/actualite/hugo-decrypte-11652/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) for a [weekly political segment](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzhkEUJNhvc&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) and a [5-minute travel reportage](https://www.tf1info.fr/elections/la-chronique-d-hugo-travers-5-minutes-pour-tout-comprendre-de-l-affaire-fillon-2027288.html?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) that aired Sunday mornings. Travers later [admitted to researchers at CELSA Sorbonne Université](https://dumas.ccsd.cnrs.fr/dumas-02939474/file/ROUET%20Sebastien%20GARNIER%20Hugues%5FDUMAS.pdf?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) that the slot was bad: “very few young people watch television” then. Nine years and several formats later, TF1’s improved: they are betting on meeting audiences on every platform instead of waiting for them to come back to TV. ## Subscribe to the Influencer Journalism Newsletter Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. [In an interview with Le Figaro](https://www.lefigaro.fr/medias/il-faut-etre-capable-de-nouer-des-alliances-tf1-s-allie-avec-l-influenceur-gaspard-g-pour-des-podcasts-video-20251126?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), Thuillier argued that success can no longer be measured by TV ratings alone and that media is no longer a “closed world.” He said that growth, now, happens digitally. In this sense, the executive is convinced that “the 2027 presidential election will be an accelerating factor in the transformation of habits.” To Thuillier, in order to “remain a reference media outlet when it comes to news”, TF1 has to be “able to build alliances” and the presidential elections next year will be the perfect testing ground for that. ### **Gaspard G: The Outsider TF1 Brought In-House** [TF1’s newest bet is Gaspard Guermonprez](https://vl-media.fr/qui-est-gaspard-g-avec-qui-tf1-sassocie-pour-la-presidentielle/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), known online as Gaspard G, a 28-year-old political content creator with [1.6 million YouTube subscribers](https://www.youtube.com/@GaspardG?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). He started his YouTube channel at 10 years old. Now Gaspard G runs a nine-person production company creating long-form political journalism, and a [25-creator talent agency](https://intello.co/talent/gaspard-g/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) that he says is strictly separate from it, as separate entities — though he is the major shareholder of both. Gaspard G first broke into national conversation in 2021 when a video on student conditions during the pandemic drew [a phone call from then-Prime Minister Jean Castex himself.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQO3aEHLtO4&t=2s&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) Since then he’s landed on [Forbes 30 Under 30 France](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/gaspardg%5Fforbes30under30-intelloetfier-share-7185532925696724992-N6P6/?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAAKxqskB3CnBRuo0DVpZTOpfXrZMeByP9Pk), [hosts a daily column on France Inter](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNV47YJ2jNs&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), and appears as a commentator on [BFM Business](https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9u34lk?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). Now [TF1 has commissioned him to produce a 45-minute interview program](https://www.ozap.com/actu/nous-devons-nous-adapter-pour-parler-au-jeune-public-tf1-sassocie-avec-linfluenceur-gaspard-g-pour-des-podcasts-video-en-vue-de-la-presidentielle-2027/652670?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), *Les Dossiers*. In the long-form video podcast, Gaspard G confronts politicians with their own past, using 50 years deep TF1 archives to trace politicians’ lives from childhood through their political rise. The format cuts against a common assumption in legacy media: that young audiences only want short-form content. “Short-form is very powerful for discovery, but loyalty is often built through longer formats, where audiences spend more time with identifiable personalities and deeper storytelling,” Caulliez noted. [The first episode](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8huauw7OkE&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), a dossier tracing Jean-Luc Mélenchon from childhood to the presidential race, tested that idea directly. Reactions split: some wanted the format to go further — one viewer wrote the episode “clearly reveals a candidate’s political journey and values” but complained the answers were “cut off precisely where we would like to learn more,” and questioned airing accusations without letting Mélenchon respond. Others said it changed their vote. [More presidential candidates’ dossiers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I4xHZxjvyI&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) and interviews are coming to the channel. They will be the real test of whether the format holds. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/09/Design---1-1---2-.png) ### **Where the Trust Bet Got Tested** Not every experiment has landed as cleanly. In January, 2026 TF1 and HugoDécrypte ran declared sponsored content on [YouTube Shorts ](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BxtyIgGe8Ws?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com)and [Instagram Reels](https://www.instagram.com/reels/DT0QCW7jH9z/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) about youth media habits. But the sponsorship drew pushback from Travers’ own audience, who questioned whether it compromised his independence, even though the collaboration was clearly disclosed. “Audiences today expect transparency, but also independence,” Caulliez says. “Even if a partnership is clearly disclosed, audiences can still react negatively if they feel the creator is becoming too close to the institution.” It’s the exact tension the [STEPP framework ](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/)is built to catch: disclosure alone doesn’t guarantee an audience reads a partnership as trustworthy. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/09/Design---1-2-.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/09/Design---1-1---3-.png) Travers now finances a 42-person newsroom that includes 16 credentialed journalists. On the French program [Quotidien, in 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJOeEDEdDe8&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), and later, [before the Senate](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkbiSK4ffBs&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), he was asked to explain how he supports such a structure. The 29-year-old creator described a two-part model: ad revenue from videos, and brand partnerships — clearly labeled, and never produced by the journalists on his team who hold press credentials. “I consider it, in a way, the least-bad model for what we want to do,” Travers said to Quotidien. The goal, he added, is to keep the channel free, reaching people “who might be informing themselves for the first time.” ### **Who Gets to Set the Rules for Creators?** While legacy outlets are racing to partner with creators; lawmakers are catching up to set regulations not only on this type of partnerships but also on how creators’ model operates. [In April 2026, Travers and Gaspard G testified before a Senate, alongside streamer Jean Massiet.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkbiSK4ffBs&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) Senators pressed them on how to classify what they do, the risk of algorithmic manipulation before the 2027 elections, and on whether broadcast-era rules make sense online. Neither creator fully answered the question of what they are. Travers described spending nearly two days in 2024 at a [UNESCO roundtable](https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/bridging-gap-collaboration-between-digital-content-creators-and-journalists-information-sphere?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) specifically wrestling with this question and not reaching a conclusion. Gaspard G said he considers the label unimportant, and that what matters is audience perception. But that raises a question: are they still on the hook for the norms and scrutiny that come with the label, like journalism’s professional code and the regulatory rules that apply to broadcasters? After all, they are still getting treated as credible news sources — not only by audiences, but also when they partner with an outlet like TF1. On the risk of algorithmic manipulation ahead of the 2027 elections, both downplayed the danger at home, pointing instead to foreign interference campaigns rather than the platforms themselves. Although, he acknowledged platforms aren’t neutral, citing [TikTok’s role in Romania's 2024 presidential election](https://www.bbc.com/articles/cqx41x3gn5zo?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), which was annulled after a coordinated TikTok campaign helped propel a fringe far-right candidate to a surprise first-round win. Gaspard G, who is also vice-president of[ the union representing France’s content creators](https://www.umicc.fr/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), the UMICC, told senators how he pushed [France’s public film and video funding agency,](https://www.cnc.fr/web/en/about?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) the CNC, to raise its creator fund from €1.8 million to €3 million in 2026\. He called the amount “a drop in the bucket” of the €43 million he says Google and Meta pay the CNC in taxes each year. Gaspard G added that most of this money goes to fund established cinema, not new creators like him. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/09/Design---2-2---1-.png) A day after the hearing, the CNC suspended the fund completely. This happened after a streamer, newly named to the jury that picks which creators get funded, said on a livestream that she would refuse to support far-right creators. Critics said this showed the jury’s own bias. Gaspard G reacted [telling Le Parisien: ](https://www.leparisien.fr/culture-loisirs/face-aux-menaces-et-aux-critiques-le-cnc-suspend-son-fonds-de-soutien-aux-createurs-de-contenus-sur-les-reseaux-sociaux-08-04-2026-KWLXA5IDRVEXVE2VCG4P5YQDXQ.php?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com)“The CNC is giving a gift to the far right.” On regulation, Gaspard G and Massiet told senators: rules built for broadcast, like ARCOM’s (France’s equivalent of the FCC) equal-airtime requirements, don’t make sense online. As Massiet put it, TV and radio have a limited number of channels; but anyone can start a YouTube account. While the rules are still being written, TF1 and creators continue to explore formats and alliances. The experiments that didn’t work out were precisely the ones that raised ethical concerns around editorial independence and financial ties. Trust seems to travel when the creator keeps editorial control and the institution supplies raw material. On TikTok, Thuillier’s told Le Figaro, TF1 still ranks third among French news accounts, [Brut, the social-first outlet known for its short-form video,](https://www.brut.media/fr?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) and HugoDécrypte itself. ### Signal Cleveland: Building the Structure for Creator Work URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/creator-collaboration-newsroom-signal-cleveland/ Last updated: 2026-08-06T21:49:41.000Z 💡 ****About this case study.** This is one of a series of case studies from the inaugural [CatchLight Creator Collaboration Cohort](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/creator-partnership-newsrooms-journalism/), a program run by Influencer Journalism to help local newsrooms build ethical, effective creator partnerships using the [STEPP Framework](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/). Each newsroom wrote its own account of the work, candid about what was hard as well as what worked, as a model for other newsrooms considering this path. Below, [Signal Cleveland](https://signalcleveland.org/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) shares its own. ### **The challenge** Signal Cleveland had been gradually building capacity for a more thoughtful approach to sharing its work on social media, and opening the door to creator collaborations was a crucial piece of that. The newsroom has been trying to reach audiences who consume news primarily on social media, people who do not normally visit news websites. ### **The partnership** The newsroom's pick changed as it went through the process. It initially wanted to collaborate with I'm From Cleveland, an Instagram page that curates headlines, stories, and other content focused on Cleveland culture. As it honed in on the kind of collaboration it wanted, the team realized that creator was not the best fit, because it wanted to work with a creator to make original content. [We Ran a Creator Partnership Cohort With Five Newsrooms. The Creators Were the Easy Part.This spring, five newsrooms spent eight weeks building real creator partnerships from the ground up. Here is what they learned, and what it means for any newsroom considering this work.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/icon/Frame-5-a267e8d7-9a93-4e19-9213-f2daee808e4f.png)Influencer JournalismAdriana Lacy![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/thumbnail/Signal-Cleveland-6e4d4c8f-f46f-4459-9e8e-106e311bd8be.png)](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/creator-partnership-newsrooms-journalism/) Signal Cleveland is now planning a pitch to[ Stefan Johnson](https://www.instagram.com/s%5Fjohnson%5Fvoiceovers/?hl=en&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), known as Snack Daddy. His content focuses on food, and he has a global audience. He is from Cleveland, and the newsroom has collaborated with him loosely in the past. His audience and content fit well with a series Signal Cleveland is creating this summer, exploring the cultural significance and history of the city's many different types of sausage. > [ View this post on Instagram ](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZvlt%5F7Rl0p/?utm%5Fsource=ig%5Fembed&utm%5Fcampaign=loading) > > [A post shared by Stefan Johnson (@s\_johnson\_voiceovers)](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZvlt%5F7Rl0p/?utm%5Fsource=ig%5Fembed&utm%5Fcampaign=loading) ### **The process** Before the cohort, Signal Cleveland did not have structures in place to enable creator collaboration. Participating pushed the newsroom to think more critically about how collaboration works and what it would require. It took a couple of meetings to nail down, but the team put together a group of stakeholders from both the editorial and audience teams. That was a crucial first step the newsroom did not know it needed. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/08/Signal-Cleveland--2-.png) One of the biggest challenges was simply capacity. Signal Ohio's audience team oversees multiple newsrooms across the state, and the Cleveland newsroom has no one dedicated to running its social media. So the effort required bringing together several people who could tap in and out of social media strategy, including creator collaborations, on top of their other responsibilities. The team is planning to test its first collaboration on the sausage series, because it is more light-hearted yet still very dear to many Clevelanders. There is room for creativity and humor as well as serious reflection. ### **The results** The newsroom has defined success in concrete, community-rooted terms. This might sound strange, but Clevelanders are very passionate about sausage. So success looks like consistent, vibrant discussion and debate in comments, shares, and responses to a survey the newsroom will launch with the project. The team wants to hear about the secret family recipes passed down through generations and the unique takes brought to Cleveland by its newcomer communities. ### **Lessons learned** Reflecting on the process, the newsroom's main change for next time would be to brainstorm with the wider newsroom a bit earlier. You never know what ideas could come from throwing a lot of paint at the wall before expectation creeps in. ### **Next steps** Signal Cleveland plans to see how this more formal process goes and then build from there. There is a strong sense that the newsroom will continue to work with creators; it just has to see what that looks like and what a good fit would be. ### The Texas Tribune: Working Through the Hard Questions First URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/newsroom-creator-collaboration-texas-tribune/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T17:53:15.000Z 💡 ****About this case study.** This is one of a series of case studies from the inaugural [CatchLight Creator Collaboration Cohort](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/creator-partnership-newsrooms-journalism/), a program run by Influencer Journalism to help local newsrooms build ethical, effective creator partnerships using the [STEPP Framework](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/). Each newsroom wrote its own account of the work, candid about what was hard as well as what worked, as a model for other newsrooms considering this path. Below, [The Texas Tribune ](https://www.texastribune.org/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com)shares its own. ### **The challenge** The Texas Tribune came in with several ideas for building brand awareness and highlighting events or environmental reporting through creators, spanning nature, politics, and lifestyle. Those ideas included working with a creator who highlights food businesses and unique spots in Texas to talk about the Tribune's mission and work; working with nature or sustainability creators to promote planned events and environmental reporting; working with a Texas young-adult creator to show how people get involved in their community; and working with a national political creator to connect with similar creators in Texas around what it is like to be a politics creator. ### **The partnership** Initially, the strongest idea was to work with an Austin-based creator on a mission to visit all of Texas's state parks in 2026, to promote and cover a planned event about the state's newest park, Palo Pinto. The event would have taken place at the park and included a walk-through, but the event was ultimately cancelled, so the team never approached the creator. [We Ran a Creator Partnership Cohort With Five Newsrooms. The Creators Were the Easy Part.This spring, five newsrooms spent eight weeks building real creator partnerships from the ground up. Here is what they learned, and what it means for any newsroom considering this work.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/icon/Frame-5-54773a7c-4a96-4e72-8c66-632b59efd874.png)Influencer JournalismAdriana Lacy![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/thumbnail/Signal-Cleveland-89e82ceb-fb97-4738-92bb-991b081d822b.png)](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/creator-partnership-newsrooms-journalism/) Since then, the strongest idea has been to work with Austin or Texas-based creators to promote the annual Texas Tribune Festival, which takes place in late September. The team is still identifying exactly which creators, and has had many discussions about who would be appropriate. It wrestled, for example, with whether to work with overtly political creators and how that could affect its perception as a nonpartisan news nonprofit that covers Texas politics and policy. The team considered leaning into politics and featuring political creators as festival attendees, or going behind the scenes of what it is like to be a political creator in Texas. In the end, it came to believe it may be best to work with more lifestyle-focused creators who can help reach new audiences that are not inherently interested in politics and who may be seen as more neutral. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/08/data-src-image-2d1601ef-3044-4637-8d03-a1c3e7618096.png) ### **The process** The newsroom has not yet actively collaborated with a creator and is still selecting potential collaborators. But the process clarified a shared concern: whether a creator promoting the Tribune's reporting could do so accurately and fairly without either party taking a hit to its public perception, whether that is a creator being called out for not taking a stance, or the Tribune being called out for collaborating with an overtly political creator. The program also spurred other ideas worth pursuing outside this specific collaboration. For example, the team could build an email list of creators it could notify about its latest reporting and projects, in case they want to talk about them. Because this program is geared toward compensating creator collaborators, disclosing that, and creating a contract, that approach would not necessarily meet the program's requirements, but it is a promising direction of its own. For the planned Texas Tribune Festival promotional videos, the team wants to create a contract that outlines how many videos the creator must provide and the branding guidelines, and would likely work closely with the creator to tweak and finalize the videos. ### **The results** As a planning-stage partnership, the Tribune has framed its results around what it is set up to learn. Chiefly, it wants to understand what creators would want or need in order to have clear direction on a proposed video while still maintaining at least some creative freedom. ### **Lessons learned** Looking back, the team would focus more from the beginning on how to highlight products beyond specific stories, such as events, or distinctive tools like its Schools Explorer database of school-related data, rather than framing the creator opportunity narrowly around individual pieces of reporting. ### **Next steps** The Tribune has not yet decided, but it may pursue the creator email-list idea, which would let creators become aware of its stories and work and choose how to highlight them without being directly affiliated with the newsroom. That way both sides could potentially benefit without running into the perception issues that could arise from a paid and disclosed sponsorship. ### Montana Free Press: Reaching a New Market Through Creators URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/newsroom-creator-collaboration-montana-free-press/ Last updated: 2026-08-06T21:47:57.000Z 💡 ****About this case study.** This is one of a series of case studies from the inaugural [CatchLight Creator Collaboration Cohort](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/creator-partnership-newsrooms-journalism/), a program run by Influencer Journalism to help local newsrooms build ethical, effective creator partnerships using the STEPP Framework. Each newsroom wrote its own account of the work, candid about what was hard as well as what worked, as a model for other newsrooms considering this path. Below, [Montana Free Press](https://montanafreepress.org/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) shares its own. ### **The challenge** Montana Free Press has earned a strong reputation across Montana for long-form, in-depth written reporting. That style, however, has at times struggled to reach or resonate with specific groups of readers, even when the reporting would be important and impactful to them. As MTFP expanded into Billings, the state's most populous media market, it became clear that reaching news consumers in a particular age group, specifically 35 to 44, would be central to a successful expansion. Billings' largest age demographic is 35 to 44, and through focus groups with Billings residents in that group, the newsroom found a real appetite for quality local reporting but recognized that discoverability and brand awareness would be the biggest hurdles. Montana Free Press needed a new way to build brand awareness and promote its geographic expansion, beyond how it had marketed in the past, and to reach readers where they already are, in both platform and style of content. ### **The partnership** To build both broad brand awareness and awareness for the local expansion, Montana Free Press chose to pursue partnerships with two Montana-based, Montana-focused creators. The first was [Jonas Nichols](https://www.instagram.com/jonas.rydell.n/?hl=en&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), a comedy and skit creator who makes videos about the amusing and absurd moments of living in Montana. What interested the newsroom was more than his inside-joke relatability and broad reach among Montana natives and expats who still hold the state dear. His content is broadly apolitical but occasionally nods to current events, and the newsroom saw an opportunity to promote its local newsletter products, launching in Billings as part of the expansion, to audiences who might otherwise see MTFP reporting and not identify with it. The second creator, [Mary-Kate Teske](https://www.instagram.com/marykateteske/?hl=en&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), is more traditional in how her content aligns with MTFP's objectives. She primarily produces social-first video essays on Montana history, and has recently moved toward videos on [issues affecting eastern Montana](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbQ6KmaOJLb/?hl=eng&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), specifically the area around Billings. She was exactly what the newsroom was looking for in a creator who could reach younger Billings audiences on the platforms and in the formats they expect. [We Ran a Creator Partnership Cohort With Five Newsrooms. The Creators Were the Easy Part.This spring, five newsrooms spent eight weeks building real creator partnerships from the ground up. Here is what they learned, and what it means for any newsroom considering this work.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/icon/Frame-5-22191502-f44e-4570-b4a2-0c8bd95b2606.png)Influencer JournalismAdriana Lacy![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/thumbnail/Signal-Cleveland-39488c30-94cc-4571-8ed6-7c7ecea099b7.png)](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/creator-partnership-newsrooms-journalism/) ### **The process** Working with both creators proved much easier than Montana Free Press expected, and in almost every case its trepidations were unfounded. In early internal planning, many questions circulated about whether such partnerships made sense for MTFP, particularly around what could go wrong. After initial meetings with both creators, most of those concerns turned out to be overblown. What surprised the team most, which in hindsight it calls fairly naive, was how professional the creators were. Mary-Kate Teske had worked with other newsrooms before and was very familiar with editorial review expectations for partnerships. She was happy to walk the team through her production process, timelines, and expectations. It was an important reminder that even with small or niche creators, the approach should be no different than any other professional partnership. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/08/Montana-Free-Press--2-.png) In the same vein, Jonas Nichols recognized on his own that both his comedic style and concerns about brand image could create conflict. He was also clear about understanding his audience and having a firm grasp of what will and won't succeed. A frank, open conversation at the outset, about MTFP's editorial review process for both the script and the final product, and about Jonas's own policies on creative control, produced a more confident outcome internally than when the team began. ### **The results** As the partnerships move into production, Montana Free Press is watching to see how this approach to its brand and its reporting resonates with an audience it does not often hear from. At a base level, the primary objective is driving sign-ups for the Billings newsletter. Beyond that, the team wants to observe the engagement and feedback it receives from both the creators' audiences and its own. On platforms like Facebook, still used by older readers, comment engagement is high. On Instagram, likes and views may be as high or higher, but comments and shares typically lag. The newsroom wants to see whether there is any meaningful increase in shares and comments on partner posts when shared on its own channels. ### **Lessons learned** Throughout planning and production, Montana Free Press found that the best way for newsrooms new to creator partnerships to dip a toe in is to approach these relationships like any other freelance reporting contract. In its experience, there has been very little difference so far in how it vets, pitches, sets expectations, and manages creator relationships compared with many freelance relationships. Just as important is remembering that these creators are professionals who know what they are doing. While no one in the newsroom scoffed at partnering with creators, there were real questions about whether the team trusted people outside the newsroom to represent it and its reporting. Those questions came from a reasonable place of uncertainty, but as the process moved forward, both internally and with the creators, many resolved themselves. As with the freelancer framing, recognizing creators as the professionals they are helped calm the waters. In some cases the internal feeling around creator partnerships recalled the early days of TikTok, when a reporter or editor might joke that they needed to learn how to Floss to be successful, or even present, on the platform. Said in jest, it still betrayed a dismissiveness and a fundamental misunderstanding of what the platform was and the opportunity it offered to connect reporting to new people. To build a successful creator partnership is to recognize you are working with an expert in their craft, a professional who understands their platform implicitly and knows what works to reach an audience. Lean on that expertise. ### **Next steps** Taking its first steps into creator partnerships has expanded Montana Free Press's vision of what future partnerships could look like. While its initial partnerships focused on brand awareness and targeted market expansion, the newsroom has seen how partnerships could also expand the scope of its reporting. While researching creators, the team found one focused on Montana sports. It loved the work but initially struggled to connect the dots between its own reporting and sports content. As planning and outreach continued, and with the freelancer framing fresh in mind, the team found itself considering more openly what a partnership with that sports creator could look like. Montana Free Press continues to work directly with both creator partners as it approaches the launch of its Billings expansion. So far it has no regrets about taking the creator partnership plunge, and it is looking forward to how relationships like these can help it reach people it might never have reached otherwise. ### We Ran a Creator Partnership Cohort With Five Newsrooms. The Creators Were the Easy Part. URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/creator-partnership-newsrooms-journalism/ Last updated: 2026-08-06T23:02:39.000Z Earlier this year, Influencer Journalism ran the inaugural [CatchLight Creator Collaboration Cohort](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/catchlight-local-creator-collaboration-cohort-newsroom-influencers/): an eight-week program that brought five newsrooms together to build ethical, effective partnerships with content creators. Each newsroom received funding toward a partnership, coaching across four working sessions, and a shared method for doing this well, the [STEPP Framework](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/). The newsrooms came from across the country and across the local news landscape, from community-serving outlets to statewide publications. What they shared was a starting point: most had never seriously taken on creator-partnership work before. By the end, every newsroom that completed the program left with a vetted creator partner, an internal working structure, editorial guardrails, and a repeatable process. Some are already in production. Others are planning fall launches. All of them built a capability that did not exist eight weeks earlier. If your newsroom is weighing this kind of work, here is what the cohort surfaced, and what we would tell you before you start. ### **The creators were the easy part** Nearly every newsroom arrived carrying the same worry: can we trust an outside voice to represent our reporting? What if they get something wrong, or say something off-brand, or embarrass us? It is a fair concern, and it is the one that keeps a lot of good newsrooms from ever starting. It tended to fall away the moment a newsroom actually sat down with a creator. One team told us its early trepidation had been, in hindsight, naive. The creators they met were professionals who understood editorial review and came with their own production processes and timelines. One creator raised the question of how his comedic style might affect the newsroom's brand himself, before anyone brought it up, and wanted to talk through where the lines were. Another had worked with newsrooms before and walked the team through her whole process. These creators were experts in a craft the newsroom did not have in-house. The most useful thing a newsroom can do here is treat a creator partnership like a freelance reporting contract, which is work newsrooms already know how to do. You vet the person, agree on scope and terms, build in editorial review, and then trust their expertise to deliver. Framed that way, the whole thing stops feeling unfamiliar. As one editor told us, a good creator partnership starts with recognizing you are working with an expert in their craft, and leaning on that expertise rather than second-guessing it. If your newsroom is holding back out of fear, that fear is the first obstacle, and it is mostly unfounded. The way through it is not more caution but treating the creator as the professional they are. ### **The real work was inside the newsroom** If the creators were the easy part, the newsrooms themselves were not. Almost without exception, the friction that slowed a partnership was internal, and this is the finding we most want other newsrooms to sit with, because it is the one people are least prepared for. The obstacles were capacity, coordination, and buy-in. One newsroom's most honest constraint was that no single person there owned social media; the audience team was stretched across several newsrooms at once. Simply assembling a working group of the right people from editorial and audience took a couple of meetings, and that newsroom rightly named it as a crucial first step it had not known it needed. For another, the early hurdle was internal skepticism from colleagues rather than anything to do with a creator. When a newsroom stalled, it was rarely because a partnership fell apart. It was because the newsroom could not free up the time, get the right people aligned, or bring hesitant colleagues along. This should shape how you plan. If you assume the challenge lives outside the building, in finding the right creator or negotiating the deal, the internal work will catch you off guard: carving out capacity, getting editorial and audience on the same page, making the case to skeptical colleagues. The newsrooms that got furthest treated internal structure as the first task, not an afterthought. They pulled the right people together early and settled who owned what before they ever reached out to a creator. Our honest advice is to budget at least as much energy for the internal work as the external, and probably more. The capacity and the buy-in are what you have to build. ### **Start with the goal, not the creator** When newsrooms begin this work, there is a strong pull toward a creator they already admire: someone with a big following, worked backward from there. The ones that resisted it did better. What helped was starting from the goal. Before weighing a single creator, the strongest newsrooms asked what the partnership was actually for. Were they trying to build reach, deepen trust, reach a community they did not cover well, or learn a format they could not produce in-house? The answer changed who the right creator was. One newsroom, once it got clear on its goal, realized the curation account it had first been drawn to was the wrong fit, because what it really wanted was a creator who could make original content. Another chose two mid-sized regional creators over accounts many times their size because the audience match was stronger. Fit beat reach, repeatedly. This is where a shared framework earns its place. We ran the cohort on STEPP, and its most valuable function was not a common vocabulary but a defensible basis for saying no. One newsroom used it to screen out a creator with more than 400,000 followers because that account's editorial independence did not hold up. That is a hard call to make on instinct and a much easier one to make against a clear standard. A big following is seductive; a structured way to judge fit is what keeps you from chasing it. Before you fall for anyone, define what the partnership is for. The goal will tell you who the right creator is, and protect you from the follower count that is not actually serving your aim. ### **What it comes down to** The common thread across all five newsrooms is that creator partnerships are less mysterious than they look from the outside. The work is mostly familiar: vet a professional, agree on terms, protect your standards, and let an expert do what they do well. What makes it feel daunting is not the creators or the platforms. It is the internal work of making room, aligning people, and choosing with intention instead of being dazzled by reach. So if you are a newsroom or an organization weighing this work and wondering whether it is for you, our honest answer is that you are probably more ready than you feel, and the readiness you are missing is not the kind you would guess. Get clear on your goal. Get your own house in order before you reach out. Treat the creator as the professional they are. Do those three things and you are most of the way there. ### **Read the newsrooms in their own words** Each newsroom in the cohort wrote its own account of the work, honest about what was hard as well as what worked. They are worth reading in full as models for your own. - [**Montana Free Press: Reaching a New Market Through Creators.** ](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/newsroom-creator-collaboration-montana-free-press/)Turning to two Montana creators to build awareness in a new market. - [**Signal Cleveland: Building the Structure for Creator Work.**](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/creator-collaboration-newsroom-signal-cleveland/)How a newsroom with no dedicated social staff built the internal structure first. - [**The Texas Tribune: Working Through the Hard Questions First**](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/newsroom-creator-collaboration-texas-tribune/)**.** A nonpartisan newsroom deciding which creators it could work with, and which it could not. *The CatchLight Creator Collaboration Cohort was run by Influencer Journalism, part of Field Nine Group. For more on how we design and run programs like this, visit Adriana Lacy Consulting and read our* [*case study on designing cohort programs that build lasting capability.*](https://www.adrianalacyconsulting.com/case-studies/how-we-design-cohort-programs-that-build-lasting-capability?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) ### A YouTuber Is Broadcasting the World Cup to Brazil. A Network Used to Do That. URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/cazetv-influencers-world-cup-creators/ Last updated: 2026-07-02T18:01:47.000Z As the 2026 World Cup plays out across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, millions of Brazilian fans are watching. Most of them aren't tuning into a television network to do it. They're watching a YouTuber. His name is Casimiro Miguel. He dropped out of journalism school and built CazéTV into the platform now streaming all 104 World Cup matches to Brazil. On June 13, his broadcast of Brazil vs. Morocco pulled 12.2 million simultaneous viewers, the largest live audience in YouTube's history. It beat a moon landing. For a country where watching soccer meant watching Globo for decades, this is a real shift in who holds the power. It's also the [subject of our latest case study](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/cazetv-case-study-brazil-sports-broadcasting/), reported by Ana Clara Otoni, a Brazilian-American journalist who spent months tracing how a Twitch reaction streamer ended up out-negotiating conglomerates for the biggest event in sports. ### How He Got Here Before he was landing rights deals, Casimiro was just watching things on camera: games, reality shows, cooking competitions, whatever his audience wanted to react to alongside him. That habit, as small as it sounds, built the one thing traditional broadcasters spend fortunes chasing and rarely get, which is trust. The turning point came in 2021, when a Brazilian law let clubs sell their own streaming rights and cracked open a market Globo had locked down for a generation. Casimiro moved into the gap, backed by LiveMode, a sports-rights firm founded by the same people who built the network where he got his start. By the 2022 World Cup, CazéTV was pulling audiences big enough that Globo launched its own YouTube channel just to compete. Today the channel has 32.5 million YouTube subscribers. It mixes real institutional access with humor and live-chat chaos, and it's since taken LaLiga rights away from Disney in Brazil and signed more World Cup sponsors than Globo did. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/07/net.png) ### The STEPP Read There's a bigger reason this case matters than one guy beating a network. [The P in STEPP, Platform-Native,](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/) has never been about a newsroom learning to make TikToks. It's about recognizing that some people already understand a platform's culture in ways an institution never will, and treating that knowledge as something worth partnering with. Casimiro's format already belonged on YouTube: unscripted, communal, built for people to talk back, which is exactly why it worked when a broadcast-style show in the same slot wouldn't have. LiveMode found he was reaching a digital-first audience of 18-to-34-year-olds who weren't turning on the TV at all. > [ View this post on Instagram ](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZxmp2Ks4rD/?utm%5Fsource=ig%5Fembed&utm%5Fcampaign=loading) > > [A post shared by Influencer Journalism (@influencerjourno)](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZxmp2Ks4rD/?utm%5Fsource=ig%5Fembed&utm%5Fcampaign=loading) The case gets more interesting where Ana pushes past the win, into the territory the E for Engagement and the S for Standards are built to test. When CazéTV's live chat filled with misogynistic abuse during the 2023 Women's World Cup, YouTube's tools couldn't keep up and the team had to shut the chat down. When Casimiro sells a betting coupon live to millions of young viewers, he's the journalist, the host, and the advertiser all at once, with none of the wall between editorial and advertising that broadcast TV is held to. In a country where sports betting has become a leading driver of household debt, that matters. The lesson for any newsroom eyeing a creator partnership comes down to this: platform-native reach and platform-native ethics are two different things, and the second one doesn't come bundled with the first. As one researcher put it to us, you can't reach that scale alone, and reaching it carries a minimum expectation. You owe something to the audience you're now reaching. [Read the full case study →](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/cazetv-case-study-brazil-sports-broadcasting/) It's an 8-minute read and the most complete English-language account of the CazéTV story we've come across. If you work anywhere near sports, video, or audience strategy, go read it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/07/tv-watching-1.png) ### Worth Your Time 📺 **The World Cup has quietly become the biggest creator-journalism experiment ever run.** YouTube is an official FIFA "preferred platform" for the tournament, and it's put [24 global creators with a combined 350M+ subscribers on the ground](https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/youtube-fifa-world-cup-lineup/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), plus a first-ever YouTube FIFA Creator Cup streaming from New York on July 12\. Worth watching how the creator coverage stacks up against traditional broadcast, because that gap is the whole story. 📊 **Reuters Institute's 2026 Digital News Report landed**, built on nearly 100,000 interviews across 48 markets, and the [findings are blunt](https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2026/dnr-executive-summary?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). More than half of 18-to-24-year-olds now say social media, video, or AI chatbots are their main source of news. Trust in news has fallen to its lowest point in a decade. The creator layer sitting between platforms and audiences is no longer a side story. 🤖 **Adobe's 2026 Creators' Toolkit Report** [surveyed more than 16,000 creators](https://news.adobe.com/news/2026/06/creators-toolkit-report-2026?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). 87% who use creative AI say it's grown their business, but 81% still say human judgment is what makes the work distinctive. That tracks with STEPP's Standards pillar. AI drops the cost of making content and raises the value of voice, taste, and accountability. Fast to draft is not the same as ready to publish. ### How a Journalist-Turned-Influencer Transformed Sports Broadcast In Brazil URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/cazetv-case-study-brazil-sports-broadcasting/ Last updated: 2026-06-22T20:02:34.000Z The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup is testing the United States’ appetite for soccer. Further south, Brazil is already ahead, not just in how to love the game, but how to watch it. For millions of Brazilian fans, the tournament will not come through a television network. It will come through a YouTuber. CazéTV, built by journalism school dropout [Casimiro Miguel](https://www.instagram.com/casimiro?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) (aka Cazé) in partnership with [LiveMode](https://www.livemode.com/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), FIFA's commercial agency in South America, will stream all 104 World Cup matches to Brazilian audiences. On June 13, Brazil’s opening match against Morocco drew 12.2 million simultaneous viewers on CazéTV — [the largest live audience in YouTube history,](https://streamscharts.com/news/cazetv-youtube-new-record?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) surpassing the Indian space agency’s 2023 moon landing broadcast. CazéTV now holds six of the ten largest YouTube live audiences ever recorded. For decades, watching soccer in Brazil meant watching Globo. The network controlled the rights, the cameras, and the narrative. Younger Brazilians had no real alternative, until Cazé built one. The channel now has 32.5[ million YouTube subscribers](https://www.youtube.com/@CazeTV?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) and [17.2 million on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/cazetv/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). Its coverage blends institutional access with humor, memes, and [live audience participation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLK50Nn18D0&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) that verges on locker room banter. [FIFA calls it ](https://inside.fifa.com/tournament-organisation/commercial/news/cazetv-agreement-strengthens-world-cup-26-coverage-in-brazil?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com)“the top digital sports platform in Brazil.” The deal cuts into Grupo Globo’s turf, which holds rights to Brazil’s matches and the final, but not all 104 games. Its rise forced [Globo to launch a competing YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@getv?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), [replaced Disney in broadcasting LaLiga](https://www.sportcal.com/media/cazetv-snaps-up-laliga-rights-in-brazil-until-2032/?cf-view&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), and put it in the middle of a [broader rights war](https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/sb-blogs/newsletter-media/2026/05/11/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) where Netflix, Amazon, Apple, and Google are injecting billions into live sports. A YouTuber is now competing with conglomerates. Influencer Journalism spent months attempting to reach LiveMode and Casimiro Miguel, but a packed sports calendar left no window to respond. To understand what CazéTV represents, and what it doesn't, we turned to Nicolas Duprat, a Brazilian sports media researcher who has spent years studying the platform, and to Gabriela Nunes, a Brazilian soccer fan and CazéTV viewer.**The MPV: Casimiro Miguel aka Cazé** [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-19-at-7.51.34---AM.png)](https://www.youtube.com/@CazeTV/videos?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) [**CazéTV YouTube channel*](https://www.youtube.com/@CazeTV/videos?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) Casimiro Miguel was an [established sports journalist at a major Brazilian network ](https://www.terra.com.br/esportes/jornalista-esportivo-casimiro-rompe-contrato-com-canal-para-focar-nas-lives-na-twitch,17f3d8d176fa5bdfe837c65e95c98a03gkydt4hh.html?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com)when the pandemic pushed him toward [Twitch](https://www.twitch.tv/casimito?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), a platform known primarily for video gaming. What he found there surprised him. His most popular content wasn’t analysis, it was reactions. [He would watch live on camera](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzBm4GRxfJA&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com): games, [reality shows](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C%5Fv7xojIMg&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), [cooking competitions](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXEegquFw5c&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), [movie trailers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4cdpvbYcSw&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) and let his audience watch him. A 2021 [reaction video to a restaurant makeover show](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFAWH%5FPzjR0&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) drew 17 million views. His self-deprecating humor and directness built something traditional broadcasters couldn’t manufacture: [trust](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/). “Unlike traditional media, where people are careful to hide their allegiances, he always made clear he was a Vasco fan,” says Duprat. A [2021 Brazilian law](https://www12.senado.leg.br/noticias/materias/2021/09/20/sancionada-lei-que-garante-direito-de-arena-ao-clube-mandante-em-transmissoes-de-futebol?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) giving clubs the right to sell their own home game streaming rights cracked open the market long controlled by Globo. Soccer club Atlético Paranaense was the first to act, [selling its rights directly to Casimiro](https://www.lance.com.br/lance-negocios/cazetv-adquire-direitos-de-transmissao-de-mais-um-torneio-continental-confira.html?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). Cazé put the games behind a paywall on Twitch and charged $1.99 for access to Athletico Paranaense games. Behind the deal was LiveMode, a sports rights company whose [founders had built Esporte Interativo](https://www.lance.com.br/lance-negocios/quem-e-dono-da-cazetv-conheca-os-investidores-por-tras-do-canal.html?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), the network where Cazé got his start. Then came 2022\. FIFA wanted to launch its own streaming platform, FIFA Plus. LiveMode warned them the launch would demand massive investment with no guarantee of success. “We told them the chance of it going wrong was 100 percent,” said Edgar Diniz, a LiveMode partner, in an [interview with Globo Esporte](https://ge.globo.com/negocios-do-esporte/noticia/2023/03/28/livemode-parceira-de-casimiro-explica-modelo-de-negocios-e-perspectivas-da-cazetv.ghtml?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). Their counter-proposal: [stream the World Cup through Casimiro, free, on YouTube.](https://www.fifa.com/en/articles/fifa-to-stream-world-cup-2022-on-fifa-plus-partnership-livemode-casimiro?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) Even Casimiro didn’t see it coming. “Man, it seemed really bizarre. You were there doing little games here and there — and now you're going to broadcast the World Cup. What the hell,” [recalled Cazé in a broadcast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB3kh8RWkYM&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). That test became CazéTV. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/06/tv-watching.png) ### **CazéTV’s take off** Sports fans weren’t just watching the game. They were watching Cazé watch it. “I prefer watching on CazéTV because of the style,” Gabriela Nunes, a Brazilian soccer fan, told *Influencer Journalism*. “I have fun.” Living abroad, she couldn’t access games locked behind Globo’s paywall or unavailable in her region. CazéTV was her go-to alternative. Cazé was also pulling in people who had never watched the World Cup. “We thought all Brazilians watch the World Cup, but that was not true,” said Sérgio Lopes, LiveMode co-founder, [in an interview with Sports Pro](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/mPjnTTxtVFE?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). “There was a digital-first audience of young people between 18 and 44, with a real core between 18 and 34\. They wake up and look at social media and YouTube to see what’s going on, they do not turn on the TV. And we got these guys to connect and watch the World Cup,” noted Lopes. > “There was a digital-first audience of young people between 18 and 44, with a real core between 18 and 34\. They wake up and look at social media and YouTube to see what’s going on, they do not turn on the TV. And we got these guys to connect and watch the World Cup" — Sérgio Lopes, LiveMode co-founder The Youtuber became a phenomenon. One viewer commented on one of his videos: “I cannot believe that I'm another victim of 'who is this Casimiro,' and just like that, it's been two hours.” During the 2022 tournament, CazéTV drew 6.9 million concurrent viewers for Brazil vs. Croatia — [one of the largest live audiences in YouTube history](https://streamscharts.com/news/casimito-has-set-new-youtube-live-record-viewers?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). Duprat credits the tone: “jokes, strong language, nothing you’d see on conventional television.” But the formula wasn’t purely chaotic. CazéTV paired comedian influencers with [recognized Globo journalists like Fernanda Gentil](https://maquinadoesporte.com.br/jogos-de-inverno/cazetv-tera-fernanda-gentil-pedro-scooby-e-diogo-defante-nos-jogos-olimpicos-de-inverno-2026/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) and former athletes like Juninho Pernambucano. “That,” says Duprat, “was their first great move.” [The disruption shook Globo into launching GE TV.](https://www.lance.com.br/fora-de-campo/globo-define-estrategia-para-concorrer-com-a-caze-tv.html?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) Globo won on raw viewers during a Flamengo vs. PSG match, but CazéTV generated nearly 16 million Instagram interactions to GE TV's 1.8 million. Casimiro had something broadcast TV was still chasing: community. Its fans weren’t just watching: they were talking, sharing, and returning. [That engagement](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/#the-five-pillars-of-stepp) translated into commercial power. CazéTV generated over $160,000 in a single month from [YouTube views alone](https://www.uol.com.br/esporte/futebol/ultimas-noticias/lancepress/2022/11/30/muita-grana-veja-quanto-casimiro-arrecadou-somente-com-visualizacoes-do-youtube-durante-copa-do-mundo.htm?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), backed by major sponsors including Stellantis, Unilever, and McDonald’s. Before going free on major events, [CazéTV tested low-cost subscription models](https://x.com/Casimiro/status/1623079884745736192?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), charging roughly $1.50 a month on Twitch and as little as $0.40 on YouTube for access to Athletico Paranaense games. In 2023, CazéTV became the first platform to stream all [Women’s World Cup](https://www.sportcal.com/media/cazetv-to-stream-fifa-2023-womens-world-cup-matches-in-brazil/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) games free and publicly in Brazil, no subscription, no paywall. It secured 11 confirmed sponsors for the 2026 World Cup, [outpacing Globo's four](https://exame.com/revista-exame/os-donos-da-copa/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), with names including Ambev, Coca-Cola, Itaú, and Mercado Livre. Now, live broadcasts remain free, CazéTV offers a $0.99 monthly YouTube membership unlocks perks like exclusive chats, custom emoji, and loyalty badges. The reach extended beyond soccer. Sports Brazilians had never followed like curling, skiing, alpine events suddenly found audiences [during the Winter Olympics](https://www.olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-announces-renewal-of-olympic-games-media-rights-with-cazetv?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). Earlier this year, 317,000 people tuned into Twitch to watch Casimiro cover sports, react to a Who Wants to Be a Millionaire–style game, and read the chat in real time — [for ten straight hours](https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2664564830?filter=all&sort=views&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). This long-form, unscripted broadcast, became one of CazéTV’s signatures. ### **New player, but a familiar playbook** CazéTV has made soccer more democratic to fans priced out of stadiums and paywalled broadcasts. “The fan who can no longer afford a seat, where does he watch? At home. Someone had to reach him there,” notes Duprat. But accessibility is not the same as inclusion. “It kills me to read people saying: my grandfather tried to watch CazéTV and couldn't figure it out. That's terrible. That's really bad,” Casimiro acknowledged. Technology adds another layer. In live sports, every second counts. “The internet delay is a problem. We suffer with it. It's a huge issue,” Casimiro has said on his broadcasts. And all that democratization opened the door to yet another tension: fragmentation. More platforms mean more access, but also more confusion. “Rights are spread across four, five, or six platforms, making it hard for fans to know where to watch,” [says Edgar Diniz of LiveMode in an interview for GE](https://ge.globo.com/negocios-do-esporte/noticia/2023/03/28/livemode-parceira-de-casimiro-explica-modelo-de-negocios-e-perspectivas-da-cazetv.ghtml?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). However disrupted, the channel remains a product of its culture. CazéTV was born on Twitch, in a niche environment where humor, irreverence and strong language were part of the culture. But when millions tune in, families watch together, children are in the room. That is when audiences demand the same accountability from online channels that they expect from traditional television. The live chat, one of CazéTV’s most identitary features, became the first sign of that contradiction. During the 2023 Women’s World Cup, with roughly two million people watching, misogynistic comments became unmanageable. Unlike on Twitch, where moderators could quickly remove users, Duprat said YouTube offered fewer tools to control abusive behavior in real time. “There came a point where it was, ‘We have to close it,’” he recalled. Duprat believes it may have been the first time in CazéTV’s history that the live chat was shut down. [In a statement at the time](https://www.lance.com.br/fora-de-campo/jornalista-se-manifesta-e-repudia-ataques-sexistas-no-chat-da-cazetv-em-jogo-da-copa-do-mundo-feminina.html?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), CazéTV said the measure was taken after some viewers used the broadcast’s visibility to spread discriminatory comments, and pledged to strengthen moderation for subsequent games. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/06/net.png) But the gender problem goes deeper at CazéTV. During the Club World Cup, [Casimiro joked on air about comparing his anatomy to that of a Brazilian adult film star.](https://x.com/bielvaquer/status/1939492198799597871?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) He never apologized. “When the man who gives his name to CazéTV thinks it’s reasonable to make that joke,” [said journalist Milly Lacombe on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DL-G882MS-2/?hl=en&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), “the future of TV is going to be equally sexist and misogynistic.” In the same post, her colleague Alicia Klein put it in structural terms: “We’re not talking about a misogynist audience. We’re talking about employers who institutionalized misogyny.” [Duprat’s research](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/393789067%5FEmerging%5Ftechnologies%5Fand%5Fnew%5Fgender%5Fnarratives%5Fthe%5Fimpact%5Fof%5Fcaze%5Ftv%5Fon%5Fthe%5Fvisibility%5Fof%5Fwomen's%5Ffootbal?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) credits CazéTV with expanding visibility of women’s football in 2023 but says it did not translate into equity. Misogyny in chat spaces and the underrepresentation of Black women remained structural problems. “It's a deep remnant of Brazilian football’s structure: masculine and heteronormative,” says Duprat. Changes came only after sponsors, LiveMode, and FIFA pushed back. Free content isn’t free to make. “Yes, there are a lot of ads, because it's free. Sometimes it gets tiring. People complain, and they're right, it's annoying. But you have to pay for it somehow,” [Cazé argued in a broadcast. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB3kh8RWkYM&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) But here’s where things get complicated: on traditional television, advertising is clearly separated from reporting; on CazéTV, those lines blur. When Casimiro [sells a betting coupon live](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUZ9niPi9ag&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) to millions of young viewers with no risk warning, he is simultaneously the journalist, the host, and the advertiser. What he advertises opens another layer of criticism. In 2024, Brazilians spent roughly $46 billion on betting platforms, with 1.8 million falling into default, sports betting has since become the [leading cause of household debt in the country](https://blocknotigrinho.com.br/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). The issue was addressed in a Senate public hearing, but CazéTV was not mentioned. [So far, the loudest critics have been on Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/futebol/comments/1ldmsjj/bet%5Fbet%5Fbet/?tl=pt-br&utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com), while the mainstream conversation has barely started. ### **Many goals, some misses** For broadcasters watching from abroad, the lesson isn’t simply that a YouTuber beat a network. It’s that a generation of fans was never unreachable: they were just never spoken to in their own language. What CazéTV hasn’t shown is that disrupting distribution automatically disrupts culture. The betting sponsors followed the audience. So did the old hierarchies. That gap, between who gets to watch and who gets to be heard, remains the unfinished story. “CazéTV is a landmark case, the largest global case of an influencer reaching this level,” says Duprat. “But you can’t get there alone.” And getting there, he adds, comes with a minimum expectation: “Ethics. A defense of human rights.” ### The Question to Ask Before You Pick a Creator Partner URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/newsroom-creator-influencer-partnerships-journalism/ Last updated: 2026-05-11T15:04:15.000Z A lot of newsrooms have reached out to me this spring asking some version of the same question, which is how do they find the right creator to partner with. I understand why people ask it, because the pressure to figure this out is real right now. The[ Reuters Institute's 2026 Journalism Trends report](https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/journalism-media-and-technology-trends-and-predictions-2026?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) found that 50% of publishers plan to partner with creators for distribution this year, 31% are considering hiring them directly, and 76% will push their own journalists to behave more like creators. [Editor & Publisher](https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/news-publishers-embrace-creator-partnerships,259709?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) called creator partnerships a move from "novelty to necessity" this year. But I think it's the wrong question, and I'll tell you what I've been telling the newsrooms who email me, which is the same thing I just told the five newsrooms in our[ CatchLight Creator Collaboration Cohort](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/catchlight-local-creator-collaboration-cohort-newsroom-influencers/) when we sat down for Session 2 a few weeks ago. Most newsrooms start their creator search by scrolling. They make lists of creators they admire and then try to figure out what to do with them. That's how marketing teams work, and it's not how journalism works. When you start with the creator instead of the goal, you end up bending the partnership to fit the person, which means you're building a project around their audience and their format and their availability rather than around what your newsroom actually needs to accomplish. The framework I walk newsrooms through is pretty simple, and it has three steps in a specific order: Goal, then Model, then Creator. The goal points to the model, and the model narrows which creator actually fits. Most newsrooms skip the first two steps entirely, which is why so many partnerships look great on paper and then quietly fall apart six weeks in. ### **Step One: Start With the Goal** There are really four high-level goals we've found that a newsroom-creator partnership can serve, and most partnerships have one primary goal and one secondary. If you're trying to do all four at once, the partnership is going to struggle. The first is **reach**, which means you want to grow into communities you haven't been able to reach through your own channels. This is usually the first goal newsrooms identify, and it's the one most people default to even when it isn't actually their real goal. Reach is about new audiences, new platforms, and new geographies that your existing distribution can't get you to. The second is **trust**, which is harder than reach because it means you want to build credibility with a community where you have none, or where you've lost it. Trust isn't a metric you can buy, and you can't shortcut your way to it with a sponsored post. If trust is your goal, you're committing to something longer and more sustained than a one-off campaign, and you need to know that going in. The third is **access**, where you want closer proximity to a story or a source or a community, and the creator's relationships open doors that your newsroom can't open on its own. Access is one of the most underrated goals in this work, because it's the one that actually changes the journalism rather than just the distribution. When a creator has proximity that your reporters don't, the partnership can produce stories you couldn't have produced alone. The fourth is **format**, which is when you want to learn how to tell stories natively on platforms your newsroom doesn't own yet. In this case, the creator isn't just distributing your work but teaching you how the format actually functions. If your newsroom is trying to get fluent in TikTok or YouTube or vertical video, the smartest move is partnering with someone who already speaks the language rather than trying to learn it from scratch. Pick one as primary and be honest with yourself about which one is really driving the partnership. You can have a secondary goal too, but if you can't name the primary one in a single sentence, you're not ready to move to step two. ### **Step Two: Let the Goal Point to the Model** Once you know your goal, the collaboration model gets clearer, and this is where a lot of the confusion in this space gets cleared up. There are four models we work with, and each one fits different goals. **Sponsored content** is the entry-level option, and it's lower-risk because it's time-bound and transactional. The creator produces something specific for your newsroom, you pay them, and the engagement ends when the deliverable is delivered. This model fits reach goals well because it lets both sides test the relationship without a major commitment. **Co-creation** is a deeper collaboration where the creator and the newsroom build something together, whether that's a reporting project, a video series, or a story package. The creator isn't just amplifying your work but actively shaping it. This model fits access goals and format goals, because both require real collaborative time rather than a transactional engagement. **Ambassador** is a sustained representation model where the creator becomes an ongoing voice associated with your newsroom over a longer period. This is the model that fits trust goals, because trust is built through repetition and consistency rather than one-off appearances. An ambassador relationship signals to the community that this isn't a one-time marketing play. **Fellowship** is the most structured and the highest investment, and it's typically a program where the creator is embedded with your newsroom for a defined period with funding, mentorship, and editorial support. Fellowships fit format goals especially well, because they create the time and structure for genuine craft transfer in both directions. The mapping isn't rigid, but the pattern is usually this: reach goals point to sponsored content, trust goals point to ambassador, access goals point to co-creation, and format goals point to co-creation or fellowship. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/05/transparency-with-social-media-2.png) ### **Step Three: Now You Can Pick the Creator** Once you know the goal and the model, the creator search gets a lot sharper, and the criteria you're using actually changes based on what you're trying to do. If your goal is **reach**, you're looking for audience overlap with your target community rather than just raw follower count. A creator with 50,000 followers who are exactly the people you're trying to reach is worth more than a creator with 500,000 followers who skew in a completely different direction. Follower count is the easiest number to find and the least useful one to optimize for. If your goal is **trust**, you want someone with deep, sustained relationships with the community you're trying to reach. This is something a track record will tell you but a metrics dashboard won't. Look at how long they've been in the community, how their audience talks to them, and whether they've been there through both good and hard moments for that community. If your goal is **access**, you're looking for proximity to the story or the source. The right creator might not have the biggest platform, but they have the closest seat. Sometimes the best partner for an access goal is someone whose follower count would make a marketing team roll their eyes, because their value is in the relationships rather than the reach. If your goal is **format**, you want mastery that you can learn from. This usually means someone whose work pushes you to make better journalism rather than someone who'll just hand you what you already know how to make. Look at the craft, not the metrics. This is what High Country News did when they partnered with [Teal Lehto, who goes by @westernwatergirl](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/high-country-news-went-from-direct-mail-to-tiktok-creators-to-reach-a-new-generation-of-readers/). They weren't chasing follower count. They were chasing access to federal workers and policymakers who follow Teal anonymously, which is an audience HCN couldn't reach through direct mail no matter how big the budget got. The viral video came later. The partnership worked because they got the order right, which is goal first, then model, then creator. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/05/cell-phones-to-show-the-digital-age.png) ### **What We're Reading** 📌 **The Reuters Institute on creators at Perugia.** Coverage of the[ International Journalism Festival](https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/international-journalism-festival-2026-what-we-learnt-perugia-about-future-news?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) highlighted some of the most thoughtful conversations happening right now about creator-newsroom collaboration. Worth reading for Salla-Rosa Grohn's framing: collaborations work when values are aligned and creators are paired with appropriate teams. That sentence is the whole job. 📌 **Vice News, returning as a creator-driven outlet.** [The Hollywood Reporter reports](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/vice-news-returns-shane-smith-1236587574/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) the relaunched Vice News is rebuilding "equal parts creator-driven news outlet and brand partnership vehicle." Whatever you think of the original Vice, this matters: it's another sign that the line between newsroom and creator company is dissolving from both directions. 📌 **Liz Kelly Nelson on creator journalists.** [Nieman Reports talked with](https://niemanreports.org/liz-kelly-nelson-project-c-creator-journalists-social-media-gen-z-news-vertical-video/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) the founder of Project C about why audiences are turning to independent voices and what successful newsroom-creator collaborations actually look like in practice. She points to MLK50's creator-in-residence partnership with Amber Sherman, which raised the newsroom's Instagram and TikTok engagement by 664%, and to the Houston Chronicle co-reporting an investigation with a creator. Her line that the newsrooms failing at this work see creators as a marketing tool for themselves is one to sit with. 📌 **The content creators versus journalists debate.** [The Free Press of Jacksonville reports](https://jacksonvillefreepress.com/what-the-content-creators-vs-journalists-debate-is-really-about/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) on the latest round of debate after influencer Jake Shane's red carpet interviews at the Oscars after-party, with Tabitha Brown, Jemele Hill, and others weighing in on what's actually at stake when creators move into spaces that traditionally belonged to journalists. The piece argues that the real issue isn't creators getting opportunities but the erosion of standards across both crafts, and it's a useful read for anyone thinking about how the two worlds can coexist without flattening into each other. 📌 **Lenfest Institute awards $800K for publisher-creator partnerships.** [The Lenfest Institute announced](https://www.lenfestinstitute.org/institute-news/lenfest-institute-awards-800k-to-support-publisher-creator-partnerships/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) that ten newsrooms were selected from more than 120 applications to join the Lenfest News Creator Collaborative, with funding going to both the publishers and the creators they partner with. The cohort includes CalMatters, The Haitian Times, the Houston Defender Network, The Philadelphia Inquirer, PublicSource, The Sacramento Observer, The Salt Lake Tribune, The San Francisco Standard, Smiley Pete Publishing, and Spotlight PA. The mix of national, ethnic, and local outlets is worth paying attention to because it signals what this kind of infrastructure looks like when it's funded properly. 📌 **The independent sports creator economy.** [Front Office Sports talked with](https://frontofficesports.com/videos/whats-it-like-being-an-independent-sports-creator-in-2026/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) Kofie Yeboah about what it actually takes to sustain a career as an independent sports creator in 2026, including the real economics of AdSense, Patreon, and brand deals, and whether a social following has replaced a journalism degree as the credential that matters. The conversation also gets at where YouTube's move into NFL games and Netflix's licensing of podcasts from Barstool and The Ringer leaves the independent creator, which is a question worth thinking about whether you cover sports or not. ### **What We're Working On** 📰 **Joining the**[ **WAN-IFRA Future Audiences Advisory Board**](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wan-ifra%5Ffutureaudiences-wanabrifra-newscreators-activity-7459508851151720448-eSmg?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAABB2OWkBi%5FJvMCVxywSeco3w0u8prD3QG-k)**.** I'm honored to join WAN-IFRA's[ Future Audiences Initiative](https://wan-ifra.org/2026/01/newscreatorexchange-adriana-lacy-on-bridging-journalism-and-influence/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) advisory board, alongside Liesbeth Nizet (Mediahuis Group), Clara Soteras Acosta, Sruthi Gottipati (Spot On News), Danuta Breguła-Poniatowska (Ringier Axel Springer), and Verashni Pillay (explain.co.za). The board's mandate is exactly the work this newsletter is about: helping news publishers reach the audiences traditional media isn't serving, and making the case for independent, verified journalism in formats those audiences actually use. More on what this work looks like in the coming months. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/05/1778252642532.jpeg) 🎓 **Mid-cohort with CatchLight Creator Collaboration:** We just [wrapped Session 3 of our four-part cohort with five newsrooms](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/catchlight-local-creator-collaboration-cohort-newsroom-influencers/) — Texas Tribune, Montana Free Press, Enlace Latino NC, The Florida Trib, and Signal Cleveland — working through partnership strategy and agreement drafting. 📞 **Taking on clients:** If your newsroom is ready to develop creator partnerships, train reporters in platform-native content, or build out vertical video workflows, reply to this email. This is exactly what we do. 👋 **Always:** If you know someone at a newsroom thinking about creator partnerships, forward this their way. 💡 ****From the Field Nine Group Family** If you haven't seen it yet, [Adriana Lacy Consulting](https://www.adrianalacyconsulting.com/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) just relaunched its publication as Field Notes, focused on audience, trust, and the institutions that communicate with them. The latest piece, ["What Demographics Miss: The Case for Situation-Based Audience Strategy,"](https://fieldnotes.adrianalacyconsulting.com/tci-framework-audience-demographics/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) introduces a new framework called TCI (Task, Context, Intent) that argues institutions need to stop describing audiences by who they are and start understanding them by what they're trying to do. The connection to this newsletter is closer than it might look at first. The whole point of starting with the goal instead of the creator is that specificity beats generic targeting every time, and TCI is the audience-side version of that same idea. If you found this issue's framework useful, the Field Notes piece is worth your time. [****Subscribe to Field Notes here.**](https://fieldnotes.adrianalacyconsulting.com/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) ### Who Does Creator Journalism Actually Serve? URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/who-does-creator-journalism-actually-serve/ Last updated: 2026-04-20T18:10:41.000Z Let me ask a question nobody on the conference circuit seems willing to answer directly. When a journalist leaves their newsroom, builds an independent Substack, grows an audience of 50,000 people, and starts doing accountability reporting on their own terms, who does that serve? It serves them. It serves their audience. It might serve journalism at large, in the aggregate, over time. Those are all genuinely good things and I mean that without qualification. But it does not serve your newsroom. And the fact that our industry has spent the better part of two years presenting independent creator journalism as a newsroom strategy, on panel stages, in conference tracks, in foundation-funded reports, without being honest about that distinction is creating real damage inside the organizations that need actual answers. I've been in those rooms. I've watched editors take notes on frameworks that weren't built for them. I've watched newsrooms come out of creator journalism sessions fired up about a model that has nothing to do with their distribution problem, their community trust deficit, or their audience gap. And then I've watched them go back to their newsrooms, try to act on what they heard, and find that none of it translates. That's not an accident. It's a vocabulary problem and the industry has been too polite, or too excited about the shiny new thing, to name it. Here's what I know after two years of building the actual infrastructure for newsroom-creator partnerships: the independent creator journalist and the trusted community messenger are two entirely different entities, solving two entirely different problems, for two entirely different sets of stakeholders. One is building a career. The other is building a bridge between your journalism and a community that doesn't trust you yet. Conflating them isn't just imprecise. It's actively unhelpful to the newsrooms sitting in those sessions trying to figure out what to do on Monday morning. The independent creator journalist is not your strategy. Trust is. And those two things live in very different places. I say this, by the way, as someone whose company is literally called Influencer Journalism and who has never once matched a newsroom with a creator journalist. Not once. Our work has always been about something different: helping newsrooms build the kind of trust and reach that makes influence possible, and connecting them with the community voices that already have it. The name was never about creating a new class of journalist. It was about recognizing that influence and journalism have always belonged in the same conversation. We just needed a framework for how. And here's the part we're not talking about enough: the creator journalist model isn't even financially sustainable yet for the people living it. The [CNTI report published just last week](https://www.niemanlab.org/2026/04/independent-journalists-are-mission-driven-but-financially-strained-a-new-report-says/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) surveyed 43 independent creator journalists in the U.S. and found that most are financially strained, most are cobbling together income from multiple sources, and there is no clear playbook yet for making this work long term. These are mission-driven people doing real work. But the industry is holding up a model that hasn't solved its own sustainability problem and presenting it as the solution to newsrooms' community trust problem. That's not a strategy. That's a hope. And newsrooms don't have the luxury of hoping right now. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/04/cell-phones-to-show-the-digital-age.png) ## **The Pool Problem** Here's an exercise I want every newsroom editor and digital director to actually try. Think about your coverage area. Your neighborhoods, your communities, the specific beats you're trying to reach. Now ask yourself honestly: how many people there are actually working as journalists or credentialed news creators? The pool is small. In most communities, it is very, very small. Here's what the "creator journalist" ecosystem is actually made up of: largely former newsroom staffers who went independent. Talented, mission-driven people — but a narrow and specific group. They are not the community health worker whose Instagram reels reach thousands of families in your market. They are not the local organizer whose following grew because she showed up, consistently, for her people. They are not the high school teacher whose TikToks about neighborhood history go viral every few months because he actually lives there. Those people don't have bylines. They probably never will. And according to [new research out of the Missouri School of Journalism](https://journalism.missouri.edu/2026/04/new-research-reveals-best-practices-for-newsrooms-on-tiktok/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), more than half of TikTok users get news from the platform but only 14% follow journalists or news organizations to get it. The trusted voices filling that gap aren't creator journalists. They're community members who built real audiences around real relationships. If your partnership criteria eliminate them before you've had a single conversation, you haven't protected your editorial integrity. You've just made your pool smaller and called it a standard. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/04/a-graphic-depicting-having-standards.png) ## **What Are Your Standards, Actually?** The first letter of our [STEPP Framework](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/) stands for Standards. It is the most important letter and, consistently, the most misunderstood. When newsrooms say they have standards for creator partnerships, I always want to push back and ask: standards for *what*, exactly? Because there is a meaningful difference between standards that protect editorial integrity and standards that are really just gatekeeping dressed up as ethics. They can look identical from the outside. They produce very different outcomes. A journalism degree doesn't guarantee accuracy. A large following doesn't guarantee trust. And the absence of either doesn't disqualify someone from being a genuinely valuable partner for your newsroom. What does matter and what I'd argue should form the actual backbone of any partnership framework, is whether a person has earned, real trust with the community you're trying to reach. Whether they operate with transparency. Whether they're willing to correct mistakes publicly. Whether they understand where their perspective ends and verified information begins. Those are standards. "Do they have a journalism degree?" is a proxy for standards, and often not a particularly good one. ## **Widen the Pool. Don't Lower the Bar.** I want to be precise here because this argument gets misread. This is not a case for working with anyone. It is a case for building criteria that are actually rooted in what you're trying to accomplish and then holding to those criteria with real rigor. We saw this work in practice with [High Country News](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/creator-newsroom-influencer-partners/). The creator partner that moved the needle for them wasn't a news influencer. She was a geologist I found, a senior instructor at the University of Oregon, the author of multiple books, with 26,000 Instagram followers who trusted her because of decades of actual fieldwork in the American West. No journalism credentials. No bylines. Enormous, earned credibility with exactly the audience HCN needed to reach, on exactly the topics they cover. That partnership happened because HCN asked a better question than "does this person look like a journalist?" They asked: does this person have the trust we're trying to earn? Does their audience overlap with the community we're trying to serve? Does their expertise complement our reporting? Those questions produce better partnerships. They also produce a much larger, more honest pool of potential collaborators like subject matter experts, community organizers, researchers, educators, practitioners. People who haven't spent their careers in newsrooms but have spent them earning the trust of the communities newsrooms most need to reach. Widening who you consider a potential partner is asking a better question about what the bar should actually measure. That distinction matters enormously, and most of the industry hasn't made it yet. ## **Before You Find a Partner, Define What You Stand For** We're currently in the middle of the [CatchLight Creator Collaboration Cohort](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/catchlight-local-creator-collaboration-cohort-newsroom-influencers/), an eight-week program I'm leading with five newsrooms across the country, each building their first real creator partnership. And the conversation we have in week one, every time, before we talk about a single creator, is about standards. What are you comfortable with? What aren't you? What happens if a creator partner posts something on their personal channel that conflicts with your editorial values? What does disclosure look like in your collaboration? Who has final say on how your journalism is represented? What do you do when something goes sideways? These aren't hypothetical edge cases. They're the moments that determine whether a partnership actually holds or becomes a crisis you weren't prepared for. The newsrooms getting creator partnerships right aren't starting with "who should we partner with?" They're starting with "what kind of partner could we actually be?" That's a harder question. It requires real internal honesty about values, capacity, and risk tolerance. But it's the only question that leads somewhere durable. ## **Worth Your Time** 📄 [**U.S. Indie Info Providers: Professionally Diverse, Mission-Driven, Sometimes Lonely, Rarely Earning Profit**](https://www.niemanlab.org/2026/04/independent-journalists-are-mission-driven-but-financially-strained-a-new-report-says/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) — CNTI partnered with Project C to survey 43 independent creator journalists in the U.S. and what they found is clarifying: most are former newsroom staffers, most are financially strained, and there is no clear sustainability playbook yet. This report is essential context for understanding exactly who the "creator journalist" ecosystem is made up of — and why it's a much smaller, much more specific pool than the conference circuit would have you believe. 🌍 [**What We Learnt in Perugia**](https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/international-journalism-festival-2026-what-we-learnt-perugia-about-future-news?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) — The Reuters Institute's recap from the International Journalism Festival, which wrapped this week in Italy. The thread on community trust and representation — including Shirish Kulkarni's remarks on how working-class communities perceive journalists — is exactly what this edition is wrestling with. Worth reading in full. 📱 [**New Research Reveals Best Practices for Newsrooms on TikTok**](https://journalism.missouri.edu/2026/04/new-research-reveals-best-practices-for-newsrooms-on-tiktok/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) — Fresh out of the Missouri School of Journalism this week. The headline finding isn't really about TikTok tactics — it's that newsrooms successfully using the platform aren't losing their editorial identity in the process. They're adapting their voice without compromising their values. That's exactly the model we advocate for in trusted messenger partnerships. 🚀 [**CatchLight Local and Influencer Journalism Launch Creator Collaboration Cohort**](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/catchlight-local-creator-collaboration-cohort-newsroom-influencers/) — In case you missed it: we launched this two weeks ago with five newsrooms across the country — Enlace Latino NC, Montana Free Press, The Florida Trib, Signal Cleveland, and The Texas Tribune. Eight weeks, funded partnerships, and a replicable framework they'll share with the broader field when it's done. This is what moving past the vocabulary problem actually looks like. 🗺️ [**Three Case Studies on Creator-Newsroom Collaborations**](https://americanpressinstitute.org/3-case-studies-on-creator-newsroom-collaborations/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) — The American Press Institute published this look at what real creator partnerships produce in practice, including our ecosystem mapping work with PublicSource in Pittsburgh: 40+ creators identified, eight new conversations, one partnership live. If you want to see what "widening the pool" looks like on the ground, start here. ## **Working With Us** The standards conversation is the one we have with every newsroom before we touch sourcing or mapping because if you don't know what you're looking for, or what you'll do when you find it, a partnership creates more problems than it solves. Our ecosystem mapping starts with strategy, not a spreadsheet. We help you define your criteria, understand the creator landscape in your market, and identify the partners who actually fit — with a network of 65+ researchers across more than 20 countries for both local and international work. Reach out at [info@influencerjournalism.com](mailto:info@influencerjournalism.com) to start that conversation. ### CatchLight Local and Influencer Journalism Launch Creator Collaboration Cohort URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/catchlight-local-creator-collaboration-cohort-newsroom-influencers/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T17:25:45.000Z We're pleased to announce the launch of the CatchLight Creator Collaboration Cohort, a first-of-its-kind program in partnership with [CatchLight Local](https://www.catchlight.io/local?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). The cohort helps newsrooms build ethical, strategic partnerships with local content creators — expanding reach, deepening community trust, and meeting audiences where they already are The cohort, running April through May 2026, will bring together five newsrooms from across the country for an intensive eight-week program of hands-on learning, peer collaboration, and funded creator partnerships. Each participating newsroom will receive up to $3,000 to support their collaboration, along with expert coaching, structured sessions, and a replicable framework they can carry forward. The program is led by Adriana Lacy, founder of [Influencer Journalism](http://www.influencerjournalism.com/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) and CEO of [Field Nine Group](http://www.fieldninegroup.com/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), a consultancy that helps newsrooms build ethical creator partnerships grounded in the [STEPP Framework](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/) — a methodology centered on Standards, Transparency, Engagement, Platform-Native content, and Public Service. Lacy brings years of experience working at the intersection of journalism, audience development, and creator culture, and has trained newsrooms nationwide on how to collaborate with creators without compromising editorial integrity. "We are excited to support this initiative and help local newsrooms experiment with new ways to grow their audiences," said Coburn Dukehart, Program Director of CatchLight Local. This program will explore how editorial integrity and the creativity of local content creators can work together in the distribution of local news across social platforms. The shared learning component will also help CatchLight member newsrooms exchange knowledge and strengthen the industry collectively.” ## **Selected Newsrooms** The five newsrooms selected for the inaugural cohort represent a diverse cross-section of the local news landscape, spanning community-serving outlets, statewide publications, and investigative organizations: - [**Enlace Latino NC**](https://enlacelatinonc.org/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) — Serving North Carolina’s Latino and immigrant communities with Spanish-language reporting. - [**Montana Free Press**](https://montanafreepress.org/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) — An independent, nonpartisan news organization covering the state of Montana. - [**The Florida Trib**](https://floridatrib.org/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) — A statewide nonprofit focused on government accountability and investigative journalism in Florida. - [**Signal Cleveland** ](https://signalcleveland.org/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com)— A community-centered newsroom serving Greater Cleveland. - [**The Texas Tribune**](https://www.texastribune.org/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) — A statewide nonprofit covering Texas politics, policy, and their impact on everyday Texans. “Creators are already doing the work of connecting with communities in ways that feel personal, trusted, and relevant. What’s been missing is a bridge between that creator trust and the rigorous, fact-based reporting that newsrooms produce, said Lacy. “This cohort is about building that bridge by developing real partnerships grounded in shared values and public service. I’m excited to work with these five newsrooms and help them develop models that the rest of the field can learn from.” ## **About the Program** The Creator Collaboration Cohort is structured around four online sessions covering strategy, execution, and measurement. Participating newsrooms will learn how to identify and vet creator partners, build transparent collaboration agreements, produce platform-native content that upholds editorial standards, and measure impact beyond vanity metrics. Each newsroom will produce a public case study at the end of the program to share their learnings with the broader journalism field. ## **About CatchLight Local** The CatchLight Local Visual Desk is a collaborative, shared-services model that provides local newsrooms with the training, tools and resources they need to tell engaging, authentic stories with strong, ethical visuals. They serve local newsrooms across the country, helping to fill the gap between declining visual resources in journalism and increasing visual communication preferences among audiences. ## **About Influencer Journalism / Field Nine Group** Influencer Journalism, a portfolio entity of Field Nine Group, is a consultancy that helps newsrooms build ethical, strategic partnerships with content creators. Founded by Adriana Lacy, the practice is grounded in the STEPP Framework — a methodology for creator-newsroom collaboration centered on Standards, Transparency, Engagement, Platform-Native content, and Public Service. Adriana Lacy is the CEO of Field Nine Group and a lecturer at Brandeis University, and has trained newsrooms and journalism organizations across the country on audience development, creator partnerships, and AI integration in news. ### Your Next Creator Partner Might Be a Professor URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/creator-newsroom-influencer-partners/ Last updated: 2026-03-03T22:02:53.000Z You’ve heard the pitch a hundred times: “We need to partner with creators.” But here’s the question nobody asks first: who are the creators in your ecosystem, and what does that landscape actually look like? Before you can build a single partnership, you need a map. Not a metaphorical one but a real, researched, data-driven overview of the creator ecosystem surrounding your newsroom, your beat, or your region. That’s where influencer mapping comes in, and it’s the most underrated step in the entire creator-newsroom pipeline. ## Why Influencer Mapping is the First Step Nobody’s Taking The [Reuters Institute’s 2026 Trends report](https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/journalism-media-and-technology-trends-and-predictions-2026?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) made it crystal clear: 76% of publishers plan to encourage journalists to act more like creators, 50% intend to partner with creators for distribution, and 31% are considering hiring them directly. The intent is there. But the infrastructure? That’s where things fall apart. Most newsrooms skip straight to the partnership phase without understanding the terrain. They reach out to the biggest name they can find, throw money at a one-off collaboration, and call it a strategy. It’s like launching a marketing campaign without doing market research. An influencer ecosystem map changes everything. It’s a comprehensive audit of who’s creating content in and around your coverage area across platforms, across beats, across demographics. It tells you who the trusted voices are, where the gaps exist, and where the real opportunities for ethical, sustainable partnerships live. ## What an Ecosystem Map Actually Includes At Influencer Journalism, our ecosystem reports go far beyond a simple spreadsheet of names and follower counts. Here’s what we deliver: **Creator Identification and Categorization:** We identify creators operating in your geographic area and/or beat, cataloging them by platform (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Substack, etc.), content focus, audience size, and engagement patterns. **Credibility and Ethics Assessment:** Using our [proprietary STEPP Framework](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/), we evaluate creators on their transparency, public service orientation, and engagement practices so you know who aligns with journalistic values before you ever reach out. **Landscape Analysis:** What topics are oversaturated? Where are the content deserts? Which communities are underserved by both legacy media and creators? This is the strategic intelligence that drives smart partnerships. **Partnership Recommendations:** We give you a prioritized roadmap of who to partner with, how, and why, based on your specific goals. **Competitive Context:** Understanding what other newsrooms and organizations in your area are already doing in the creator space, so you can differentiate. ## This Work in Action We’ve seen this work move the needle. When we [partnered with PublicSource in Pittsburgh through the American Press Institute’s Influencers Learning Cohort](https://betternews.org/journalism-creators-influencer-map-community-engagment/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), we mapped more than 40 Pittsburgh-based creators on Instagram. That mapping work directly led to eight new conversations with creators and sparked the newsroom’s first creator partnership, with more in development. Mapping isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s the foundation that every successful creator strategy is built on. ## International Reach Here’s what sets us apart: with our network of 65+ researchers spanning more than 20 countries, we’re positioned to do this work internationally. Whether you’re a newsroom in London, a media development organization in Nairobi, or a foundation funding journalism innovation in São Paulo, we can map the creator landscape in your market. We’ve spoken on this work at conferences from London to Chiang Mai, and our international perspective means we understand the nuances of creator ecosystems across different media cultures. Interested in an ecosystem report for your market? Let’s talk. Reach out at [info@influencerjournalism.com](mailto:info@influencerjournalism.com) and we’ll set up a conversation about what mapping looks like for your organization. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/03/2--9-.png) ## Think Beyond “News Creators” When newsrooms hear “creator partnership,” most immediately think of news influencers, someone already covering current events on TikTok or running a politics newsletter on Substack. That instinct makes sense, but it’s also the single biggest limitation holding creator strategy back. Case in point: we recently sourced and connected a creator for High Country News whose partnership just went live and she isn't a news influencer at all. She's a geologist. **Marli Miller** ([@geologyeverywhere](https://www.instagram.com/geologyeverywhere/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com)) is a senior instructor and researcher in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Oregon. She’s authored multiple books, including *Roadside Geology of Oregon* and *Roadside Geology of Washington*. Her website, [geologypics.com](https://geologypics.com/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), offers free downloads of more than 5,000 geology photographs for educational use. And on Instagram, she’s built an audience of over 26,000 followers who come to her for accessible, beautifully photographed geology content from Wyoming’s oldest rock formations to the story of how the Rocky Mountains rose. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-03-at-8.49.26---AM.png) Marli is not a journalist. She’s not a “content creator” in the way most people use that term. She’s a subject matter expert with a genuine, organically built audience who trusts her because of her deep knowledge, her credentials, and decades of field work. That’s exactly what makes her a powerful partner for a newsroom like High Country News, which covers the complexities of the American West. This is the mindset shift we need the industry to make. The most valuable creator partnerships aren’t always with people who already look and sound like journalists. They’re with professors, researchers, scientists, historians, community leaders, and practitioners, people who have spent years earning trust in their field and who have built audiences that care about substance over spectacle. Think about it from the audience’s perspective. When someone follows a geology professor on Instagram, they’re opting into a relationship built on expertise and curiosity. That’s an audience that’s already primed for the kind of deep, contextual storytelling that quality journalism provides. That alignment is more valuable and often more authentic than partnering with someone who already has “news” in their bio. So here’s the challenge we want to put to every newsroom thinking about creator partnerships: look beyond the obvious. Who are the subject matter experts in your coverage area who’ve built real audiences? The marine biologist with a YouTube channel. The urban planner with a popular Substack. The high school teacher whose TikToks about local history go viral. The community health worker whose Instagram reels about nutrition reach thousands of families in your market. These people aren’t competing with your journalism, they’re complementing it. And an ecosystem map (like the ones we build) is how you find them. The best creator partnerships start with expanding your definition of who a “creator” can be. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/03/3--5-.png) # **Worth Your Time** 🎓 **The EdSurge** [**Voices of Change Fellowship has expanded**](https://www.edsurge.com/research/guides/edsurge-voices-of-change-writing-fellowship?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) and we helped build the creator track. Now in its fifth cohort (2025–26), the program originally brought together K–12 educators to publish first-person essays at the intersection of identity, teaching, and technology. This year, EdSurge tapped us to design a new creator fellowship alongside it, extending that same model into platform-native formats. If you're thinking about what a 'creator fellowship' could look like for your organization, this is the blueprint. 📺 **Reinventing Local TV News: Now Accepting Newsroom Partners**: Northeastern University’s Reinventing Local TV News Project, backed by a $3 million Stanton Foundation grant, is seeking newsrooms to host Stanton Innovation Fellows and Co-ops as Digital Content Creators. These roles are focused specifically on engaging younger audiences through social video and platform-native storytelling—exactly the kind of digital-first roles the project’s Survival Guide for Local TV News recommends every station invest in. Newsroom partners contribute half the salary for fellows; co-ops are fully funded. The deadline to apply is April 13\. Email reinventingtvnews@gmail.com with questions. ✍️ **Journalists Are Coming for the Creator Economy**: A timely piece from [CreatorFest Collective](https://collective.creatorfest.com/journalists-are-coming-for-the-creator-economy-are-you-ready-to-support-them/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) explores the growing wave of journalists embracing the creator economy. ### "Just Go Independent" Is Not a Strategy URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/wapo-layoffs-creator-infrastructure/ Last updated: 2026-02-18T15:00:25.000Z In early February, The Washington Post laid off [somewhere between 350 and 375 journalists](https://washingtonian.com/2026/02/09/actually-the-washington-post-layoffs-were-a-bigger-bloodbath-than-you-thought/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) — nearly half its newsroom. Sports, books, foreign bureaus, podcasts, all gutted. The chorus was immediate: go independent. Start a Substack. Build your own thing. Books critic Ron Charles [launched one the same day.](https://roncharles.substack.com/p/ive-been-laid-off-im-not-done) I'm not going to tell you that's wrong. Some of the most important journalism happening right now is being done by independent creators. We wouldn't have a business without it as our entire model at Influencer Journalism is built on the premise that independent creators, working both in news and outside of it, are doing extraordinary work that newsrooms need to partner with. But "just go independent" as universal advice for 375 newly displaced journalists? That's a panic response dressed up as empowerment and it glosses over some hard realities. ## Why Journalism Infrastructure Matters — And Why Creators Need It Too Let's start with the institutional side. The journalism that requires the most resources like accountability reporting, investigative work, foreign correspondence, beat coverage that holds power to account depends on infrastructure that no individual creator can replicate alone. Editors, legal teams, FOIA budgets, travel budgets, health insurance, and the institutional credibility that comes with a newsroom byline. When the Post shuts down its foreign bureaus, that's decades of sourcing networks, institutional knowledge, and on-the-ground capacity gone. That infrastructure is irreplaceable and it's what makes newsrooms worth partnering with in the first place. Now let's talk about the creator side. The creator economy is real and growing, valued at roughly $200 billion in 2025 with a 22.7% compound annual growth rate. But the financial picture for individual creators is brutally uneven. According to the [2025 Creator Earnings Report from Influencer Marketing Hub and NeoReach](https://influencermarketinghub.com/creator-earnings-report-2025/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), which surveyed over 3,000 creators, nearly 57% of full-time creators earn less than $44,000, the U.S. living wage threshold. Separately, [data from Linktree and Goldman Sachs](https://www.demandsage.com/creator-economy-statistics/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) shows that only about 4% of the world's 207 million creators earn over $100,000 a year. The top earners succeed because they had massive built-in audiences, diversified across 7+ revenue streams, and operated like businesses from day one. That's not where most newly laid-off journalists are starting from. Running an independent operation means doing sales, accounting, marketing, legal, content, and distribution simultaneously, with no safety net. (Trust me. I know this firsthand.) So here's where we land: the answer isn't everyone going solo, and it isn't everyone staying institutional. It's building the connective tissue between the two. Our [STEPP Framework](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/), Standards, Transparency, Engagement, Platform-Native, Public Service, is designed for organizations. It’s an institutional strategy. But it only works if both sides of the equation are strong: newsrooms with the infrastructure to support serious journalism, and independent creators with the audiences, trust, and platform fluency to extend that journalism's reach. The [Reuters Institute’s 2026 Trends Report](https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/journalism-media-and-technology-trends-and-predictions-2026?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) backs this up: 76% of publishers are now encouraging journalists to behave more like creators, and 50% are actively partnering with creators for distribution. Smart news orgs are building creator studios, signing talent deals, and finding ways to bring creator energy inside institutional walls. And that’s what the Post layoffs make more urgent, not less. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/02/4--1-.png) ## The “P” in STEPP: Public Service Is the Point This is exactly why the "P" in our STEPP Framework — Public Service — is vital. Every other element of STEPP exists to serve this one: the purpose of creator-newsroom partnerships is to serve communities with trustworthy, accurate information. Public service is the legal team protecting a reporter on a sensitive story. The editor who pushes back to make reporting stronger. The institutional weight that gives a story consequences. And when creator partnerships are rooted in it, they extend that backbone to audiences traditional distribution will never reach — like when High Country News [partnered with a TikTok creator and the journalism didn't get diluted](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/high-country-news-went-from-direct-mail-to-tiktok-creators-to-reach-a-new-generation-of-readers/). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/02/3--3-.png) ## Dispatch from Riyadh: Where 63% of the Country Is Under 30 Earlier this month, I had the privilege of speaking at the [Saudi Media Forum 2026](https://saudimf.sa/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) in Riyadh, which brought together 300+ media leaders and experts from over 20 countries for 150+ sessions on the future of media. The theme was “Media in a Shaping World” and couldn’t have been more fitting. I spoke on two panels: one on how newsrooms can adopt influencer-style tactics to reach new audiences, and another on revenue diversification strategies for media organizations. Both conversations kept circling back to the same thing about how the old playbook isn't working, and the organizations willing to experiment with creator partnerships are the ones finding traction. Here’s a stat that should make every newsroom pay attention: 63% of Saudi Arabia’s population is under 30\. This is one of the youngest, most digitally connected populations in the world. Social media penetration is massive—TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat (!), and X dominate daily life. These are audiences who consume news differently, engage differently, and expect to be met where they are. The conversations in Riyadh reinforced everything we believe at Influencer Journalism. We're seeing time and time again that young audiences aren’t avoiding news but they’re avoiding traditional delivery. They want information that’s platform-native, personality-driven, and speaks their language. And the region is investing heavily in figuring out how to reach them, with the forum hosting over 2,000 content creators and influencers from 90+ countries as part of its Influence Track. When we zoom out globally, the opportunity for newsroom-creator partnerships isn’t just a Western media conversation. It’s happening everywhere and in many cases, the Global South and Gulf countries are leading the way. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/02/2--7-.png) ## Worth Your Time **🌎 The Independent Journalism Atlas Has Launched!** Our friends Ryan Kellett, Justin Bank, and Liz Kelly Nelson at [Project C](https://newsletter.projectc.biz/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) have launched something incredible: [**The Independent Journalism Atlas**](https://journalismatlas.com/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), a sortable, searchable prototype database of 1,001 independent journalism creators. Every day, thousands of creators are committing extraordinary acts of journalism across social, email, and the web. But finding them? That’s been the vexing question. The Atlas is the answer. Think of it as the IMDb or Wikipedia of independent journalism and you can search by keywords, filter by topic, platform, or geography, and explore through interactive sunburst wheels, treemaps, or traditional lists. Ryan, Justin, and Liz collectively walked away from big corporate media jobs at The Washington Post, Axios, NPR, Gannett, Vox, and The New York Times to build this. The Atlas was built in weeks using AI (Claude Code, principally), grounded in months of research, publishing, and community-convening. [Explore it, share it, and submit names they’re missing.](https://journalismatlas.com/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) **More links worth clicking:** - 🇳🇱 We were featured in [**Villamedia**](https://www.villamedia.nl/artikel/adriana-lacy-slaat-brug-tussen-journalistiek-en-content-creators?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), the Netherlands' leading journalism trade publication on bridging the gap between journalists and content creators. Always cool to see this work resonate internationally. - 🏛️ Lenfest Institute just [**announced its Philadelphia News Creators Network fellows**](https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/lenfest-institute-announces-2026-philadelphia-media-founders-exchange-news-creators-network-fellows,260224?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) — four teams of local newsrooms and creators splitting $200K as part of the Institute's $1M investment in creator-newsroom partnerships. This is the infrastructure we keep talking about, being built in real time. - 📊 Nieman Lab: [**WaPo layoffs disproportionately affected union members of color**](https://www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/washington-post-layoffs-disproportionately-affected-union-members-of-color-preliminary-guild-data-shows/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) — Guild data shows 50% of Hispanic/Latino members and 45% of Black members were cut. The Post hired two race and ethnicity reporters in 2021\. Both were laid off on February 4\. The diversity angle of this story isn't getting enough attention. - 📰 Press Gazette is [**tracking 2026 journalism job cuts**](https://pressgazette.co.uk/news/journalism-job-cuts-in-2026-updates/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) in real time and it's not just the Post. The NY Daily News lost 28% of its union members, the BBC is shutting its regional investigative unit, and the Shorenstein Center's Journalist's Resource laid off its top editors after funders pulled out. The pattern is accelerating. - 📲 High Country News Case Study — We [**published this one recently**](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/high-country-news-went-from-direct-mail-to-tiktok-creators-to-reach-a-new-generation-of-readers/) and it's still on our minds. A 50-year-old newsroom that went from direct mail to partnering with a TikTok creator and saw real impact. - 📚 The STEPP Framework — If you're new here, [**this is our comprehensive guide**](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/) to building ethical creator-newsroom partnerships. It's the foundation everything we do is built on. ## Now Booking: Q2 Trainings and Creative Services We're actively taking on clients for Q2 2026! Whether your newsroom needs strategic training or hands-on creative support, we've got you covered. 🎓 **Trainings & Workshops:** - **Social video strategy** — From TikTok to YouTube Shorts and Reels, we'll help your team create platform-native content that actually reaches audiences - **Influencer and creator partnerships** — How to identify, vet, and collaborate with creators using the STEPP Framework - **AI in the newsroom** — Practical, responsible applications of AI tools for journalism and audience engagement, in collaboration with our sister company, [Adriana Lacy Consulting](https://www.adrianalacyconsulting.com/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) - **Custom workshops** — Tailored to your team's specific needs, from digital transformation to audience development, in collaboration with our sister company, [Adriana Lacy Consulting](https://www.adrianalacyconsulting.com/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) Email [info@influencerjournalism.com ](mailto:info@influencerjournalism.com)to get started. 🎨 **Creative Services from** [**Channel Nine Studio**](https://channelninestudio.com/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com)**:** - Video templates for social-first storytelling - Instagram graphics, carousels, and story templates - Branded content packages designed for newsroom workflows - Custom visual assets that match your editorial voice Email [info@channelninestudio.com](mailto:info@channelninestudio.com) to get started. That's it for this one. If you're a journalist figuring out what's next, a newsroom rethinking your creator strategy, or just someone trying to make sense of all this, we're here. Talk soon. ### Young People Aren't Avoiding News. They're Avoiding You. URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/young-people-news-journalism-tiktok/ Last updated: 2026-03-03T22:03:53.000Z There's a persistent myth in newsrooms that young people have abandoned news. The data tells a different story and it has major implications for how newsrooms should be thinking about creator partnerships. ## What the Data Actually Shows Last week, [FT Strategies](https://www.ftstrategies.com/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) and Northwestern University's [Knight Lab](https://knightlab.northwestern.edu/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) released [Next Gen News 2](https://www.next-gen-news.com/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), a comprehensive study of how young audiences discover, consume, and share news. The research surveyed 5,000 respondents across five countries—the U.S., U.K., Brazil, India, and Nigeria—and conducted in-depth diary studies with 84 young adults. The headline finding? Young people are not generally trying to avoid news. Across all five countries, 55% of respondents under 25 engage with news at least daily. In Brazil, that number jumps to 63%. And here's what might surprise you: in three of the five countries studied (Brazil, India, and the U.K.), young people are less likely to actively avoid news than their older counterparts. The real issue is overwhelm. Nearly 54% of young people agree that "keeping up with the news should not take up very much time." They're employing strategies like taking breaks, deleting apps, and turning off notifications. But when they encounter information they care about, they engage deeply. More than 65% said that when a topic interests them, they prefer an in-depth story to a summary. This is the opportunity. Young audiences want meaningful journalism. They just want it delivered in ways that respect their time and meet them on their preferred platforms. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/02/5--2-.png)](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/next-gen-news-2-report-ft-strategies-knight-lab/) Data from FT Strategies and the Knight Lab [Next Gen News 2 Report.](https://www.next-gen-news.com/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) ## The Creator Distribution Advantage The research confirms what we've been documenting through our work and case studies: social platforms dominate news discovery for younger audiences. For respondents under 25, social media (76%) and video platforms like YouTube (66%) are among the top ways they encounter news, outpacing traditional broadcast for this demographic. This is precisely where creator partnerships become essential. Creators have already built trust and fluency on these platforms. They understand the culture, the algorithms, and how to translate complex information into formats that resonate. Take the [High Country News case study](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/high-country-news-went-from-direct-mail-to-tiktok-creators-to-reach-a-new-generation-of-readers/) we published. For 50 years, this independent newsroom relied on direct mail to find readers. When they partnered with Teal Lehto (@westernwatergirl), who explains Western water policy to nearly 100,000 followers, they entered conversations they couldn't access on their own. One video about a hospital on the Navajo Nation that couldn't open due to water infrastructure issues went viral. Shortly after, the hospital opened. That's the power of meeting audiences where they are with information that matters. [Read Our Full Analysis](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/next-gen-news-2-report-ft-strategies-knight-lab/) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/02/6.png)](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/) ## Key Takeaway: The 'E' in STEPP This week's research reinforces why **Engagement**—the E in our [STEPP Framework](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/)—matters so much for newsroom-creator partnerships. The Next Gen News 2 research introduces "Modes of Engagement" to describe how young audiences interact with news: they Scroll (encountering news incidentally), Seek (actively searching), Subscribe, Substantiate (verify), Study (go deep on topics), and Sensemake (explore perspectives). For newsrooms working with creators, engagement isn't just about reach metrics. It's about building relationships that create genuine connection with audiences. That means: - **Responding to comments.** When audiences engage with creator content about your journalism, they're signaling interest. Don't let that go unanswered. - **Building two-way value.** The most successful partnerships benefit both parties. What can you offer creators beyond compensation? Access to sources? Editorial support? The partnership should feel mutually enriching. - **Thinking long-term.** One-off campaigns rarely build the trust needed to meaningfully extend journalism's reach. - **Listening to communities.** Creators have deep insight into their audience's needs, concerns, and information gaps. Use these partnerships to learn, not just to broadcast. [The STEPP Framework: A Comprehensive Guide to Ethical Creator-Newsroom PartnershipsWe offer a structured approach to navigating this emerging space while protecting what matters most: the public’s trust in journalism.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/icon/Frame-5-4.png)Influencer JournalismAdriana Lacy![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/thumbnail/5-2.png)](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/) ## Worth Your Time - **🇸🇦 We're in Riyadh this week for the** [**Saudi Media Forum**](https://saudimf.sa/web?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) — Adriana is speaking on panels about creator-newsroom partnerships and meeting audiences where they are. - **📊 Next Gen News 2 Full Report** — FT Strategies and Knight Lab [surveyed 5,000 young people across five countries](https://www.next-gen-news.com/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) to understand how they actually discover and consume news. The full findings are well worth your time. - **🎬 Here's** [**our take on the Next Gen News 2 Report**](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/next-gen-news-2-report-ft-strategies-knight-lab/) — There’s a narrative that’s been floating around newsroom leadership for years: young people don’t care about news. They’re checked out. They’d rather watch TikTok dances than read about city council meetings. It’s a convenient story, because it lets legacy news organizations off the hook for failing to evolve. - **🎤 Nieman Lab's new** [**Creator of Record Series** ](https://www.niemanlab.org/2026/01/does-this-channel-have-more-juice-in-it-youtuber-j-j-mccullough-on-a-sustainable-life-as-a-news-creator/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com)— A new occasional series of interviews with popular creators about how they do their jobs. First up: J.J. McCullough, [one of Canada’s most successful YouTubers](https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news-creators-influencers/2025/Canada?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). - **📲 High Country News Case Study** — We [published this one last week](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/high-country-news-went-from-direct-mail-to-tiktok-creators-to-reach-a-new-generation-of-readers/) and it's still on our minds. A 50-year-old newsroom that went from direct mail to partnering with a TikTok creator and saw real impact. - **📚 The STEPP Framework** — If you're new here, [this is our comprehensive guide](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/) to building ethical creator-newsroom partnerships. It's the foundation everything we do is built on. ## Before You Find Creators, Map Your Ecosystem One of the biggest mistakes newsrooms make is jumping into creator partnerships without understanding who's already in their space. That's why we don't just help you find influencers—we do **influencer mapping.** Our Ecosystem Reports give you a comprehensive view of the creator landscape in your coverage area before you even start: who's talking about the issues you cover, what platforms they're on, what their audiences look like, and where the opportunities (and gaps) exist. With our network of 50+ researchers across more than 20 countries, we're positioned to do this work internationally as well—whether you're a local newsroom in the Midwest or an international organization looking to understand creator ecosystems in multiple markets. Interested in an ecosystem report for your area? [**Let's talk.**](mailto:info@influencerjournalism.com) ### What Next Gen News 2 Reveals About Why Young Audiences Want News But Still Aren't Finding Yours URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/next-gen-news-2-report-ft-strategies-knight-lab/ Last updated: 2026-03-03T22:03:36.000Z There’s a narrative that’s been floating around newsroom leadership for years: young people don’t care about news. They’re checked out. They’d rather watch TikTok dances than read about city council meetings. It’s a convenient story, because it lets legacy news organizations off the hook for failing to evolve. New research from [Next Gen News 2](https://www.next-gen-news.com/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), a joint project from FT Strategies and Northwestern University’s Knight Lab, supported by the Google News Initiative, puts that narrative to rest. Their findings, drawn from 5,000 survey respondents and 84 diary study participants across five countries, paint a very different picture: more than half of next gen news consumers engage with news at least daily, and a third do so multiple times per day. When asked if they “value news for personal and professional development,” 65% agreed or strongly agreed. The audience is there. They’re paying attention. But the report also confirms something critical: these consumers feel overwhelmed by the amount of news they encounter, and they’re making deliberate choices about who they trust to help them navigate it. Trust, according to the research, “is less about institutional brands and more about a parasocial relationship with the news producer.” That finding alone should reshape how every newsroom thinks about distribution. And it’s the exact space where creator partnerships fit. ## The Real Problem Isn’t Attention. It’s Access. The report introduces an expanded “Modes of Engagement” framework that maps how next gen consumers actually interact with news. It breaks the process into two phases: discovery (how people find news) and consumption (what they do with it once they find it). On the discovery side, the researchers identified three distinct modes: **Scroll** (passively encountering news in algorithmic feeds), **Seek** (actively searching for specific information), and **Subscribe** (receiving news from trusted sources through newsletters, podcasts, or habitual visits). On the consumption side, three more: **Substantiate** (fact-checking and verifying), **Study** (deep-diving into a topic), and **Sensemake** (exploring different perspectives to form opinions). And running through all of it is **Socialize**—the bi-directional sharing of news with people they trust. What’s most striking is what the researchers found about sifting—the process of filtering news from noise. It is *not passive*. Younger audiences are actively curating their information ecosystems. They’re intentionally molding their feeds, managing algorithms through deliberate behaviors like scroll speed, selective engagement, and strategic “liking.” They’re doing the work. The question is whether your newsroom’s content makes the cut. ## Sign up for Influencer Journalism Newsletter Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ## Where Creators Fit in Every Mode One of the most important findings in the report is that the news producers successfully reaching next gen audiences aren’t legacy outlets. They’re what the researchers call “emerging news producers”—content developers with non-legacy entities who are “perceived as more trusted and more relatable than those in legacy newsrooms.” Read that again. More trusted. More relatable. Not because they’re doing better journalism necessarily, but because they’ve figured out how to meet audiences in the modes where they actually operate. The report profiles producers like [Macy Gilliam at Morning Brew,](https://www.instagram.com/macyagilliam/?hl=en&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) whose “Out There” series embeds her in the field learning about jobs and industries. It highlights [Local News International](https://lni.media/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com)’s Dave Jorgenson, who covers global news in 40-second comedic sketches. It examines [The Daily Aus](https://thedailyaus.com.au/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), which leads with facts in clean Instagram carousels. These aren’t journalists operating in opposition to newsrooms—they’re creators who’ve built the trust and format fluency that newsrooms need. This is exactly why [newsroom-creator partnerships](https://influencerjournalism.com/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) aren’t a nice-to-have. They’re the mechanism through which legacy news organizations can insert themselves into every mode of engagement this report describes. **Consider how this maps:** **Scroll:** The report emphasizes that leading producers “win the first two seconds” and develop “repeatable storytelling templates.” Creators already know how to do this on their home platforms. A newsroom partnering with a TikTok creator who covers local politics doesn’t need to teach them how to hook an audience as the creator already has that skill. What the newsroom brings is editorial rigor and sourcing. What the creator brings is format fluency and audience trust. That’s the partnership. **Subscribe:** The researchers found that subscription-based discovery is built on habit and trust. Creators with loyal audiences—podcast hosts, newsletter writers, YouTube educators—already have this. When a newsroom partners with a creator whose audience has opted in to receive their content, you’re not fighting the algorithm. You’re delivered directly to people who chose to be there. **Substantiate:** Next gen consumers actively verify what they see. The report highlights producers who “show their work” by providing primary sources, transparent methodologies, and annotated evidence. Newsrooms have always done this work. Partnering with creators gives that verification process a distribution channel that actually reaches the audiences doing the checking. **Study:** The report directly challenges the idea that young people don’t consume long-form content. They do, when it’s framed with clear learning goals, built progressively, and brought to life with on-the-ground reporting. YouTube creators like [Mohak Mangal ](https://www.youtube.com/@mohak%5Fmangal?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com)and [HowTown](https://www.youtube.com/@Howtown?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) are building 15-to-30-minute explainers that audiences watch and rewatch. Newsrooms sitting on deep investigative work could reach entirely new audiences by partnering with creators who specialize in this mode. **Sensemake:** This is where transparency of bias and open conversation matter most. The report highlights producers like Ezra Klein and The Rest is Politics, who clearly disclose their viewpoints and create space for audiences to form their own opinions. Creators who are transparent about their perspectives and newsrooms that are honest about theirs build the kind of trust that this generation demands. **Socialize:** Perhaps the most underrated finding: socialization is bi-directional. People share news because people they trust share news with them. Creator-produced content is inherently more shareable, it’s designed for the platforms where sharing happens. When a newsroom’s reporting travels through a creator’s audience, it doesn’t just reach more people. It reaches them through a trusted intermediary, which the research shows is how next gen consumers prefer to receive news in the first place. ## The “Reverse Journalism” Imperative One of the report’s most significant findings is what it calls “reverse journalism”—the idea that successful emerging producers start from distribution rather than treating it as an afterthought. Instead of creating a story and then figuring out where to put it, they begin with the platform, the format, and the audience behavior, then work backward to the story. The researchers frame it clearly: “Distribution, rather than an afterthought, now drives creativity.” And from that, “one imperative emerges: To succeed, producers must invest heavily in new distribution capabilities. The ability to reach and engage audiences is no longer a downstream function of good journalism; it is a core creative and strategic competency.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/02/2--8-.png) This is essentially the argument we’ve been making at Influencer Journalism since we started. Creator partnerships are not a marketing tactic bolted onto existing journalism. They’re a distribution strategy that should inform how stories are conceived, produced, and delivered. The [STEPP Framework](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/) we developed exists precisely because this work requires structure Standards, Transparency, Engagement, Platform-Native content, and Public Service aren’t just guardrails, they’re the operating system for making these partnerships produce real journalism. ## What This Looks Like in Practice We’ve seen these dynamics play out firsthand. When [High Country News partnered with creators](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/high-country-news-went-from-direct-mail-to-tiktok-creators-to-reach-a-new-generation-of-readers/) to reach a new generation of readers, the approach mapped directly onto the modes this report describes. A 50-year-old publication known for deep environmental reporting in the American West had been relying on direct mail to reach its audience. Through our Verified Storytellers program, we matched them with creators who already had trusted relationships with outdoor, environmental, and Western communities on social platforms. The creators didn’t replace High Country News’s journalism. They gave it new pathways into the Scroll and Socialize modes where next gen audiences already operate. The newsroom’s reporting got surfaced to audiences who would never have encountered it through a subscription page or a Google search—audiences who were already actively curating their feeds around exactly the topics High Country News covers. That’s the gap this research quantifies. The audience exists. The interest exists. What’s missing is the connective tissue between the journalism being produced and the places where these audiences are making their information choices. ## The AI Layer Adds Urgency The report also flags something that should make newsroom leaders pay closer attention: AI is increasingly part of how next gen consumers find and process news. Some diary study participants cited large language model chatbots as a news source. While adoption rates vary by country, the direction is clear here as audiences are beginning to outsource their information synthesis to tools that may or may not surface your journalism. This makes human-to-human trust even more valuable. When audiences are navigating a landscape that includes AI-generated summaries, algorithmic feeds, and infinite content, the producers who break through are the ones with authentic personal presence. Creators have that. And when creators are partnered with newsrooms that provide editorial standards and accountability, the combination is more resilient to AI disruption than either side alone. The first Next Gen News report, published in 2024, found that “young people have a complex and evolving relationship with the news. They simultaneously understand the value that news can play in their lives but are often disinterested or frustrated with how it’s being delivered to them.” The 2025 follow-up deepens it. These audiences aren’t waiting around for newsrooms to figure it out. They’re actively building their own information environments, choosing the producers they trust, and shaping the algorithms that serve them content. The newsrooms that will reach them are the ones that show up where they already are, through people they already trust, in formats that respect how they actually consume information. ### How a Creator Partnership Helped a 50-Year-Old Newsroom Reach Policymakers URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/how-a-creator-partnership-helped-a-50-year-old-newsroom-reach-policymakers/ Last updated: 2026-01-27T16:29:53.000Z Welcome back to our Influencer Journalism newsletter. Last week, we published a new case study that should be required reading for anyone still wondering whether creator partnerships are worth the investment. For 50 years, [High Country News](https://www.hcn.org/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) relied on direct mail to find new readers. The strategy worked—until it didn't. Costs climbed, returns shrank, and the newsroom was stuck targeting the same shrinking audience just to stay afloat. Then they tried something new: they moved part of their direct mail budget into paid collaborations with social media creators. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/01/hcn_direct_mail--1-.jpg) An example of a direct mail advertisement from High Country News. **Photo Credit:* [**Marissa Garcia*](https://marissa-garcia.com/high-country-news?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) The results? HCN became [part of conversations](https://www.npr.org/2022/09/10/1121882555/colorado-river-megadrought-got-you-down-feel-hope-with-tiktoks-westernwatergirl?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) they couldn't reach on their own, including among federal workers and policymakers who follow creator Teal Lehto ([@westernwatergirl](https://www.instagram.com/westernwatergirl/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com)) anonymously. One video highlighting a joint ProPublica/HCN investigation about a Navajo Nation hospital that couldn't open due to lack of water infrastructure went viral. Shortly after, the hospital opened. But here's what makes this case study particularly valuable: it shows what happens when newsrooms get the "P" in STEPP right. ## **The STEPP Spotlight: Platform-Native** When Gary Love and his team at High Country News first approached Teal Lehto, they didn't ask her to make her content look like theirs. They didn't request approval over tone, format, or delivery. They checked facts and then got out of the way. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/01/Design-1--1--1.png)](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/high-country-news-went-from-direct-mail-to-tiktok-creators-to-reach-a-new-generation-of-readers/) This is what platform-native actually means. It's not just "make vertical video." It's understanding that TikTok culture includes question boxes, green screens, layering astrology memes with policy explainers, and using emotional triggers strategically to spark debate. It's recognizing that each video takes 10-15 hours of work because the craft matters. Lehto described her process: "You need to be on TikTok, scrolling daily, to understand the culture. Most nonprofit newsrooms don't have the time or staff for that." [The STEPP Framework: A Comprehensive Guide to Ethical Creator-Newsroom PartnershipsWe offer a structured approach to navigating this emerging space while protecting what matters most: the public’s trust in journalism.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/icon/Frame-5-3.png)Influencer JournalismAdriana Lacy![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/thumbnail/5-1.png)](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/) This is the trap most newsrooms fall into: they think platform-native means reformatting their existing content. But platform-native means understanding how information spreads on that platform, in the language of that platform, using the formats that platform rewards. HCN got this right by recognizing what they weren't good at and partnering with someone who was. They didn't try to teach their reporters to be TikTok creators (they tried; it didn't work). They didn't republish Lehto's videos to their own channels where they'd underperform. They let her do what she does best: translate their journalism into the emotional core that makes people care. [The STEPP takeaway:](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/) Platform-native content isn't about you learning to be a creator. It's about respecting that creators already know something you don't and that's exactly why the partnership works. [Read the Full Case Study](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/high-country-news-went-from-direct-mail-to-tiktok-creators-to-reach-a-new-generation-of-readers/) ## **Creator-News Crossover** This isn't just one smart experiment anymore. It's becoming industry infrastructure. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/01/IMG_4681.jpg)](https://www.instagram.com/p/DTycbq9DJ-A/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) [Watch the breakdown of the Reuters report's key findings →](https://www.instagram.com/p/DTycbq9DJ-A/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) The [Reuters Institute published its 2026 Journalism Trends report](https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/journalism-media-and-technology-trends-and-predictions-2026?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), surveying 280 news executives across 51 countries. 76% of publishers say they'll encourage journalists to behave more like creators this year. 50% plan to partner with creators for distribution. 31% are hiring creators outright. Why the urgency? Because newsrooms are getting squeezed from both sides as AI answer engines threatening to bypass publisher sites entirely (with a [projected 40% decline in search referrals](https://www.niemanlab.org/2026/01/publishers-prepare-to-be-squeezed-by-ai-and-creators-in-2026/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) over the next three years), and personality-led creators commanding attention that institutional brands simply can't match. Meanwhile, [Editor & Publisher reports](https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/news-publishers-embrace-creator-partnerships,259709?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) that what was once "rare" has now "moved from novelty to necessity as 2026 begins. ## **One Thing to Try** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/01/1--17-.png) Ask Yourself: What Are We Actually Not Good At? If you're considering a creator partnership, here's the most important question to answer first: Are you hiring them to make your content work on their platform or to help you understand how that platform actually works? The former is a marketing expense. The latter is a strategic investment in reaching audiences you can't access any other way. High Country News chose the latter. And it's why Teal Lehto describes the impact this way: "People started associating 'Western Watergirl' with High Country News. People would come up to me at conferences and say, 'What you're doing with High Country News is so cool.'" That's the conversation you're no longer missing. ## **What We're Working On** 🎓 **Now working with:** The Berkshire Eagle as part of [The Lenfest Institute's Beyond Print program](https://www.lenfestinstitute.org/institute-news/beyond-print-launches-11-newspaper-business-transformation-experiments/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), training their newsroom in vertical video production and creator strategy. The Beyond Print program just announced $400,000 in grants supporting 11 newspapers across the U.S. in reducing reliance on print and reaching new audiences through next-generation distribution platforms. 📞 **Taking on clients:** If your newsroom is ready to develop vertical video workflows, train reporters in platform-native content, or explore creator partnerships, [reply to this email](mailto:adriana@influencerjournalism.com). This is exactly what we do. 👋 **Always:** If you know someone at a newsroom thinking about creator partnerships, forward this their way. ### High Country News Went From Direct Mail to TikTok Creators to Reach a New Generation of Readers URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/high-country-news-went-from-direct-mail-to-tiktok-creators-to-reach-a-new-generation-of-readers/ Last updated: 2026-01-26T14:42:05.000Z For many newsrooms, sustainability comes down to one thing: finding new readers who will stick around and support the work. The problem? Many are still relying on methods that worked years ago. [High Country News](https://www.hcn.org/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) (HCN) was one of them. Founded in 1970, the independent, reader-supported newsroom built its reporting in “the spaces in between”— serving politically mixed rural communities across the West shaped by water, land, Indigenous sovereignty and climate. For 50 years, direct mail was how most people discovered High Country News and became subscribers. But, over time, this system became expensive and ineffective. In 2023, HCN turned to social creators to introduce their journalism to new communities and future supporters. Did it work? The story is still in progress, but the shift is clear. What started as an experiment with one creator has grown into an influential roster helping HCN show up in conversations it could not reach on its own. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/01/hcn_direct_mail.jpg) An example of a direct mail advertisement from High Country News. **Photo Credit:* [**Marissa Garcia*](https://marissa-garcia.com/high-country-news?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) ## The Audience Shift When Gary Love joined HCN in 2020 as Director of Product and Marketing, the newsroom reader acquisition strategy relied almost entirely on direct mail. To make the costs worthwhile, they had to target the same types of readers again and again, limiting growth. With weak data to guide decisions, the newsroom spent more each year just to replace subscribers who left. “It was an angry cycle we needed to break,” Love told Influencer Journalism. Audience segmentation wasn’t the only issue. Polarization was also impacting the business. ## Sign up for Influencer Journalism Newsletter Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. High Country News had long served areas that, as Love puts it, were “a whole lot of purple.” Readers with libertarian views, skeptics of power and often ignored by national media. That began to change during the first Trump presidency, when coverage that once spoke to a broad mix of readers started to cause stronger reactions, and tolerance for nuance was shrinking. “Any mention of Trump triggered what I call rage quits, people who didn’t just leave but wanted you to know exactly why,” Love said. “At the same time, we saw an influx of donations and new subscribers from outside ‘the spaces in between’. It marked a huge shift in our audience.” Then came the pandemic, another layer that reshaped how the newsroom worked. “We had and still have an office in Paonia, Colorado. That’s our home,” Love said. “But the pandemic was the moment when the company released the idea that everybody needed to be based there. We became a mostly remote company, with just a small portion of folks working directly out of the office.” That shift expanded the range of stories the newsroom could report across the West. But it also complicated audience focus. “Traditionally, the stories you cover are the ones you see when you walk out of the office,” Love said. “You can see the coverage in front of you. You can see the readership in front of you. When you’re working remote, it can be difficult to keep that focus on the audience and that necessary coverage when you’re more spread out across the West.” The challenge was clear: how do you reach new audiences without alienating the base that had sustained the organization for decades? ## Expanding the Reach High Country News needed to innovate. That’s when they moved part of their direct mail budget into paid collaborations with social media creators, people who already had trust, reach, and fluency on platforms HCN didn’t. The other half of the budget went into improving HCN’s technology and data quality, especially around conversion rates. One of those creators was Teal Lehto, known online as @westernwatergirl, who [explains Western water policy](https://www.npr.org/2022/09/10/1121882555/colorado-river-megadrought-got-you-down-feel-hope-with-tiktoks-westernwatergirl?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) to nearly 100,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram. After she shared an organic video about HCN’s coverage, the newsroom reached out with a proposal for a long-term partnership, which they announced in a [cross-posted video](https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ct1tL-cO6q%5F/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) in June 2023. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-22-at-7.44.44---AM.png) Teal Lehto, known online as @westernwatergirl, works with HCN to expand reach on social media. “We realized that we would need to find other individuals and groups who have their own network — to be partners,” Love told Influencer Journalism. This wasn’t a new idea for HCN. The newsroom had done something similar with teachers through the [HCNU Classroom Program](https://www.hcn.org/edu/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), building relationships with educators who could help extend its reach. The goal wasn’t immediate conversion, but exposure through people audiences already trusted. To find their “ambassadors” online, Love and his team would ask themselves: “Does someone trust this person for a particular topic that’s important to High Country News?” When it comes to metrics of success, Love watches for signs of resonance: people commenting, naming High Country News, and engaging deeply with the topic. “That’s when we feel really happy, when people are becoming familiar with High Country News in those conversations.” ## The Creator’s Craft Lehto’s videos don’t look or sound like traditional journalism, and that’s the point. Her content blends [humor and astrology memes](https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzchdreMd5v/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), urgency, outrage, and blunt language ([even curse words](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8DERTcP5TM/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com)) to [explain complex policy issues](https://www.tiktok.com/@highcountrynews/video/7328192609216679211?%5Fr=1&%5Ft=ZT-919KmqazucX&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) in a way that feels native to TikTok and Instagram. While she often emphasizes solution-driven content and good news, the style sometimes functions as [rage bait](https://news.tulane.edu/pr/rage-clicks-study-shows-how-political-outrage-fuels-social-media-engagement?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), sparking strong emotional reactions that drive comments, shares, and debate. She also uses green-screen effects, question boxes, and captions to create [community-driven content](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTMpjnXmy/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), respond to news, combat misinformation, and amplify High Country News’ reporting. “I usually take two to five hours to research, another one to two hours to write the script,” Lehto told Influencer Journalism. “Recording takes about an hour, editing another two or three. In total, it’s about 10 to 15 hours of work for a single video.” [The STEPP Framework: A Comprehensive Guide to Ethical Creator-Newsroom PartnershipsWe offer a structured approach to navigating this emerging space while protecting what matters most: the public’s trust in journalism.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/icon/Frame-5-2.png)Influencer JournalismAdriana Lacy![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/thumbnail/5.png)](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/) Her process is intentional. She starts by identifying the [emotional root of a story](https://www.tiktok.com/@westernwatergirl/video/7314459574419950879?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com)—what people are confused about, angry about, or afraid of—and then works backward. She builds scripts around the questions most people would ask, layering in background, tradeoffs, and why the issue matters now. It’s an approach that mirrors what Influencer Journalism founder Adriana Lacy describes in the[ STEPP framework](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/): social currency, triggers, emotion, public visibility, and practical value. Lehto learned that language by living on the platform. “You need to be on TikTok, scrolling daily, to understand the culture,” she said. “Most nonprofit newsrooms don’t have the time or staff for that.” HCN checks scripts for factual accuracy, but they don’t dictate tone, format, or delivery. They also don’t republish her videos to their own subscribers. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/01/Design-1--1-.png) “Teal isn’t for our audience,” Love said. “Teal is for exposing High Country News to her audience. She is the expert on her audience, and we rely on that. We don't want to do anything that would stop that from happening just because it’s what we need.” Lehto agrees: “They really respect the voice that I bring to the table. As long as it’s factually accurate, they let me use my own voice.” Love reinforces the unique value of Lehto’s ability to find the [emotional core](https://www.tiktok.com/@highcountrynews/video/7262045459626069291?%5Fr=1&%5Ft=ZT-919Kx4CWMRi&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) of policy stories, something that helps people connect before they ever see a brand name. ## Not Every Experiment Landed High Country News also explored affiliate links with creators, but some of these partnerships simply didn’t feel authentic and failed. They also encouraged some reporters to create videos for HCN’s social channels, but many struggled to navigate the culture and language of platforms like TikTok. “Not every reporter has the skill set to do this well,” Love said. Inside HCN, Love and Lehto said the partnership didn’t find any resistance. Love attributes that largely to the fact that the videos live on Lehto’s own channels and do not run through HCN’s socials, website or newsletters. But the relationship between other journalists and the creator is not free of tension. “Some reporters at a big conference have said ‘This woman is coming for my job,’” recalls Lehto. Others argued she didn’t belong at the same table. Lehto always clarifies that she is not a journalist — she doesn’t conduct interviews or do the ground reporting. Journalists’ responses to her work are mixed: some are grateful for the visibility she gives, while others request tags or raise concerns about credit. “There was an author who reached out to me and was like, ‘you’re not adequately crediting me’ and I explained to them: ‘look, I had the date of publication, the publisher, your name and the article. That’s all the stuff that would be required in an APA citation, but there is no official format to cite sources online.’” She always includes the reporter’s name and publication in the caption and video, but notes the need for a clear, standardized way to credit stories online. “I hope that in the future there will be some kind of conversation about the correct way to cite things in digital spaces.” ## Results What did work was reaching highly influential audiences. Many federal workers, policymakers, and people actively engaged in legislation follow Lehto, some anonymously, given political sensitivities. A campaign sharing [free HCN subscriptions for federal workers](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHPJyxeyeRu/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) performed particularly well, reaching the exact community HCN wanted to engage while staying true to Lehto’s voice and maintaining trust with her audience. Over time, the impact became visible, even without traditional metrics. “People started associating ‘Western Watergirl’ with High Country News,” Lehto said. “People would come up to me at conferences and say, ‘What you’re doing with High Country News is so cool.’” Some stories traveled especially far. [One video that ](https://www.tiktok.com/@westernwatergirl/video/7244655033533435178?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com)highlights a joint report by ProPublica and High Country News [about a hospital on the Navajo Nation ](https://www.tiktok.com/@westernwatergirl/video/7244655033533435178?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com)that couldn’t open because it didn’t have access to water infrastructure went viral on both TikTok and Instagram. Shortly after, the hospital opened. When [honored by Hydro20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PUsSiU3xPo&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) for her innovative use of social media to educate millions about water policy, Lehto described this as one of the most rewarding moments of her work—her coverage, alongside the investigative reporting and other factors, helped apply public pressure that made a real difference. “It became valuable enough that they didn’t need metrics to prove it,” Lehto said. The partnership also created tangible benefits for Lehto. Working with a legacy newsroom brought legitimacy, consistent pay, and [speaking opportunities](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAKfJAxu2PA&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). For High Country News, success looked less like immediate subscription growth and more like presence: being part of conversations they couldn’t reach on their own. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/01/Design-1.png) That success led HCN to expand its creator partnerships across platforms. Some connections came through Lehto, others via direct outreach—a process Love describes as challenging and time-intensive. To help scale these efforts and better measure impact, the newsroom is exploring tools like [Verified Storytellers](https://fieldninegroup.typeform.com/to/Nk2q0P5E?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), a creator-matching service powered by Influencer Journalism. “And we’ve got a couple more that we’ve made the connection with, are building the relationship, and we’re just looking for the right story. So, a few more to come,” added Love. ### The 2026 Creator Predictions Newsrooms Need to Read URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/2026-creator-predictions-newsrooms-influencer-journalism/ Last updated: 2026-01-15T22:07:19.000Z Apologies for the slightly later-than-usual Thursday landing in your inbox, I'm wrapping up work before heading out for some skiing over the MLK long weekend. But before I disconnect, I wanted to make sure you got this week's edition. This week, I'm reflecting on the Reuters Institute's 2026 predictions report, which includes some crucial insights about creators in journalism. Let's dive in. ## **The Reuters Institute Gets It: Creators Are Here to Stay (And Newsrooms Need a Plan)** The [Reuters Institute's 2026 Journalism, Media and Technology Trends and Predictions report](https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/journalism-media-and-technology-trends-and-predictions-2026?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) dropped this month, and the section on creators is worth your attention, not because it says anything shocking, but because of who's saying it. When the Reuters Institute includes creators as a major trend for 2026, it signals that this conversation has moved beyond early adopters and innovation teams. This is mainstream journalism strategy now. The data is clear: creators are becoming a permanent fixture in how audiences consume news. But the report also raises the questions that matter about verification, accuracy, and what happens when reach outpaces standards. Industry leaders surveyed for the report acknowledge that while creators offer unprecedented access to younger audiences, newsrooms remain uncertain about how to build these partnerships without compromising editorial integrity. This tension is exactly what we've been navigating in our work. The newsrooms seeing success aren't the ones treating creator partnerships as marketing initiatives or distribution experiments. They're the ones building actual frameworks, clear guidelines around standards, transparent disclosure practices, authentic engagement models, platform-native content approaches, and a commitment to public service journalism. The Reuters predictions confirm a shift we've been tracking for a bit. Newsrooms can no longer afford to view creator partnerships as optional. Publishers increasingly recognize that traditional distribution channels aren't reaching the audiences they need to serve. Social algorithms don't favor news organizations. Email open rates continue declining. Young audiences aren't coming to homepages. But they are following creators. So how do you do this the right way? The report acknowledges concerns about misinformation and lack of standards, but here's what's encouraging: those concerns are solvable. They're solvable when newsrooms approach creator partnerships with the same rigor they apply to any editorial relationship. What I found most interesting in the report is the recognition that creators aren't replacing journalists, they're filling a distribution and engagement gap that legacy models can't address. The newsrooms that understand this distinction are the ones building sustainable partnerships. If your newsroom hasn't had a serious conversation about creator strategy, the Reuters report makes it clear: you're behind. But more importantly, the industry is starting to develop the language and frameworks to have those conversations effectively. Worth reading the full report if you're thinking about your 2026 strategy. The creator section is just one part, but it's the one that will likely determine whether your journalism actually reaches the audiences who need it. ## **Creator-News Crossover** I'm thrilled to share that I'm joining the advisory board for [WAN-IFRA's NewsCreatorExchange initiative](https://wan-ifra.org/2026/01/newscreatorexchange-adriana-lacy-on-bridging-journalism-and-influence/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). This is significant not just personally, but for where the industry is headed. WAN-IFRA (World Association of News Publishers) represents publishers from over 120 countries. When they launch an initiative specifically focused on newsroom-creator partnerships, it signals that this work has moved from experimental to essential on a global scale. The initiative brings together newsrooms and creators internationally to develop sustainable, ethical partnership models. Unlike one-off case studies or theoretical frameworks, NewsCreatorExchange is focused on creating practical resources that publishers can actually implement, regardless of their size, market, or resources. In a recent interview with WAN-IFRA, I talk about one of the biggest mistakes I see newsrooms make: "When you treat creators as just a distribution channel, you kill the partnership before it starts. Creators are storytellers, community builders, and trusted voices." This isn't semantic nitpicking. The language newsrooms use internally shapes how they approach partnerships. When a creator is reduced to a "channel," they're positioned as a tool rather than a collaborator. And creators can tell the difference immediately. If you're working on creator partnerships at your organization, keep an eye on what NewsCreatorExchange builds this year. This is where industry standards are being set. I'll be speaking at WAN-IFRA's World News Media Congress in Marseille later this year, and I'm hoping to see some of you there. [Read The Full Interview](https://wan-ifra.org/2026/01/newscreatorexchange-adriana-lacy-on-bridging-journalism-and-influence/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/01/2--5-.png)](https://betternews.org/journalism-creators-influencer-map-community-engagment/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) ## **The Partnership Watch** As newsrooms experiment with creator collaborations, it's worth revisiting the work [Public Source did in Pittsburgh with their creator-driven community mapping project](https://betternews.org/journalism-creators-influencer-map-community-engagment/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) with help from us. I've referenced this case study in several consulting conversations recently because it demonstrates what's possible when newsrooms move beyond transactional creator relationships. Public Source is a nonprofit newsroom serving Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania. Like many regional outlets, they were grappling with a familiar challenge: how to reach communities they were covering, particularly younger audiences and communities of color who weren't engaging with traditional journalism formats. Rather than viewing creators as promotional tools to amplify existing coverage, Public Source approached them as community storytellers with unique insights and access. The partnership centered on a collaborative mapping initiative that documented community experiences and perspectives around specific local issues. Public Source reached audiences they'd been struggling to engage. But more importantly, the journalism was better. The mapping project captured perspectives and stories that likely wouldn't have emerged through conventional reporting. The Public Source example demonstrates that when newsrooms approach creators as collaborators rather than contractors, the journalism improves. But it also required PublicSource to let go of some control and trust that creators could uphold editorial standards without losing their authentic voice. That's the tension most newsrooms are navigating right now. The ones succeeding are the ones willing to invest in genuine partnerships, not just distribution deals. If you're considering a creator partnership, study what Public Source did. Not to copy it exactly as your community and needs will be different but to understand the mindset that made it work. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/01/1-3.png)](https://influencerjournalism.com/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) ## **What We're Working On (and Reading)** **Currently reading:** The [Project C/Video Consortium's "Rise of the Creator Journalist" report](https://videoconsortium.org/member-resources/rise-of-creator-journalist-report?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), which examines how video-first creators are reshaping news distribution and storytelling. **Client work:** We're still taking on consulting clients for 2026\. While creator partnerships are our specialty, our work extends beyond just collaboration frameworks, we also train newsroom staff to produce and appear on camera effectively. Many newsrooms recognize they need video content but have staff who are excellent writers and reporters, not natural on-camera talent. We help bridge that gap. Our training covers everything from basic camera comfort to platform-specific content creation to building a sustainable video production workflow. If your team is building a video-first strategy, launching TikTok or Reels content, or just needs help being comfortable in front of the camera, let's talk. The technical skills are learnable, but confidence on camera requires practice and feedback. We're also continuing to work with newsrooms on creator partnership strategy — from identifying the right creators for your audience to building sustainable collaboration models to measuring success beyond vanity metrics. ### The Creator-Newsroom Convergence Is Here. Now What? URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/creator-newsroom-influencer-guide/ Last updated: 2026-01-08T19:13:44.000Z Welcome to the first issue of Influencer Journalism Weekly. This newsletter exists because the intersection of newsrooms and creators is no longer experimental, it's existential. For those who don't know me, I'm Adriana Lacy, CEO of [Field Nine Group](http://www.fieldninegroup.com/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) and the founder of Influencer Journalism. I'll be the one in your inbox each week, along with case studies from our writers and insights from our research team. Think of this as your behind-the-scenes pass to how newsrooms and creators are actually making partnerships work, what's failing, and what we're learning along the way. The data is stark: 21% of U.S. adults now regularly get news from influencers on social media, rising to [38% among adults under 30](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/fact-sheet/news-influencers-fact-sheet/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). Meanwhile, global [trust in news remains stuck at 40%](https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2025?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). Traditional outlets are losing ground. Creators are gaining it. The question isn't whether journalism and the creator economy will converge as we know they already have. The question is whether that convergence will strengthen journalism's public service mission or dilute it. That's what this newsletter is about: building the frameworks, sharing the case studies, and tracking the research that helps newsrooms get this right. Each week, we'll bring you original analysis, curated industry news, partnership case studies, and tactical advice. Let's get into it. ## **The STEPP Spotlight** [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/01/2--8--1.png)](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/) When newsrooms partner with content creators, they enter territory without a guide. Editorial standards that have shaped journalism for generations suddenly meet an ecosystem built on authenticity, algorithm optimization, and audience intimacy. The result is often confusion, missed opportunities, or worse, partnerships that compromise the credibility of both parties. The [STEPP Framework](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/) provides that guide. Developed through consulting with newsrooms from nonprofit startups to major metropolitan dailies, STEPP offers five pillars for responsible creator collaboration: **S — Standards**: Every factual claim in collaborative content must meet newsroom standards for verification. This doesn't mean creators can't offer opinions but factual assertions require the same rigor applied to traditional journalism. **T — Transparency**: Audiences deserve to know when content involves collaboration between newsrooms and creators. This goes beyond FTC requirements to include editorial collaborations, financial relationships, and process transparency. ## Sign up for the Influencer Journalism Newsletter Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **E — Engagement**: The most successful partnerships create ongoing connections, not one-off transactions. Approach creators as partners, not vendors. Invest in understanding their work before discussing specific collaborations. **P — Platform-Native**: Content that works on Instagram won't necessarily work on TikTok or YouTube. Respect creator voice and platform expertise. The goal is reaching people with important information, not necessarily converting them to website traffic. **P — Public Service**: Every partnership should have a clear answer to the question: How does this serve the public? If the answer is only "it extends our reach," the partnership may be missing its primary purpose. The newsrooms succeeding in this space are proving that responsible creator partnerships are possible. Their experiments offer concrete models for others to follow. [Read the full framework](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/) ## **Creator-News Crossover** ### **The Infrastructure Gap That Will Define Journalism's Next Chapter** Rachel Lobdell, executive director of [News Creator Corps](https://newscreatorcorps.org/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), [wrote for Nieman Lab last month](https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/12/creator-partnerships-are-ripe-for-opportunities-if-newsrooms-do-the-work/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) that creator partnerships are "ripe for opportunities, if newsrooms do the work." Her diagnosis is sharp: creators worry newsrooms will use them as distribution channels without genuine collaboration. Newsrooms worry about how it would all work. Both concerns are valid. The deeper issue, as Liz Kelly Nelson and the team at[ Project C](https://projectc.biz/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) have been documenting, is infrastructure. Creator journalism is happening with or without proper systems for standards, fair partnerships, and editorial independence. The next 18 months will determine whether the field develops sustainably or tumbles into the exploitative dynamics of the broader influencer economy. One promising development: Project C's[ Top 50 Creator Model Journalists](https://projectc.biz/top50creatorjournalists?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) list, released in July 2025, is the first serious attempt to map who's doing this work well. Their finding that 86% of top creator journalists are white and 54% are male suggests significant work remains to diversify the field. **Why it matters for newsrooms:** If you're exploring creator partnerships, you're not alone and there's a growing community working through the same questions. The organizations building infrastructure now will shape how the field develops. **Also worth noting:** - The[ WAN-IFRA News Creator Exchange](https://wan-ifra.org/2025/11/news-creator-exchange-at-work-exploring-collaboration-without-compromise/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) is connecting digital news creators with traditional newsrooms across Asia, with plans to expand globally in 2026. - The American Press Institute's[ 2025 Influencer Learning Cohort](https://americanpressinstitute.org/3-case-studies-on-creator-newsroom-collaborations/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) supported 16 newsrooms experimenting with creator partnerships, building on learnings from their 2024 cohort. ## **The Partnership Watch** [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/01/influencer-Journalism-Blog-11.webp)](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/mlk50-creator-in-residence-journalism-ethics/) When MLK50: Justice Through Journalism in Memphis launched a Creator-in-Residence program with Amber Sherman, a policy organizer and TikTok creator with 45,500 followers, they knew they were navigating uncharted territory. Sherman is a newsmaker. Her policy work attracts media attention. She has her own platform and voice. These are exactly the complications that make newsrooms hesitant to pursue creator partnerships. MLK50 planned for them anyway. Our writer Ana Clara Otoni dove into this in our [latest case study](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/mlk50-creator-in-residence-journalism-ethics/): **The setup:** Sherman produces two civic education videos per week, covering everything from public hearings to how to lobby a legislator. She co-designed the year-long residency with the newsroom, formalizing a contract that included weekly posts, monthly payments, and digital training for MLK50's staff. **The ethical guardrails:** When staff raised concerns "Amber is a newsmaker. How do we manage that?" leadership didn't dismiss them. They set clear boundaries: Sherman would focus on civic education, with branding and messaging reinforcing that distinction. They created a landing page clarifying the residency relationship and her independence outside branded content. **The crisis test:** A few months into the partnership, Sherman was briefly detained during a police operation. MLK50 maintained close communication and coordinated with reporters on the ground while Sherman's phone was inaccessible. When Sherman was ready, she shared her experience on her own platform, not through MLK50\. The newsroom's coverage focused on the incident's implications: Sherman's removal from a local police reform task force. **The results:** 665% growth in social interactions. A new hire. Funder attention. And crucially, proof that the model works. "One of the things people need to understand," says co-executive director Adrienne Johnson Martin, "is that the reason you were attracted to them was because of that other stuff they're doing. So you can't be afraid of that person." **The STEPP takeaway:** This is what the Engagement pillar looks like in practice. MLK50 didn't treat Sherman as a distribution channel. They integrated her as a partner with real editorial collaboration, clear boundaries, and mutual value exchange. [Read the full MLK50 Case Study](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/mlk50-creator-in-residence-journalism-ethics/) ## **One Thing to Try** [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/01/1--14-.webp)](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/newsroom-creator-disclosure-transparency-ftc/) ### **Audit Your Disclosure Language** This week's tactical suggestion ties to our latest piece:[ Why Disclosure Matters More Than You Think](https://influencerjournalism.com/disclosure?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). Here's the preview: The FTC's 2023 Endorsement Guides clarified that built-in platform tools like Instagram's "Paid Partnership" label may not be sufficient on their own. Disclosures must be "clear and conspicuous" meaning audiences should immediately understand the relationship without scrolling, clicking "more," or decoding hashtags. For newsrooms, the stakes are higher than legal compliance. When audiences discover undisclosed relationships after the fact, they don't just lose trust in the creator they lose trust in the newsroom that partnered with them. **Your assignment:** Pull up the last three creator posts that mentioned your newsroom. Ask yourself: - Is it clear what the relationship is? - Would a first-time viewer understand how the content was produced and verified? - Does the disclosure appear where audiences will immediately see it—not below the fold, not buried in hashtags? If you're not sure, your audience isn't either. For the full breakdown including specific language recommendations and a disclosure checklist read the complete piece. [In Newsroom - Influencer Partnerships, Disclosure Matters More Than You ThinkWithout rigorous, clear disclosure in every partnership, both the newsroom’s reputation and the creator’s authenticity are at stake.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/icon/Frame-5-1.png)Influencer JournalismAdriana Lacy![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/thumbnail/1--14-.png)](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/newsroom-creator-disclosure-transparency-ftc/) ## **What We're Working On** **📰 Just published:**[ Why Disclosure Matters More Than You Think](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/newsroom-creator-disclosure-transparency-ftc/), a research-backed guide to transparency in creator partnerships, including what rigorous disclosure actually looks like and why cutting corners isn't worth the risk. **🚨 Grant deadline alert:** The[ Lenfest News Creator Collaborative](https://www.lenfestinstitute.org/grants/lenfest-news-creator-collaborative-grant-guidelines/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) is offering up to $100,000 per organization for newsrooms experimenting with creator partnerships. The focus areas align almost perfectly with what we cover in this newsletter: audience growth, creator co-production, trust and transparency, measurement. Applications are due **Monday, January 12** (yes, that's four days from now). If you've been thinking about this work but haven't had budget to experiment, this is worth a look. **📞 This quarter:** We're taking on consulting clients internationally for creator partnership strategy, including helping newsrooms design grant proposals and partnership frameworks. If you're scrambling on that Lenfest application or want to build something longer-term, reply to this email. **👋 Always:** If you know someone at a newsroom thinking about creator partnerships, forward this their way. ### In Newsroom - Influencer Partnerships, Disclosure Matters More Than You Think URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/newsroom-creator-disclosure-transparency-ftc/ Last updated: 2026-01-08T15:12:40.000Z Transparency is a [pillar of our STEPP Framework](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/) for a reason. When audiences don't understand the relationship between a creator and a newsroom, trust erodes for both parties. In an era when just 40% of people globally say they trust the news, according to the [2025 Reuters Institute Digital News Report](https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2025?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), every point of credibility matters. For newsrooms experimenting with creator partnerships, the temptation to let disclosures slide can feel harmless. It isn't. The T in our STEPP stands for Transparency, and it exists because trust is the currency that makes newsroom-creator collaborations work. Without rigorous, clear disclosure in every partnership, both the newsroom's reputation and the creator's authenticity are at stake. ## The Disclosure Gap Is Real A [2024 EU consumer sweep](https://commission.europa.eu/live-work-travel-eu/consumer-rights-and-complaints/influencer-legal-hub%5Fen?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) found that 97% of reviewed influencers posted commercial content, but only about 20% systematically indicated that their posts were advertisements. In Spain, regulators found that 77.75% of investigated influencer content failed to comply with disclosure obligations. This isn't just a European problem. The [FTC's updated Endorsement Guides](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) now require disclosures to be "difficult to miss" and "easily understandable by ordinary consumers." The era of burying "#ad" in a sea of hashtags is over. For journalism organizations, the stakes are even higher. When audiences discover undisclosed relationships after the fact, they don't just lose trust in the creator,they lose trust in the newsroom that partnered with them. As the [American Press Institute's ethical roadmap for influencer collaborations](https://americanpressinstitute.org/an-ethical-roadmap-for-journalists-who-partner-with-influencers/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) puts it: "How do you know this information is fair and accurate?" and "How will it impact people's perception of the independence of your news organization?" are questions that must be answered proactively, not reactively. ## What Rigorous Disclosure Actually Looks Like At [Influencer Journalism](https://influencerjournalism.com/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), we work with newsrooms to implement disclosure practices that go beyond minimum legal compliance. Through the STEPP Framework, Transparency means journalists disclose their funding, methods, and sources and that standard extends to every creator partnership. Effective disclosure includes several key elements. First, placement matters: disclosures must appear where audiences will immediately see them, not below the fold or after a "more" break. The FTC has specifically noted that built-in platform tools like Instagram's "Paid Partnership" label may not be sufficient on their own. Second, clarity is essential. Vague terms like "collaboration" or "thanks to the brand" don't cut it. API and Trusting News recommend explicit language such as "This is a paid partnership, meaning we paid \[creator\] for their reporting" or "This collaboration is funded by \[newsroom\]." Third, consistency across all touchpoints is critical. The disclosure should appear everywhere the content lives—in the video itself, in captions, in any newsletter mentions, and on the newsroom's site. Finally, explaining the editorial process adds another layer of trust. Audiences should understand how the content was fact-checked, who had editorial control, and how the newsroom maintains its independence. ## The Research Supports Transparency One of the persistent myths in creator partnerships is that disclosure kills engagement. The evidence tells a different story. Research published in [the International Journal of Research in Marketing](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167811621000732?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) found that while disclosure can initially affect perceptions of advertising, consumers also express appreciation for transparency when creators are upfront about partnerships. This appreciation can actually increase perceived trustworthiness and engagement. As [one 2025 industry analysis](https://stackinfluence.com/authenticity-transparency-influencer-2025-guide/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) noted, 63% of shoppers say they're more likely to buy a product recommended by a creator they trust, and 67% of consumers are most compelled by content that comes across as genuine. Transparency is what signals genuineness—not the absence of a commercial relationship, but the honest acknowledgment of it. This aligns with what audiences tell researchers they want from journalism. The 2025 Reuters Digital News Report found that audiences specifically requested "more evidence for claims, including fuller disclosure of sources, and better transparency over funding and conflicts of interest." [The STEPP Framework: A Comprehensive Guide to Ethical Creator-Newsroom PartnershipsWe offer a structured approach to navigating this emerging space while protecting what matters most: the public’s trust in journalism.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/icon/Frame-5.png)Influencer JournalismAdriana Lacy![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/thumbnail/1--15-.png)](https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/) ## Case Studies in Getting It Right [American Press Institute's 2025 Influencer Learning Cohort](https://americanpressinstitute.org/3-case-studies-on-creator-newsroom-collaborations/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), shows that newsrooms can implement disclosure practices that strengthen rather than undermine their partnerships. Pittsburgh's [PublicSource](https://betternews.org/journalism-creators-influencer-map-community-engagment/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) built a diverse map of more than 40 local creators working us. Each partnership includes clear disclosure language that explains not just the financial relationship, but why the collaboration serves the community. THE CITY in New York partnered with The Pigeon Post on [a video explainer series](https://betternews.org/newsroom-creator-collaboration-civic-engagement/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) ahead of the 2025 mayoral primary. The collaboration included transparent labeling that helped THE CITY reach a larger audience while maintaining credibility—the explainers were praised in the comments precisely because audiences understood what they were watching. Factchequeado developed training for Latino creators that specifically addresses [how to communicate transparently](https://betternews.org/countering-disinformation-training-latino-content-creators/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) about partnerships while countering disinformation—recognizing that disclosure is part of building trust, not undermining it. ## The Regulatory Landscape Is Tightening Newsrooms that don't take disclosure seriously now will face growing pressure from regulators. The FTC can impose civil penalties of up to $53,088 per violation as of 2025, and has been actively sending warning letters to creators who fail to properly disclose partnerships. In Europe, the regulatory framework is expanding rapidly. [Italy's communications authority AGCOM](https://cmpf.eui.eu/influencers-as-news-creators-implications-for-media-regulation/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) introduced binding guidelines for creators with at least 500,000 followers, imposing transparency obligations similar to those for traditional media. France's 2023 law requires advertising disclosures and prohibits promotion of certain high-risk products. Slovenia's new Media Act specifically addresses influencers who create content capable of shaping public opinion. The European Commission's forthcoming Digital Fairness Act is expected to strengthen requirements further. As one [European Parliament briefing](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2025/779254/EPRS%5FBRI%282025%29779254%5FEN.pdf?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) noted, disclosure should be "prominent and clearly distinguished from other content" and "appear where consumers will immediately see it." For newsrooms, these regulations aren't just about avoiding fines. They represent a broader shift toward holding all communicators—whether traditional journalists, creators, or hybrid partnerships—to standards of transparency. ## A Disclosure Checklist for Newsroom-Creator Partnerships Based on the STEPP Framework and [API's ethical guidelines](https://americanpressinstitute.org/an-ethical-roadmap-for-journalists-who-partner-with-influencers/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), every creator partnership should address these questions: **Disclose the relationship.** Explain who is partnering, why, and what the audience can expect. Don't assume audiences will figure it out. **Talk about the money.** If money is changing hands—in either direction—be explicit. You don't need dollar amounts, but clarity about who is funding the work is essential. **Explain fact-checking processes.** How was the content verified? Who bears responsibility for accuracy? This is especially important for journalism organizations, where editorial standards are part of the value proposition. **Clarify editorial control.** Who had final say over the content? How were disagreements resolved? This addresses audience concerns about independence. **Address potential conflicts.** If there are reasons audiences might question the partnership, address them head-on rather than hoping no one notices. **Link to your ethics policy.** Every disclosure is an opportunity to reinforce your organization's commitment to transparency. Point audiences to where they can learn more about your standards. ## Why Cutting Corners Isn't Worth the Risk The cost of inadequate disclosure isn't just legal exposure. It's the erosion of the very trust that makes newsroom-creator partnerships valuable in the first place. When Pew Research Center surveyed Americans in [September 2025](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/10/29/how-americans-trust-in-information-from-news-organizations-and-social-media-sites-has-changed-over-time/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), they found that trust in national news organizations had dropped 11 percentage points since March of that year. In this environment, every partnership is an opportunity to either rebuild credibility or further erode it. The Reuters Institute found that when asked what would improve their trust in news, audiences specifically mentioned "better transparency over funding and conflicts of interest" and "more prominent corrections when publications get things wrong." Creator partnerships, done well, can help newsrooms reach audiences they've been missing—particularly younger demographics who are three times more likely to use social media for news. But "done well" requires treating transparency as foundational, not optional. ## The STEPP Framework Approach At Influencer Journalism, Transparency sits alongside Standards, Engagement, Platform-Native content, and Public Service as the five pillars of responsible newsroom-creator collaboration. Transparency is about recognizing that audiences are sophisticated consumers of media who deserve to understand the relationships behind the content they consume. When creators and newsrooms are upfront about their partnerships, they're treating audiences as partners in the information ecosystem rather than targets to be influenced. The data supports what journalism ethics has always taught: trust is built through transparency, not despite it. In creator partnerships, cutting corners on disclosure doesn't protect the relationship. It undermines everything the partnership is meant to achieve. ### The STEPP Framework: A Comprehensive Guide to Ethical Creator-Newsroom Partnerships URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/stepp-framework-ethics-influencers-creator-newsroom-partnerships/ Last updated: 2026-01-08T15:16:57.000Z When newsrooms partner with content creators, they enter territory without a map. Editorial standards that have guided journalism for generations suddenly meet an ecosystem built on authenticity, algorithm optimization, and audience intimacy. The result is often confusion, missed opportunities, or worse, a partnerships that compromise the credibility of both parties. The STEPP Framework provides that map. It offers a structured approach to navigating this emerging space while protecting what matters most: the public’s trust in journalism. ## **Why Newsrooms Need a Framework for Working with Creators** The numbers tell an urgent story. According to [Pew Research Center](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/11/18/americas-news-influencers/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), nearly 40% of adults under 30 now regularly get their news from influencers on social media. Meanwhile, [Gallup reports](https://news.gallup.com/poll/651977/americans-trust-media-remains-trend-low.aspx?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) that just 28% of Americans express confidence in traditional media to report the news fully, accurately, and fairly, a historic low. These trends are not coincidental. Young audiences are not abandoning news; they are finding it in different places, through different voices, in different formats. The question facing newsroom leaders is not whether to engage with this reality, but how to do so responsibly. The risks of unstructured creator partnerships are significant. Without clear guidelines, newsrooms may partner with creators whose content undermines editorial credibility. Creators may feel constrained by newsroom demands that strip their work of authenticity. Audiences may lose trust in both parties when the partnership feels inauthentic or transactional. Yet the opportunity is equally significant. Creator partnerships can extend the reach of important journalism to communities traditional distribution channels cannot access. They can rebuild trust with audiences who have disengaged from legacy media. They can bring new voices and perspectives into the news ecosystem while providing sustainable revenue streams for both newsrooms and creators. As the [American Press Institute](https://americanpressinstitute.org/journalism-influencer-collaborations-guide/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) has documented through its Influencer Learning Cohorts, newsrooms that approach these partnerships thoughtfully are discovering “blueprints for how local journalism can rebuild relationships, expand its reach in meaningful ways and strengthen its role in public life.” What has been missing is a shared vocabulary and structure for making these partnerships work, one that honors both journalistic values and creator culture. That is what STEPP provides. ## **From Newsroom Experience to Framework** The STEPP Framework did not emerge from academic theory. It was forged in the field through experiments that worked, partnerships that failed, and countless conversations with editors, creators, and audiences about what makes collaborations succeed or stumble. Through this work, patterns emerged. Successful partnerships shared certain characteristics; failed ones lacked them. Over time, these observations crystallized into five principles that I found myself returning to again and again: Standards, Transparency, Engagement, Platform-Native content, and Public Service. Through [Influencer Journalism](https://influencerjournalism.com/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), I have tested and refined STEPP with newsrooms ranging from nonprofit startups to major metropolitan and international dailies. What follows is the framework in its complete form: each pillar explained, with concrete examples from real partnerships and practical guidance for implementation. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2026/01/2--8-.png) By grounding partnerships in Standards, Transparency, Engagement, Platform-Native content, and Public Service, newsrooms can navigate this emerging space with confidence building collaborations that serve both journalism’s mission and audiences’ evolving needs. ****Saimon Suyko / Influencer Journalism** ## **The Five Pillars of STEPP** ### **S — Standards** Standards form the foundation of any credible creator-newsroom partnership. This pillar addresses the non-negotiable principles that protect editorial integrity while respecting creator authenticity. **What Standards means in practice:** **Accuracy and verification:** Any factual claims in collaborative content must meet newsroom standards for verification. This does not mean creators cannot offer opinions or commentary, but factual assertions require the same rigor applied to traditional journalism. **Corrections and accountability:** Partnerships should include clear processes for addressing errors. If a collaborative post contains inaccurate information, how will it be corrected? Who is responsible for monitoring and flagging issues? **Values alignment:** Before entering partnerships, newsrooms should assess whether a creator’s history and content align with organizational values. This includes reviewing past content for misinformation, conspiracy theories, or conduct that could compromise credibility. **Independence from commercial influence:** Standards for disclosing sponsored content and maintaining separation between editorial and commercial interests should be established upfront. **Example from the field:** When [PublicSource partnered with Pittsburgh-based creators](https://betternews.org/journalism-creators-influencer-map-community-engagment/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) through API’s Influencer Learning Cohort, the newsroom invested significant time in vetting potential partners. As documented in their case study, they assessed creators for “ethical alignment," examining whether influencers “adhere to values that align with your newsroom’s journalistic integrity” before pursuing collaborations. ### **T — Transparency** Transparency is about making the nature of the partnership visible to audiences. In an era of declining trust, audiences deserve to know when content involves collaboration between newsrooms and creators—and what the terms of that collaboration are. **What Transparency means in practice:** **Clear disclosure:** When content is the result of a newsroom-creator partnership, that relationship should be disclosed in a way audiences can easily understand. This goes beyond FTC requirements for sponsored content to include editorial collaborations. **Financial transparency:** If creators are compensated for their work, the nature of that compensation should be acknowledged. This does not necessarily mean disclosing specific amounts, but audiences should understand whether a creator has a financial relationship with the newsroom. **Process transparency:** When appropriate, share how the collaboration works. What role did each party play? What editorial oversight exists? This demystifies the partnership and builds trust. **Honest limitations:** Be clear about what content is and is not. A creator’s perspective piece is not the same as an investigative report. Opinion should be labeled as such. **Example from the field:** THE CITY in New York has partnered with The Pigeon Post on video explainers about civic issues. Their collaboration is clearly labeled, with both organizations’ branding visible and the nature of the partnership explained to audiences. This transparency allows viewers to understand the source of the content while benefiting from the reach of both parties. ### **E — Engagement** Engagement recognizes that creator partnerships are fundamentally about relationship—with creators, with their audiences, and with communities. The most successful partnerships create ongoing connections, not one-off transactions. **What Engagement means in practice:** **Relational over transactional:** Approach creators as partners, not vendors. Invest time in understanding their work, their audience, and their creative process before discussing specific collaborations. **Community listening:** Use partnerships to learn about communities you may not be reaching through traditional channels. Creators often have deep insight into audience needs, concerns, and information gaps. **Two-way value:** Successful partnerships benefit both parties. What can the newsroom offer the creator beyond compensation? Access to sources? Editorial support? Credibility enhancement? The partnership should feel mutually enriching. **Long-term orientation:** Build partnerships designed to deepen over time. One-off campaigns rarely build the trust needed to meaningfully extend journalism’s reach. **Example from the field:** PublicSource’s approach exemplifies engagement-first thinking. As they describe in their [case study](https://betternews.org/journalism-creators-influencer-map-community-engagment/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com): “We prioritized outreach for learning first, not just deals. We scheduled discovery calls to introduce Public Source, understand the creator’s work and audience, and talk about overlap. Partnerships are seen as a result, not a precondition.” This investment in relationship produced eight new conversations, multiple partnerships, and doubled their Instagram following in 18 months. ### **P — Platform-Native** Platform-Native content acknowledges that different platforms have different cultures, formats, and expectations. Content that works on Instagram will not necessarily work on TikTok, YouTube, or a newsroom’s website. Successful partnerships leverage the creator’s platform expertise. **What Platform-Native means in practice:** **Format flexibility:** A story that works as a 1,500-word article may need to become a 60-second video, a carousel of images, or an interactive story for platform distribution. Be willing to adapt format while maintaining substance. **Creator voice:** Audiences follow creators because of their unique voice and style. Partnerships that strip creators of their authenticity defeat the purpose of collaboration. Allow creators the freedom to translate journalism into their authentic voice. **Algorithm awareness:** Creators understand platform algorithms in ways many newsrooms do not. Trust their expertise on timing, hooks, hashtags, and other elements that affect content distribution. **Native distribution:** Rather than always driving audiences to the newsroom’s properties, consider letting content live where audiences already are. The goal is reaching people with important information, not necessarily converting them to website traffic. **Example from the field:** Through API’s Influencer Learning Cohort, the Houston Chronicle worked with food influencers to bring new energy to dining coverage. Rather than asking creators to simply promote Chronicle content, they developed native collaborations that leveraged each creator’s unique relationship with their audience and platform expertise. ### **P — Public Service** Public Service anchors the entire framework in journalism’s core purpose. Creator partnerships should ultimately serve the public interest: informing communities, promoting civic engagement, and strengthening democratic participation. Without this anchor, partnerships risk becoming merely marketing exercises. **What Public Service means in practice:** **Community benefit:** Every partnership should have a clear answer to the question: How does this serve the public? If the answer is only “it extends our reach” or “it builds our brand,” the partnership may be missing its primary purpose. **Civic information:** Prioritize partnerships that help communities access information they need to participate in civic life—voting, local government, public health, community resources. **Underserved audiences:** Use partnerships to reach communities that traditional journalism has historically underserved. Creators often have trust and reach in communities where legacy media does not. **Impact orientation:** Measure success not just by views or engagement, but by public impact. Did the partnership help people take action? Access resources? Understand an issue? Vote? **Example from the field:** Factchequeado, a nonpartisan nonprofit, worked with Latino creators through API’s cohort to develop training that helps influencers recognize and counter Spanish-language disinformation. This partnership serves a clear public purpose: protecting vulnerable communities from harmful misinformation while building creator capacity for responsible information-sharing. ## **Assessing Your Newsroom Against STEPP** Before launching creator partnerships, newsrooms should honestly assess their readiness across each STEPP dimension. The following questions can guide that assessment: **Standards Assessment:** • Do we have documented standards for creator partnerships, or are we making decisions ad hoc? • Have we defined what values alignment means for potential creator partners? • Do we have a vetting process that multiple team members follow consistently? • Have we established correction and accountability processes for collaborative content? **Transparency Assessment:** • Do our audiences know when content involves creator partnerships? • Are we clear about the financial nature of our creator relationships? • Do we label opinion and perspective content appropriately? **Engagement Assessment:** • Are we approaching creators as partners or as distribution channels? • Do we invest in relationship-building before asking for specific deliverables? • What value do we offer creators beyond compensation? • Are we building for long-term relationships or one-off campaigns? **Platform-Native Assessment:** • Do we allow creators flexibility in format and presentation? • Are we respecting creator voice and authenticity? • Do we trust creators’ platform expertise? **Public Service Assessment:** • Can we articulate how each partnership serves the public interest? • Are we prioritizing civic information and underserved communities? • Are we measuring impact beyond reach and engagement metrics? ## **Common Mistakes and How STEPP Addresses Them** Through consulting work with newsrooms across the globe, I have observed patterns in how creator partnerships go wrong and how applying STEPP principles can prevent these failures. **Mistake 1: Treating creators as distribution channels rather than partners** Many newsrooms approach creators with a simple proposition: share our content with your audience. This transactional approach ignores what makes creators valuable which is their authentic voice, their community relationships, their creative approach. It also provides little value to the creator. STEPP’s Engagement pillar reframes partnerships as genuinely collaborative, with two-way value exchange and investment in relationship. **Mistake 2: Expecting creators to conform to newsroom style** When newsrooms try to impose their voice, format, and style on creator content, the result often feels inauthentic to audiences, defeating the purpose of the partnership. The Platform-Native pillar reminds newsrooms that creators succeed because of their unique voice and approach. Respecting that authenticity while maintaining standards is the creative challenge at the heart of effective partnerships. **Mistake 3: Skipping due diligence on creator alignment** In the rush to build partnerships, some newsrooms partner with creators whose past content or values conflict with journalistic standards. This can lead to credibility damage for both parties. STEPP’s Standards pillar emphasizes the importance of thorough vetting before partnerships begin—reviewing content history, assessing ethical alignment, and establishing clear expectations. **Mistake 4: Hiding or downplaying the partnership** Some newsrooms worry that disclosure will make partnerships seem less authentic. In reality, transparency builds trust. Audiences are increasingly sophisticated about media partnerships; attempting to hide them erodes credibility. The Transparency pillar makes clear that disclosure should be embraced, not avoided. **Mistake 5: Measuring only reach and engagement** It is tempting to evaluate partnerships purely by numbers—views, likes, shares, follower growth. But these metrics can miss what matters most. Did the partnership help people access important information? Did it build trust with underserved communities? Did it serve the public interest? The Public Service pillar anchors evaluation in impact, not just reach. **Mistake 6: One-off campaigns instead of sustained relationships** Single collaborations rarely build the trust needed to meaningfully extend journalism’s reach. The most impactful partnerships develop over time, with each collaboration building on the last. STEPP’s Engagement pillar emphasizes long-term orientation and relationship investment. ## **Implementing STEPP in Your Newsroom** For newsrooms ready to apply STEPP, the following implementation roadmap offers a practical starting point: **Phase 1: Foundation (Weeks 1-4)** • Convene key stakeholders: editorial leadership, audience development, social media, and legal. • Document existing standards and identify gaps. • Define what values alignment means for your organization. • Establish disclosure and transparency protocols. **Phase 2: Landscape Mapping (Weeks 5-8)** • Identify local creators across priority platforms. • Build a database with consistent vetting criteria. • Have multiple team members follow potential partners to observe content over time. • Consider working with consultants like [Influencer Journalism](https://influencerjournalism.com/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) to accelerate this process. **Phase 3: Relationship Building (Weeks 9-12)** • Initiate discovery conversations with priority creators. • Focus on learning about their work and audience before proposing specific collaborations. • Identify mutual value opportunities. **Phase 4: Pilot Partnerships (Weeks 13-16)** • Launch one or two pilot collaborations with high-alignment creators. • Document what works and what does not. • Gather feedback from creators and audiences. **Phase 5: Iteration and Scale (Ongoing)** • Refine approach based on pilot learnings. • Expand partnerships with proven partners. • Continue landscape mapping to identify new opportunities. • Share learnings with the broader journalism community. ## **The Path Forward** The creator economy is not a threat to journalism, it is an opportunity. An opportunity to reach audiences who have disengaged from traditional news. An opportunity to rebuild trust with communities who feel unseen by legacy media. An opportunity to strengthen journalism’s role in democratic life. But seizing this opportunity requires intentionality. Newsrooms cannot simply throw money at influencers and hope for results. They need frameworks that protect editorial integrity while embracing the authentic engagement that defines creator culture. STEPP provides that framework. By grounding partnerships in Standards, Transparency, Engagement, Platform-Native content, and Public Service, newsrooms can navigate this emerging space with confidence building collaborations that serve both journalism’s mission and audiences’ evolving needs. The newsrooms succeeding in this space like PublicSource, THE CITY, the Houston Chronicle, Factchequeado, and others are proving that responsible creator partnerships are possible. Their experiments, documented through the [American Press Institute](https://americanpressinstitute.org/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) on [Better News](https://betternews.org/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), offer concrete models for others to follow. The question is no longer whether journalism and the creator economy will converge. They already have. The question is whether that convergence will strengthen journalism’s public service mission or dilute it. STEPP offers a path toward the former. ### MLK50's Creator Residency Faced Every Ethical Complication. They Planned for That URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/mlk50-creator-in-residence-journalism-ethics/ Last updated: 2025-12-02T13:57:56.000Z Most newsrooms say they want to meet people where they are, serve the community, and build a sustainable model, but few abandon legacy habits that hold them back. [MLK50: Justice Through Journalism in Memphis](https://mlk50.com/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) is different. Founded by Wendi C. Thomas in 2017, the nonprofit addresses poverty, power, and policy — and demonstrates how bold choices yield significant benefits. In March 2025, MLK50 [launched a Creator-in-Residence program](https://www.instagram.com/p/DHqP5zbxKns/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) with Amber Sherman, a local policy organizer and [TikTok creator](https://www.tiktok.com/@aisforafro?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) with 45,500 followers [across platforms](https://www.instagram.com/aisforafro/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). Her content spans yoga, lifestyle, doula work, and civic engagement, mixing a playful persona with serious topics. Sherman’s motivation? Accountability. “I really wanted to expand how I was making content. I wanted to be more consistent, and the contract, two videos per week, pushes me to do that. I also love MLK50,” she told Influencer Journalism. For MLK50, it’s about building trust and expanding reach. “Amber already knows how to talk to our core readers. She already has their trust. So really, she was lending that trust to us and helping us be more credible,” says MLK50 co-executive director Adrienne Johnson Martin. The partnership has its complexities: Sherman is a newsmaker, her content lives mostly on social media, and there’s no push to visit MLK50’s website. “I’m not going to say, ‘Go read the newspaper.’ My goal is to help you understand a topic… usually, people will go do the work on their own. If they have a question, they’ll ask me,” says Sherman. She sees viewers attending city council meetings and taking action on their own — a tangible measure of real impact. Early results speak for themselves: 665% growth in social interactions, a new hire, a rethink of distribution strategies, funder attention, and tangible value for the community. ## Subscribe to the Influencer Journalism Newsletter Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Pitching the Creator-in-Residence Program The program began with an Instagram comment. After posting a video with an investigative feel, Sherman was encouraged by someone in the MLK50 team to pitch a project. Already known to the newsroom for her [policy work](https://mlk50.com/2024/01/10/tyre-nichols-had-a-beautiful-life/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) and [op-eds](https://mlk50.com/2025/01/20/trumps-inauguration-on-mlk-day-its-a-sign-of-the-times/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), she submitted a short proposal inspired by [TikTok creator Garrison Hayes’ residency at Mother Jones](https://www.motherjones.com/press-releases/mother-jones-hires-popular-tiktok-creator-garrison-hayes/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). “I wasn’t married to anything except the type of content I wanted to make,” Sherman said. Martin brought the idea to her co-executive director. “We had started the year thinking about two main goals: fighting misinformation and being more deeply rooted in the community. When Amber approached us, it seemed like a good idea,” she said. After researching Mother Jones' residency and consulting the editor at a convening, Martin adapted it for Memphis and Sherman’s voices. ### Co-Design and Ethical Considerations Next, leadership presented the idea to the staff. Two main concerns surfaced: “Amber is a newsmaker. How do we manage that?” and “Does Amber do things that would then be associated with MLK50?” Martin recalled. In this context, MLK50 used the term "newsmaker" to describe Amber’s visibility as a policy organizer and community leader. She is someone whose work attracts media attention, a person journalists frequently quote and feature. Sherman, however, avoids the label activist, explaining, “people try to call me an activist all the time and I clearly correct them and say I’m a policy organizer,” noting that the term feels “charged” and that her work centers on shaping policy rather than championing a single cause. The team ultimately set clear boundaries: Sherman would focus on civic education, with branding and messaging reinforcing that distinction. Once concerns were addressed, she co-designed the year-long residency with key team members, formalizing a contract that included weekly posts, monthly payments, and digital training opportunities for MLK50’s staff. The collaboration evolved over time. “Occasionally, \[the video\] it's based on something we reported or things we can't get to because we're a small team. She's like another reporter on the team,” Martin explained. Sherman’s role also required careful attention to ethics and compliance. Early in 2025, following Trump’s inauguration, funders closely monitored nonprofit messaging, pressuring newsrooms to avoid appearing opinionated or partisan. “The challenge for us was that there are certain things fundamentally that we believe in, that we don't think that they are two sides to,” Martin explained. The newsroom holds certain positions — abortion is health care, trans rights are human rights, power should be interrogated — as fundamental truths rather than opinions. Sherman’s education work reflects that worldview, which the team views as non-negotiable. Her work has gained broader recognition through this year's [Project C ONA Creator Cohort](https://newsletter.projectc.biz/p/amber-sherman-mlk50-the-experiment-every-newsroom-should-watch?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), highlighting her growing role as a creator-model journalist in the industry. When concerns arose about Sherman’s unbranded work, MLK50 [created a landing page for the Creator-in-Residence program](https://mlk50.com/about/team/creator-in-residence/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), clarifying the residency relationship and her independence outside branded content. > “One of the things people need to understand … is that the reason you were attracted to them \[creators/influencers\] was because of that other stuff they’re doing. So you can’t… be afraid of that person,” Martin said. ### Handling Crisis with Care During Sherman’s tenure at MLK50, the newsroom faced unexpected challenges beyond the usual ethical considerations. A few months into the partnership, Sherman was briefly detained for disorderly conduct [during a police operation](https://www.instagram.com/p/DIOhD4pxHXp/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). “We were monitoring it, and I responded with the same level of concern that I could with someone on staff,” said Adrienne Martin, co-executive director. MLK50 maintained close communication and coordinated with reporters on the ground while Sherman’s phone was inaccessible. The incident wasn’t reported at MLK50; their coverage instead focused on its implications: [Sherman’s removal from a local police reform task force](https://mlk50.com/2025/04/23/community-calls-for-fresh-ideas-amid-an-opaque-police-reform-process/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). When ready, Sherman [shared her experience on her own platform](https://www.instagram.com/p/DIbkC-Mx0Hh/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). ### Execution Process and Format Each week, the creator records videos based on what she’s seeing in her community and shares them with MLK50 a day before posting. The videos go to Slack for transcription and are tracked in Google Docs by topic and date. Scripts get light edits for clarity. “Sometimes there’s repetition or terms people might not understand, like FOIA (Freedom of Information Act). We break it down so everyone can follow,” explains Martin. Martin edits scripts and texts Sherman for review, careful to preserve authenticity. Sherman re-records using a teleprompter app, uploads to TikTok and Instagram, and tags MLK50 as a co-creator. A new community engagement manager now ensures posts display correctly and manages comments to prevent past hiccups. Her 1–3 minute TikToks mix civic education and community voice, covering policy, housing, public safety, always wrapped in humor, empathy, and sometimes even [pop culture references](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJR%5FqVbg9hu/?igsh=cjJqeDdkYnQwMXBm&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). She opens by naming the MLK50 partnership and closes with her signature: “Stay aware but not afraid, informed but not incapacitated, and educated because this is not the end-all-be-all. Alright y’all, peace.” Martin and Sherman say that line helps counter the dread people often feel when consuming news. Her videos feature explainers on[ public hearings](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DH8nl-BRXgY/?igsh=MWIycmwzaTgwbmFzMA==&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), civic participation tutorials ([how to engage with a public official](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJosd1Sgs%5FP/?igsh=a3M5YjY1ajBncTN3&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), [how to lobby a legislator](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIgolmNtHfH/?igsh=eW53aXFkdHh4cHp5&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), and [how to file a comment card](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIB3KpyRHAo/?igsh=MWkxaXl0em1ydmJudA==&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com)), and [misinformation debunks](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DL51RlaPZZ0/?igsh=MWdncmpxMGczcGRyNQ%3D%3D&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). Calls to action and direct replies [keep audiences engaged](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNGv%5F8wvbyt/?igsh=MXNhY2d0b2trdHA1Yw%3D%3D&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), while [MLK50 continues the conversation in comments](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJosd1Sgs%5FP/?igsh=a3M5YjY1ajBncTN3&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), helping to build trust and civic participation. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/11/f1/11f1b428-9ea5-43cc-9606-f65d893cfe88/content/images/2025/12/Option-2--1-.png) MLK50 is redefining what impact looks like. The partnership revealed that there are two distinct audiences: those who read the website and those who follow along on social media through Sherman’s videos. ### Measuring impact differently MLK50 is redefining what impact looks like. The partnership revealed that there are two distinct audiences: those who read the website and those who follow along on social media through Sherman’s videos. “Our core readership is the people who go to the website,” said Martin. “But those are different people than the people in the community. Most of the people we really serve are working-class to poor people. They may not have time to go to a website or read an email.” She added, “Doing this work with Amber has taught us to go where people are, like Instagram and TikTok. It’s opened the door to understanding all the ways we can share information, instead of just trying to get people to the website, which isn’t always effective or reasonable.” MLK50 has continued to expand its touchpoints offline: printing articles, creating one-sheets, distributing them at libraries, and hosting local events. But that doesn’t mean social followers aren’t converting into engaged readers. Sherman has seen it happen firsthand in her community. “So many people don’t even read newspapers, but they will watch my videos,” Sherman said. “After watching, they pay more attention to MLK50\. They follow, sign up for the newsletter, subscribe to socials.” As MLK50 prepares a new report of its findings, the organization is already looking ahead. A new creator in residence could start next year after Sherman’s contract ends, but Sherman herself may stay involved. “We want to figure out a way to keep Amber because she adds something no one else can,” Martin said. > “So many people don’t even read newspapers, but they will watch my videos. After watching, they pay more attention to MLK50\. They follow, sign up for the newsletter, subscribe to socials.” At the same time, an open call could attract a diverse range of creatives. “Once you get open to the idea that there’s not one way to sort of reach people, it becomes exciting. Like, could it be a painter?,” envisions Martin. The program’s growth is fueled by promising signs of new funding. “A budget is a reflection of what you think is important,” Martin added. ## Results: - Increased audience awareness and engagement across TikTok and Instagram. - Growth in newsletter signups and social followers. - Expanded community outreach through printed resources and local events. - Positive audience feedback signaling trust and relevance. - Proof of concept that led to funder interest and sustainability. ### Defining Meaningful KPIs for Newsroom–Influencer Collaborations URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/defining-meaningful-kpis-newsroom-influencer-collaborations/ Last updated: 2025-08-06T14:47:29.000Z *In part two of our series, we focus on how newsrooms can define and measure success when collaborating with influencers. Traditional metrics like pageviews won’t tell the full story here, so it’s crucial to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your goals – whether it’s community engagement, trust-building, or reaching new audiences. This article offers practical guidance on setting those goals and selecting the right metrics, with examples from real newsroom projects (from new social followers gained to survey responses collected). By the en​​d, you’ll have a clearer idea of what to track and how to gauge the impact of an influencer partn​​ership in ways that matter for mission-driven journalism.* In an era when news organizations are experimenting with social media creators and community influencers to reach the public, defining meaningful success metrics is essential. Collaborations between newsrooms and influencers can help outlets reach new demographics, build trust in underserved communities, and even spur civic action. But how do you know if these partnerships are truly working? Many newsroom leaders struggle to measure success beyond vanity metrics like views or likes. The key is to establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that align with your newsroom’s mission and the specific goals of the collaboration. ## Align KPIs with Your Mission and Goals Before diving into the numbers, take a step back and consider why you’re doing an influencer collaboration in the first place. Any KPIs you choose should connect directly to your newsroom’s broader mission and the goals of the project. If your mission is to inform and empower a local community, a collaboration’s success shouldn’t be judged solely by web traffic or social buzz, it should be measured by how well it informed or empowered that community. *In other words, let your mission drive your metrics.* This alignment prevents you from chasing vanity metrics that look impressive but don’t advance your core purpose. For example, a newsroom whose mission is to improve civic engagement might partner with a local youth influencer to encourage voting. In this case, a KPI like “event sign-ups for a voter registration drive” would be far more meaningful than general video view counts. By contrast, a newsroom focused on accountability journalism might collaborate with an influencer to explain a complex issue — here success might be defined by community understanding or feedback rather than just clicks. Always ask: *How does this collaboration serve our mission, and what would success look like in that context?* The answer should guide which KPIs you define. ## Identifying Clear Collaboration Goals Every successful newsroom–influencer partnership starts with clearly defined goals. It’s not enough to say “we want this campaign to do well” – you need to pinpoint *what “doing well” means*. Begin by articulating the specific outcomes you hope to achieve through the collaboration. Common goals for news collaborations with influencers include: - **Reaching New Audiences:** Perhaps you want to connect with a younger demographic, a different cultural community, or people in a specific locale who aren’t engaging with your content yet. Expanding reach to these new audiences is a distinct goal. - **Building Trust and Credibility:** Your newsroom might aim to strengthen its credibility by partnering with a trusted creator. If misinformation or skepticism is high in your community, an influencer who already has followers’ confidence can help humanize your brand and build trust. - **Driving Engagement and Conversation**: You might hope to spark dialogue, comments, and community interaction around a topic. This goal is about depth of engagement – getting people not just to consume content but to react, discuss, or even contribute their own voices. - **Encouraging Civic Action:** Some collaborations are designed to move people to *do something* concrete – register to vote, attend a town hall, volunteer, fill out a survey, etc. Here the focus is on inspiring an outcome beyond the digital realm. - **Growing Your Audience or Membership:** In some cases, the objective is to boost your own following or subscribers. For instance, you might want the influencer’s fans to start following your newsroom’s social accounts, subscribe to your newsletter, or become members of your platform. It’s important to prioritize and be specific. You might have more than one goal, but try to identify the primary objective. For example, is the collaboration primarily about awareness (reach) or about interaction (engagement)? Is it about short-term action or long-term relationship-building? Defining this upfront will make choosing the right KPIs much easier. Take time to discuss these goals with your team (and even with the influencer) so everyone understands what success should look like. ## Choosing KPIs Aligned to Collaboration Goals With clear goals in mind, you can now select the KPIs that best indicate progress toward those goals. Key Performance Indicators are the metrics or data points that you will track to judge success. The crucial word is “key” – you’re not going to measure everything, but rather the few signals that matter most. Different goals call for tracking different types of KPIs. Below, we outline some useful KPIs for various goal categories, and how to think about them in a newsroom context. ### Expanding Reach and Audience Growth If your goal is to reach new people, especially those who aren’t already tuning into your coverage, focus on reach and awareness metrics. These figures tell you how many individuals were exposed to your content via the influencer. Key indicators include: - **Impressions/Views:** How many times was the content seen? For example, the number of views on the influencer’s video or impressions of their social media posts. This gives a sense of the campaign’s raw exposure. - **Unique Reach:** Whenever possible, track the number of unique people who saw the content. Some platforms provide “accounts reached” or unique viewer counts, which are more meaningful than impressions (since one person could account for multiple impressions). - **Referral Traffic:** If the collaboration drives people to your own platforms (like clicking a link to your website or news app), measure those visits. Web analytics can show how many visitors came via the influencer’s posts or referral links. - **Follower or Subscriber Growth:** Monitor whether your newsroom’s own audience grows as a result of the partnership. Did your social media accounts gain new followers during the campaign? Did newsletter sign-ups or YouTube subscriptions increase? This gauges how many in the influencer’s audience decided to form an ongoing connection with your newsroom. When evaluating reach, context is everything. Compare the influencer collaboration’s reach to your typical reach without influencer help. For instance, if your average video gets 5,000 views and the influencer-led video got 50,000, that’s a strong signal of extended reach. However, also consider *who* you reached – if your aim was to reach a specific group (say, local young adults), check if the campaign indeed attracted that demographic. It’s possible to get a large number of views but still miss your target audience, so try to use insights (from platform analytics or surveys) to verify you connected with the communities you intended to serve. ### Fostering Engagement and Community Interaction If your collaboration goal centers on engagement – meaning you want people to interact, discuss, or participate – then your KPIs should measure the depth of audience interaction. Engagement metrics go beyond passive views to show active involvement: - **Likes, Shares, and Reposts:** These simple interactions indicate that the content resonated enough for people to endorse it (with a like) or pass it along to others (share). A high number of shares, in particular, can signal that your message is spreading organically through the community. - **Comments and Conversations:** Track the number of comments on the influencer’s post or related threads. More importantly, *read the comments* to gauge quality of discussion. Are people asking questions, tagging friends, giving feedback? A robust comment section can mean your collaboration sparked genuine conversation or curiosity. You might even track comment themes or do a quick sentiment tally (e.g. how many were positive or constructive). - **Participation in Calls to Action:** If the influencer collaboration invited the audience to take part in something interactive – for example, a Q&A session, a hashtag campaign, a user-generated content initiative, or a live event – measure the participation rate. How many submitted questions? How many people posted with your hashtag or joined your live stream? This reflects community engagement beyond one-way reactions. - **Time Spent or Repeat Engagement:** Some forms of engagement are subtle. If you directed people to an article or video on your site, look at time on page or video watch duration to see if the audience actually consumed the content fully. Repeat engagement (like users coming back for multiple live sessions in a series) can also indicate sustained interest. When analyzing engagement KPIs, remember that quality matters as much as quantity. A smaller number of thoughtful, meaningful interactions can be more valuable than a mountain of one-click likes. For example, 50 insightful comments from members of the target community might signify more success than 500 likes from random passers-by. Consider setting benchmarks or targets for these metrics based on past experience (e.g. “We’d like at least 100 comments, when our usual posts get 20”) to help judge success. And if engagement starts off slow, be prepared to adjust on the fly – sometimes tweaking the content or encouraging the influencer to prompt discussion can boost interaction mid-campaign. ### Building Trust and Positive Sentiment One of the more nuanced goals a newsroom might have is building trust with the audience, especially if the influencer is seen as a community leader or a relatable personality. Trust is hard to quantify, but there are KPIs and indicators that can serve as proxies for sentiment and credibility: - **Sentiment of Feedback:** Monitor the tone of comments, replies, and discussions surrounding the collaboration. Are people responding positively? Look for qualitative evidence such as comments that say “I appreciate this information” or “I trust this source now that it’s coming through \[Influencer\]”. You can also do a basic sentiment analysis: for example, note the ratio of positive reactions (👍 ❤️) to negative or critical ones on the posts. - **Survey or Poll Responses:** If feasible, use quick polls or surveys to gauge audience attitudes. For instance, you might ask the influencer’s followers a question before and after the campaign – like “Did you learn something new from this collaboration?” or “How likely are you to follow our news updates now?”. An increase in affirmative answers or self-reported trust is a strong indicator of success. - **Direct Feedback and Testimonials:** Pay attention to any direct messages, emails, or anecdotal feedback you receive during or after the collaboration. Sometimes members of the community will reach out with thank-you notes, personal stories (“I normally don’t pay attention to the news, but I found this really helpful…”), or constructive feedback. Collect these testimonials as qualitative KPIs – they put human stories behind the numbers. - **Brand Mentions and Reputation Indicators:** Beyond the influencer’s own posts, see if your newsroom gets mentioned elsewhere in a positive light as a result of the project. Are other community pages or local figures talking about the collaboration? Did you notice an uptick in people referring to your organization as trustworthy or engaging on social media? These are softer metrics, but they show a ripple effect of improved reputation. Since trust-building is often a long game, consider this collaboration as one step toward that goal. Combine quantitative data with qualitative insights to paint a full picture. For example, you might report that “20 people commented expressing appreciation for the information, and many said they discovered our newsroom for the first time through this partnership” – that’s evidence of growing trust and awareness. Over time, you can track broader measures like overall trust scores in community surveys or growth in loyal audience segments, though those extend beyond any single influencer campaign. The immediate collaboration KPIs, however, will tell you if you’re moving in the right direction. ### Driving Conversions and Civic Action When a collaboration is aimed at spurring a tangible action or conversion, your KPIs should zero in on those outcomes. A conversion in a newsroom context can mean many things depending on the project. It could be a digital conversion (like a newsletter sign-up or subscription) or a real-world action (like attending an event or taking part in civic activities). Key KPIs here might be: - **Sign-ups or Subscriptions:** Track any increase in subscriptions to your products that can be linked to the campaign. For instance, if the influencer urged people to sign up for your newsletter, how many new sign-ups did you get during the campaign period? Use unique landing pages or promo codes if possible to attribute these new subscribers to the influencer’s audience. - **Event Participation or Program Enrollment:** If the goal was to drive people to an event (online or offline) – say a public forum, workshop, voting drive, etc. – count how many people actually registered or showed up because of the collaboration. You might capture this by providing an event sign-up form and asking “How did you hear about this?” or by using a special invite code given out by the influencer. - **Website Actions and Conversions:** Beyond just visiting your site, what did people do there? For example, did they download an election guide PDF, fill out a survey, or donate to a cause? Define the specific action that signals success and measure it. Tools like Google Analytics with goal tracking or UTM parameters on URLs are helpful to attribute these actions to the influencer campaign. - **Conversion Rate:** Don’t just look at absolute numbers – consider conversion *rate* as well. Out of the people who were reached or who clicked through, what percentage took the desired action? This can help gauge how effective the campaign messaging was. For instance, if 1,000 people clicked a link and 50 submitted a form, that’s a 5% conversion rate. Comparing this rate with other marketing efforts or benchmarks can tell you if the influencer collaboration was more effective than your usual outreach. It’s crucial to set realistic targets for action-based KPIs. Not everyone reached will convert – in fact, influencer campaigns often have a drop-off between awareness and action. If you know that typically 2% of people who see a call-to-action actually respond, you can estimate targets accordingly. Also, communicate these goals with your influencer partner: they should know you’re aiming for, say, 200 survey responses or 100 event sign-ups, so they can help encourage those actions in a genuine way. By measuring conversions, you directly link the collaboration to outcomes that matter for your newsroom’s impact or business model (for example, growing an email list of engaged readers is a tangible benefit that can endure beyond the campaign). ## Balancing Quantitative and Qualitative Metrics As you define KPIs, remember that not everything that counts can be counted. While numbers are important for objectivity, qualitative outcomes are equally valuable in newsroom–influencer collaborations. A truly meaningful evaluation will blend the quantitative metrics (the hard numbers) with qualitative indicators (the insights and stories behind those numbers). Quantitative metrics like reach, clicks, and comment counts can tell you *what happened* in a measurable way. They let you track progress and compare against targets. For example, you can definitively say “The influencer’s post reached 50,000 people and 500 clicked the link.” Qualitative indicators help explain *why it mattered* and how people felt or behaved. They add context and texture that numbers alone might miss. For instance, you might learn through comments or direct messages that “Several community members said they felt heard and represented seeing our news on this influencer’s feed,” or “One teacher told us she used the influencer’s video in her classroom, indicating our content had educational value.” In practice, be prepared to collect anecdotes and feedback throughout the collaboration. Save notable comments or messages, and consider interviewing a few audience members or the influencer after the campaign to gather insights. Did the influencer notice any interesting reactions from their followers? Did some viewers become more interested in your news offerings as a result? These kinds of stories can be written up in a short narrative alongside the data when you report outcomes to your team. They often resonate strongly with newsroom staff and stakeholders, reinforcing the human impact of the project. Moreover, qualitative outcomes can sometimes point the way to future metrics to track. For example, if multiple people say “I didn’t know this news outlet cared about our community until I saw this,” that’s a sign of improved perception. Next time, you might even formalize that into a metric (perhaps by doing a pre- and post-collaboration survey question about perception of your brand). The bottom line is to value both the numbers and the nuance. A quote from a community member about why the collaboration mattered to them can be just as important as a graph showing increased traffic. Newsroom leaders should champion a culture where success is defined not only by data dashboards but also by real-world impact and relationship-building. ## Planning Ahead for Measurement Defining great KPIs won’t help much if you can’t collect the necessary data or if you try to figure out measurement at the last minute. Effective KPI tracking requires planning ahead. Here’s how to set yourself up for success on the measurement front: 1. **Establish Baselines:** Before the collaboration starts, record where things stand. This might include current average metrics (e.g., typical weekly traffic, usual engagement on similar content, existing follower counts) and any relevant community indicators (e.g., current trust level or awareness as per a survey). Baseline data gives you something to compare against once the campaign is done. For example, if you know you usually add 50 new followers a week without any special effort, and during the influencer week you added 200, you can attribute that difference to the collaboration. 2. **Define Data Collection Methods:** Decide *how* you’ll track each KPI in practical terms. Identify the tools or analytics platforms you need. If you’re tracking social media reach and engagement, ensure you have access to the influencer’s metrics – this might mean the influencer is willing to share screenshots of their account insights or add you as a collaborator to view post stats. For web traffic and conversions, set up tracking links (UTM parameters or unique URLs) for the influencer to use. If you’re measuring sentiment, you might set up a spreadsheet to log positive/neutral/negative comments manually, or use a social listening tool. By planning these methods early, you won’t scramble later or, worse, miss capturing important data. 3. **Coordinate with the Influencer:** Communication is key. Let your influencer partner know what metrics you care about and ensure they are on board with helping gather that information. For instance, if you need them to use a certain hashtag or tag, or if you’ll be sending them a link with tracking codes, make sure they understand it’s to measure results, not to police their content. Many influencers are used to providing basic performance data to collaborators, but discussing it upfront sets clear expectations. You might say, “We’ll be looking at how many people swipe up on the story – can you send us those numbers afterward?” This also signals that you’re serious about measuring success, which can encourage the influencer to put in their best effort. 4. **Set Targets or Benchmarks:** While it’s not always possible to predict outcomes, it helps to have some targets in mind for your KPIs. These could be based on past data or an educated guess. For example, you might aim for “a 25% increase in site traffic on the day of the campaign” or “500 clicks from the Instagram bio link” or “at least 50% positive sentiment in comments.” Targets give you and your team a concrete goal to strive for and later evaluate against. Just ensure they are realistic – ambitious but achievable. If you’re unsure what’s realistic, err on the side of modesty for the first experiment; you can always adjust goals as you learn. 5. **Monitor and Adapt During the Campaign:** Measurement isn’t only a post-mortem activity. Keep an eye on your KPIs as the collaboration unfolds (if it’s over a period of days or weeks). This real-time monitoring can alert you to any need for adjustments. For example, if early posts are not hitting the engagement numbers you hoped, you might work with the influencer to tweak the messaging or add an extra post to boost visibility. If one platform is outperforming another, you could pivot resources to the successful channel. Being data-aware throughout the project allows you to be flexible and make small course corrections to improve outcomes. Just be cautious not to panic over every fluctuation – focus on significant trends or clear shortfalls relative to your expectations. Finally, document your measurement plan in a simple way – a small checklist or tracking sheet – so that everyone involved knows what is being measured and how. This also makes the eventual analysis easier, as you’ll have all your data sources and checkpoints laid out. The effort you put in before and during the collaboration to gather good data will pay off immensely when it’s time to evaluate success. ## Analyzing Results and Learning from Them Once the influencer collaboration has concluded and you’ve gathered all your KPI data, it’s time to make sense of the numbers (and the anecdotes). The goal of analysis is not just to tally up what happened, but to derive insights that can inform future decisions. Here’s how to approach the post-collaboration analysis: - **Compare Outcomes to Goals:** Revisit the specific goals you set at the very beginning. For each goal, look at the corresponding KPIs and ask, *Did we achieve what we set out to do?* For example, if the goal was reaching new young readers, examine your reach and audience growth metrics: How many young readers did we reach, and how does that compare to our baseline or target? If the goal was to drive 100 event sign-ups, did we get that number? This goal-by-goal check keeps your evaluation focused on what really matters (as opposed to getting distracted by metrics that weren’t core goals). - **Celebrate Successes:** Identify where the collaboration met or exceeded expectations. Perhaps the engagement was much higher than anticipated, or you gained more followers than you hoped. Highlight these wins. In a newsroom setting, sharing positive outcomes helps build support for innovative projects – you might report to leadership that *“We saw a 3x increase in engagement on this topic through the influencer partnership, indicating a strong community interest that we hadn’t tapped into before.”* Recognizing successes also boosts morale for your team and validates the effort put into the collaboration. - **Examine Shortfalls and Surprises:** Not every KPI will turn out as hoped, and that’s okay if you treat it as a learning opportunity. Maybe the reach was lower than expected on one platform, or conversions were sluggish. Instead of viewing it as failure, ask *why*. Were there external factors (algorithm changes, news cycle events) that impacted performance? Was the content format less effective than imagined? For example, you might discover that videos posted later in the evening got less traction – a timing issue to adjust next time. Or you might find the call-to-action wasn’t prominent enough to prompt clicks. Also note any unplanned outcomes: perhaps the collaboration yielded a benefit you didn’t explicitly aim for (e.g., an unanticipated partnership with a community group due to the campaign’s visibility). Such surprises can be valuable insights for future strategies. - **Gather Input from the Influencer and Team:** Metrics tell one story, but the people involved can tell you more. Have a debrief with the influencer – ask how they felt about their audience’s response and if they noticed anything you might have missed. They might say, “Actually, a lot of people DMed me with questions after the post,” which is useful information. Internally, ask your newsroom staff who were involved for their perspectives: Did the collaboration go smoothly? Were there any hiccups in workflow or communication? This kind of process reflection helps you improve the collaboration experience itself, beyond the external results. For example, you might learn that next time you should provide the influencer with additional context or resources to answer audience questions that came up. - **Document Lessons Learned:** It’s wise to compile a brief report or even a casual write-up of what you learned. Note which KPIs were most telling. You might find that some metrics you tracked weren’t actually that meaningful, while others emerged as critical measures of success. For instance, you may write down, “We tracked five metrics, but it turns out shares and newsletter sign-ups were the clearest indicators of impact for this project.” This kind of insight will guide you in fine-tuning KPIs for future collaborations. Additionally, document any changes you’d make next time: maybe you’d start promotion earlier, choose a different platform, or set a different target. Treat this document as a living resource for your team’s growing playbook on community influencer engagement. Crucially, approach the entire analysis with a mindset of learning and iteration rather than pass/fail judgment. In innovative collaborations, even if some numbers fall short, the overall experiment can still be incredibly valuable for what it teaches you. The real “ROI” for a newsroom might be discovering a new outreach method or gaining insight into audience preferences. By thoroughly analyzing results and extracting lessons, you ensure that each influencer partnership builds a stronger foundation for the next one. ## Reflect, Refine, and Iterate for Continuous Improvement The end of one collaboration is the beginning of planning for the next. A hallmark of successful, mission-driven organizations is their commitment to continuous improvement. After analyzing the results, take time for a broader reflection on the influencer collaboration and how it fits into your newsroom’s engagement strategy. Start by holding a reflection session with your team (and include the influencer if they’re open to it). In this meeting, discuss not only the metrics but also the overall experience. What did everyone feel went well? What challenges arose? Did the collaboration strengthen relationships – whether between the newsroom and the influencer, or between the newsroom and the community? By talking these points through, you create a culture of openness and learning. For instance, you might uncover that your team found the workflow of approving influencer content cumbersome, which suggests a need to streamline processes in the future. Flexibility is another theme to emphasize. Rigid plans can sometimes stifle the creativity and authenticity that make influencer collaborations work. Maybe during the project you discovered that a certain approach resonated more than the planned one – it’s important to remain flexible enough to follow what works (within ethical and mission bounds). In your reflection, note if there were moments where adapting your strategy led to a better outcome. This reinforces the idea that your strategy isn’t set in stone; it can evolve with real-world feedback. As you iterate on future projects, consider updating your KPIs and goals based on what you’ve learned. Perhaps you realized you set too many KPIs and it diluted focus – next time you might choose fewer, more precise metrics. Or perhaps you learned of a new metric that is a better proxy for success. Each collaboration gives you data to refine your approach. For example, if building trust is a long-term aim, you might plan a *series* of influencer engagements and set intermediate KPIs for each, gradually moving the needle on trust over multiple touchpoints rather than a single campaign. Finally, encourage a mindset that influencer collaborations are an ongoing experiment in engaging your community. Even when one collaboration ends, the relationship you’ve built with that influencer and their followers can continue. Follow up with the influencer, share the impact with them (“Thanks to your help, 300 people attended our town hall!”), and explore if there’s interest in future collaborations. By doing so, you not only show appreciation but also lay the groundwork for iterative improvement in the partnership itself – each time you work together, it can become more effective as you both understand what works. In summary, defining meaningful KPIs for newsroom–influencer collaborations is about connecting the dots between *mission, goals, metrics, and learning*. When you align KPIs with your mission and set clear goals, you ensure that you’re measuring what truly matters, not just what’s easy to count. By choosing targeted metrics for each objective – whether it’s reach, engagement, trust, or action – you create a focused way to evaluate success. Pairing the quantitative with the qualitative gives a full picture of impact. And by planning your measurement strategy in advance, then reflecting and iterating afterward, you turn each collaboration into a stepping stone toward stronger community connections. For newsroom leaders and decision-makers, this approach transforms influencer partnerships from a shot in the dark into a strategic, mission-driven endeavor. With meaningful KPIs in hand, you can demonstrate the value of these collaborations to your organization, refine your tactics, and ultimately, better serve your audiences. Each experiment, measured and analyzed, brings you closer to a sustainable model of engaging news consumers in the spaces where they already spend their time. And that is success you can both quantify and feel proud about qualitatively – the kind of success that advances the cause of journalism in the communities it aims to inform and uplift. ### Setting Realistic Expectations for Influencer Collaborations in Newsrooms URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/setting-realistic-expectations-for-influencer-collaborations-in-newsrooms/ Last updated: 2025-07-23T15:31:52.000Z *This first article in our three-part series outlines why newsrooms (especially nonprofit and mission-driven outlets) are exploring collaborations with influencers, and what to expect *before* you begin. We discuss the opportunities these partnerships present – like reaching new audiences or building trust – as well as clear-eyed realities (for example, don’t count on a flood of pageviews). By setting realistic expectations early, newsroom teams can approach influencer collaborations as a long-term community engagement strategy rather than a quick fix. We also highlight real examples of how such collaborations have added value beyond clicks.* ## **Why Consider Influencer Collaborations?** News consumption habits are changing, and many people (especially younger audiences) get information from digital creators on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. These influencers successfully engage audiences in ways traditional news outlets often struggle to achieve. Rather than viewing them solely as competition, news organizations are starting to see collaboration with influencers as an opportunity to reach people where they are. For example, the American Press Institute notes that Americans may be suffering “news fatigue,” but they’re still online – often learning about issues from individuals with [influence in spaces they trust](https://americanpressinstitute.org/influencer-collaborations-with-local-media-will-benefit-journalism-and-our-communities/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). In other words, influencers (or “trusted messengers”) can help [bridge the gap between journalism and communities](https://americanpressinstitute.org/mapping-your-local-influencer-landscape/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com), connecting newsrooms with relevant audiences in ways transactional or one-way engagement cannot. It’s important to recognize that “influencer” doesn’t only mean a celebrity or a mega-followed internet star. Influencers come in many forms. They might be niche content creators focused on specific topics (food, local events, etc.), community leaders or activists who are trusted in local circles, micro-influencers with a modest but highly engaged following, or larger-scale creators with broad reach. What they have in common is credibility with their community. They’ve built authenticity and trust with their followers or peers, often through consistent engagement and shared values. For mission-driven newsrooms, partnering with such people can tap into that reservoir of trust and attention. ## **The Long-Game Benefits (And What Not to Expect)** Before jumping in, newsrooms must set *realistic expectations*. Influencer partnerships are not a magic bullet for driving traffic or instant revenue. In practical terms, this means you likely won’t see a huge spike in pageviews on your website just because you worked with an influencer. Many collaborations involve content living on the influencer’s own platforms, so the success metrics look different from traditional web traffic. What should you expect instead? Primarily, these collaborations are about reach, engagement and trust – often in ways that are harder to measure but deeply valuable. For example, a key outcome might be increased brand awareness and trust in communities you couldn’t easily reach on your own. A successful collaboration might result in more people recognizing your outlet’s name, considering your reporting credible, or feeling that your journalism is relevant to them. These are long-term gains: people reached via an influencer won’t immediately become paying subscribers or donors the first time they encounter your work, and expecting them to do so is *unrealistic*. Instead, the payoff might be that these new audiences start to include your reporting in their information diet, engage with your content, or develop a relationship with your brand over time. Another realistic benefit is audience diversity and inclusion. Influencers often have followers from demographics or communities that a newsroom may struggle to engage. A real-world example comes from *LAist* (a nonprofit newsroom in Los Angeles): In 2022, [LAist wanted input ](https://americanpressinstitute.org/develop-your-influencer-strategy/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com)from a broad range of Angelenos via a survey about city priorities. They realized posting the survey on their own site and social channels wouldn’t be enough to reach diverse residents. So, they paid five local influencers to each post a video encouraging people to take the survey. The results were striking – about 30% of all survey responses came through those influencer referrals, and the respondents skewed younger and more diverse than those reached through traditional methods. In this case, the collaboration didn’t drive clicks to an article; it drove community participation in journalism, which was a win for informing their reporting and engaging new voices. Similarly, the nonprofit *Kansas City Defender* worked with local food influencers to promote “[Black Feast Week](https://kansascitydefender.com/food-restaurants/black-feast-week-2024-radical-success/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com),” an initiative supporting Black-owned restaurants. The goal wasn’t to push news content, but rather to uplift local businesses and foster community pride, very much aligned with their mission. The outcome: the campaign reached nearly 1 million impressions across platforms and brought hundreds of thousands of potential new patrons’ eyes to these restaurants. The Defender reported that this effort “reclaimed visibility” for often-overlooked businesses and created joyful community spaces, emphasizing that *the value was in community impact, not in transactions*. This example shows how a newsroom’s collaboration with influencers can advance a community mission (in this case, supporting local culture and economy) rather than simply boosting web traffic. ## **Prepare to Experiment and Learn** Because this is a new space for journalism, treat any influencer collaboration as an experiment with a learning curve. Even seasoned social media creators can’t guarantee virality or engagement; in fact, one lesson from [API’s influencer cohort ](https://americanpressinstitute.org/assess-the-value-of-the-experiment/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com)was that *“influencer reach is as random and erratic as \[a\] legacy news org’s social reach”*. In short, not every post will be a hit, and that’s okay. Set expectations with your team that some efforts will perform better than others, and the insights gained are as important as the immediate numbers. Realistic expectations also mean setting modest, mission-aligned goals at the outset. For example, you might aim to get your election explainer video in front of a local youth community via an influencer, even if that doesn’t translate to clicks on your site – the goal could be simply that more young people feel informed about the election (a form of impact that you might measure later via surveys or feedback). Finally, understand that collaborations with influencers should complement your broader engagement strategy, not replace other efforts. They are one tool to reach people who otherwise tune out traditional media. If done thoughtfully, working with the right influencer can show a skeptical public that your newsroom is in touch with the community and willing to share power and listen. That can yield goodwill and relevance that pay dividends in the long run. Before you begin an influencer partnership, level-set with your team: success will look different from the usual web analytics dashboard. It may be reflected in qualitative outcomes like community trust, new relationships, and audience insights. By entering these collaborations with realistic expectations and clarity of purpose, your newsroom can lay a strong foundation for meaningful engagement. In the next installment of this series, we’ll delve into how to define meaningful KPIs for these projects – translating those big-picture goals into specific metrics and indicators of success. ### The Role of Influencers in Media URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/the-role-of-influencers-in/ Last updated: 2025-08-06T14:48:56.000Z While one cannot deny the influence of social media influencers, it is very important to remember that traditional journalism still plays a huge role in our society. fluencers. With their massive followings and intimate connections to their audiences, influencers wield significant power to shape public opinion, particularly among younger demographics. This shift in the way and source people get information has profound implications for traditional journalism and the very fabric of our understanding of current events. A new type of news influencers has emerged, and they are recognized by having at least 100,000 followers on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X (which used to be called Twitter), and YouTube. These influencers often share news-related content. Interestingly, most of them work on their own, with about 77% not being connected to any news organization in the past or present. They mix their personal brand with sharing information, creating a unique area that combines journalism and entertainment, though the accuracy of their information can sometimes be uncertain. ## The Influencer Effect: Beyond Fashion and Food While initially associated with fashion, beauty, and lifestyle, the reach of influencers has extended far beyond niche interests. They now frequently weigh in on political issues, social movements, and even breaking news. Their opinions, often delivered with a casual, relatable tone, can resonate deeply with followers who may view them as trusted friends rather than detached media personalities. This influence is particularly potent on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where algorithms prioritize engaging content, regardless of its factual accuracy. Misinformation and “fake news” can spread like wildfire, amplified by the echo chambers created within social media circles. A [Pew Research Center study](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/11/18/americas-news-influencers/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) found that nearly one in five U.S. adults regularly get news from social media influencers. This trend is particularly pronounced among younger demographics, with 37% of 18-29-year-olds relying on influencers for news updates. ## The Erosion of Trust in Traditional Media The rise of influencer-driven news consumption coincides with a decline in trust in traditional media outlets. Decades of declining trust in journalism, coupled with the increasing accessibility of information online, have created a fertile ground for alternative sources to flourish. Influencers, often perceived as more authentic and relatable than journalists, can capitalize on this distrust. Their informal style and personal connection with their audience can create a sense of intimacy and shared experience that traditional news outlets often struggle to replicate. ## Key findings about news influencers According to T[he Pew Research Center,](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/11/18/americas-news-influencers/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) around 20% of Americans, especially younger adults under 30 (37%), say they often get their news from social media influencers. These influencers are mainly users of the social media platform X, where 85% are active content creators. Many also use other platforms like Instagram (50% have accounts) and YouTube (44%). A bit more news influencers identify as Republican, conservative, or pro-Donald Trump (27%) compared to those who identify as Democratic, liberal, or pro-Kamala Harris (21%). Most news influencers are men, making up 63% of the group. Additionally, 77% of them do not have any ties to traditional news organizations. ## The Consequences for Journalism The impact of influencers on public opinion poses several challenges for traditional journalism: - **Competition for Attention**: News outlets must compete with the constant stream of engaging content produced by influencers, making it harder to capture and maintain audience attention. - **The Spread of Misinformation**: The amplification of misinformation by influencers can undermine public discourse and erode trust in factual information. - **The Pressure to “Go Viral”:** In an attempt to compete, some news organizations may prioritize sensationalism and clickbait over in-depth, investigative reporting. However, the rise of influencers also presents opportunities for journalism: - **New Avenues for Engagement:** Journalists can leverage social media platforms to connect with audiences in new and innovative ways, building relationships and fostering trust. - **Collaboration**: Partnerships between journalists and influencers can bring unique perspectives and reach wider audiences. - **Fact-Checking and Media Literacy:** Journalists can play a crucial role in promoting media literacy and combating the spread of misinformation by debunking false claims and providing reliable information. ## The Future of News and Information While one cannot deny the influence of social media influencers, it is very important to remember that traditional journalism still plays a huge role in our society. Journalists are taught to investigate, verify information, and contextualize complex issues, skills that certainly hold more relevance today in these times of information overflow and proliferation of misinforming. Going forward, a healthy information environment will have to strike a balance in its approach to appreciate both the traditional value of journalism as well as the expanding role that social media influencers are playing. The only way to sustain a healthy democracy is to make sure the peThe Influencer Effect: Beyond Fashion and Food While initially associated with fashion, beauty, and lifestyle, the reach of influencers has extended far beyond niche interests. They now frequently weigh in on political issues, social movements, and even breaking news. Their opinions, often delivered with a casual, relatable tone, can resonate deeply with followers who may view them as trusted friends rather than detached media personalities. This influence is particularly potent on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where algorithms prioritize engaging content, regardless of its factual accuracy. Misinformation and “fake news” can spread like wildfire, amplified by the echo chambers created within social media circles. A [Pew Research Center study](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/11/18/americas-news-influencers/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) found that nearly one in five U.S. adults regularly get news from social media influencers. This trend is particularly pronounced among younger demographics, with 37% of 18-29-year-olds relying on influencers for news updates. ## The Erosion of Trust in Traditional Media The rise of influencer-driven news consumption coincides with a decline in trust in traditional media outlets. Decades of declining trust in journalism, coupled with the increasing accessibility of information online, have created a fertile ground for alternative sources to flourish. Influencers, often perceived as more authentic and relatable than journalists, can capitalize on this distrust. Their informal style and personal connection with their audience can create a sense of intimacy and shared experience that traditional news outlets often struggle to replicate. ## Key findings about news influencers According to T[he Pew Research Center,](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/11/18/americas-news-influencers/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) around 20% of Americans, especially younger adults under 30 (37%), say they often get their news from social media influencers. These influencers are mainly users of the social media platform X, where 85% are active content creators. Many also use other platforms like Instagram (50% have accounts) and YouTube (44%). A bit more news influencers identify as Republican, conservative, or pro-Donald Trump (27%) compared to those who identify as Democratic, liberal, or pro-Kamala Harris (21%). Most news influencers are men, making up 63% of the group. Additionally, 77% of them do not have any ties to traditional news organizations. ## The Consequences for Journalism The impact of influencers on public opinion poses several challenges for traditional journalism: - **Competition for Attention**: News outlets must compete with the constant stream of engaging content produced by influencers, making it harder to capture and maintain audience attention. - **The Spread of Misinformation**: The amplification of misinformation by influencers can undermine public discourse and erode trust in factual information. - **The Pressure to “Go Viral”:** In an attempt to compete, some news organizations may prioritize sensationalism and clickbait over in-depth, investigative reporting. However, the rise of influencers also presents opportunities for journalism: - **New Avenues for Engagement:** Journalists can leverage social media platforms to connect with audiences in new and innovative ways, building relationships and fostering trust. - **Collaboration**: Partnerships between journalists and influencers can bring unique perspectives and reach wider audiences. - **Fact-Checking and Media Literacy:** Journalists can play a crucial role in promoting media literacy and combating the spread of misinformation by debunking false claims and providing reliable information. ## The Future of News and Information While one cannot deny the influence of social media influencers, it is very important to remember that traditional journalism still plays a huge role in our society. Journalists are taught to investigate, verify information, and contextualize complex issues, skills that certainly hold more relevance today in these times of information overflow and proliferation of misinforming. Going forward, a healthy information environment will have to strike a balance in its approach to appreciate both the traditional value of journalism as well as the expanding role that social media influencers are playing. The only way to sustain a healthy democracy is to make sure the people have access to reliable information that is trustworthy. Promoting media literacy, fact-checking, and collaboration between journalists and influencers can pave the way. ### Navigating Ethical Waters URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/news-influencers-ethics/ Last updated: 2025-08-06T14:49:42.000Z Today, the lines between traditional journalism and influencer culture are increasingly blurred. Collaborations between journalists and influencers are becoming the norm, opening up exciting ways to reach diverse audiences. However, these partnerships also bring up important ethical questions about credibility, objectivity, and transparency. As the media landscape continues to change, it’s crucial to explore the ethical implications of these collaborations to keep public trust intact and maintain journalistic integrity. ## **Credibility on the Line** Credibility is the foundation of journalism. People turn to journalists for accurate, unbiased information. When journalists team up with influencers—who have large followings on social media—it can potentially put that credibility at risk. Take, for example, a journalist working with an influencer to endorse a brand. Readers might start wondering if the journalist’s reporting is being swayed by the partnership. This doubt can erode trust, making audiences question the impartiality of the content. To prevent this, journalists need to carefully assess their collaborations to ensure they don’t compromise their ability to report objectively. Additionally, influencers might not follow the same strict standards of fact-checking and sourcing that journalists do. This difference can lead to the spread of misinformation, further damaging credibility. Journalists must, therefore, vet the influencers they work with and ensure that any shared information meets high journalistic standards. ## **Keeping Objectivity Intact** Objectivity is another key principle in journalism, as it means presenting information fairly and without personal bias. Partnering with influencers can challenge this principle, especially when these partnerships involve financial incentives or promotional activities. Influencers often engage in sponsored content, receiving payment to promote a product or service. When journalists participate in similar deals, there’s a risk their reporting might be influenced by financial interests. To maintain objectivity, journalists should disclose any financial relationships or sponsorships related to their collaborations. Being transparent about these partnerships helps audiences understand the context of the information being presented and recognize any potential biases. Moreover, journalists should set clear boundaries between their reporting duties and promotional activities to preserve their impartiality. ## **The Importance of Transparency** Transparency is vital for maintaining trust between journalists and their audiences. In partnerships with influencers, it’s essential to communicate clearly and honestly about the nature of the collaboration. This means disclosing any affiliations, sponsorships, or financial arrangements that might influence the content being shared. When transparency is lacking, audiences can become skeptical and distrustful. If collaborations aren’t openly disclosed, readers might feel deceived, thinking the content is purely editorial when it’s actually influenced by external interests. To avoid this, both journalists and influencers should use clear disclosure practices, such as hashtags like #sponsored or #ad, to indicate the presence of a partnership. Transparency also involves being open about the content creation process. Journalists should clearly explain their role in the collaboration with influencers and the goals of the partnership. This openness helps maintain the integrity of the content and reassures audiences that the information provided is reliable and free from undue influence. ## **Striking the Right Balance** The intersection of journalism and influencer culture presents both exciting opportunities and significant challenges. And while collaborations can certainly enhance the reach and impact of journalistic efforts, they also bring up important ethical considerations that must be carefully managed. As the media landscape continues to evolve, staying vigilant and committed to ethical practices will be essential in preserving the trust and credibility that are vital to effective journalism. By addressing the ethical implications of journalist-influencer partnerships head-on, the media can navigate this new terrain responsibly and continue to inform and engage audiences with integrity. ### The Role of Influencers in Shaping Public Perception of News URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/news-influencers-public-perception/ Last updated: 2025-08-06T14:31:49.000Z The technological age has ushered in a new era of information dissemination, one where a new breed of authority figures is challenging traditional gatekeepers of news and information: social media influencers. With their massive followings and intimate connections to their audiences, influencers wield significant power to shape public opinion, particularly among younger demographics. This shift in the way and source people get information has profound implications for traditional journalism and the very fabric of our understanding of current events. A new type of news influencers has emerged, and they are recognized by having at least 100,000 followers on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X (which used to be called Twitter), and YouTube. These influencers often share news-related content. Interestingly, most of them work on their own, with about 77% not being connected to any news organization in the past or present. They mix their personal brand with sharing information, creating a unique area that combines journalism and entertainment, though the accuracy of their information can sometimes be uncertain. ## The Influencer Effect: Beyond Fashion and Food While initially associated with fashion, beauty, and lifestyle, the reach of influencers has extended far beyond niche interests. They now frequently weigh in on political issues, social movements, and even breaking news. Their opinions, often delivered with a casual, relatable tone, can resonate deeply with followers who may view them as trusted friends rather than detached media personalities. This influence is particularly potent on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where algorithms prioritize engaging content, regardless of its factual accuracy. Misinformation and "fake news" can spread like wildfire, amplified by the echo chambers created within social media circles. A [Pew Research Center study](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/11/18/americas-news-influencers/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) found that nearly one in five U.S. adults regularly get news from social media influencers. This trend is particularly pronounced among younger demographics, with 37% of 18-29-year-olds relying on influencers for news updates. ## The Erosion of Trust in Traditional Media The rise of influencer-driven news consumption coincides with a decline in trust in traditional media outlets. Decades of declining trust in journalism, coupled with the increasing accessibility of information online, have created a fertile ground for alternative sources to flourish. Influencers, often perceived as more authentic and relatable than journalists, can capitalize on this distrust. Their informal style and personal connection with their audience can create a sense of intimacy and shared experience that traditional news outlets often struggle to replicate. ## Key findings about news influencers According to T[he Pew Research Center,](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/11/18/americas-news-influencers/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) around 20% of Americans, especially younger adults under 30 (37%), say they often get their news from social media influencers. These influencers are mainly users of the social media platform X, where 85% are active content creators. Many also use other platforms like Instagram (50% have accounts) and YouTube (44%). A bit more news influencers identify as Republican, conservative, or pro-Donald Trump (27%) compared to those who identify as Democratic, liberal, or pro-Kamala Harris (21%). Most news influencers are men, making up 63% of the group. Additionally, 77% of them do not have any ties to traditional news organizations. ## The Consequences for Journalism The impact of influencers on public opinion poses several challenges for traditional journalism: - **Competition for Attention**: News outlets must compete with the constant stream of engaging content produced by influencers, making it harder to capture and maintain audience attention. - **The Spread of Misinformation**: The amplification of misinformation by influencers can undermine public discourse and erode trust in factual information. - **The Pressure to "Go Viral":** In an attempt to compete, some news organizations may prioritize sensationalism and clickbait over in-depth, investigative reporting. However, the rise of influencers also presents opportunities for journalism: - **New Avenues for Engagement:** Journalists can leverage social media platforms to connect with audiences in new and innovative ways, building relationships and fostering trust. - **Collaboration**: Partnerships between journalists and influencers can bring unique perspectives and reach wider audiences. - **Fact-Checking and Media Literacy:** Journalists can play a crucial role in promoting media literacy and combating the spread of misinformation by debunking false claims and providing reliable information. ## The Future of News and Information While one cannot deny the influence of social media influencers, it is very important to remember that traditional journalism still plays a huge role in our society. Journalists are taught to investigate, verify information, and contextualize complex issues, skills that certainly hold more relevance today in these times of information overflow and proliferation of misinforming. Going forward, a healthy information environment will have to strike a balance in its approach to appreciate both the traditional value of journalism as well as the expanding role that social media influencers are playing. The only way to sustain a healthy democracy is to make sure the people have access to reliable information that is trustworthy. Promoting media literacy, fact-checking, and collaboration between journalists and influencers can pave the way. information has profound implications for traditional journalism and the very fabric of our understanding of current events. A new type of news influencers has emerged, and they are recognized by having at least 100,000 followers on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X (which used to be called Twitter), and YouTube. These influencers often share news-related content. Interestingly, most of them work on their own, with about 77% not being connected to any news organization in the past or present. They mix their personal brand with sharing information, creating a unique area that combines journalism and entertainment, though the accuracy of their information can sometimes be uncertain. ## The Influencer Effect: Beyond Fashion and Food While initially associated with fashion, beauty, and lifestyle, the reach of influencers has extended far beyond niche interests. They now frequently weigh in on political issues, social movements, and even breaking news. Their opinions, often delivered with a casual, relatable tone, can resonate deeply with followers who may view them as trusted friends rather than detached media personalities. This influence is particularly potent on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where algorithms prioritize engaging content, regardless of its factual accuracy. Misinformation and "fake news" can spread like wildfire, amplified by the echo chambers created within social media circles. A [Pew Research Center study](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/11/18/americas-news-influencers/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) found that nearly one in five U.S. adults regularly get news from social media influencers. This trend is particularly pronounced among younger demographics, with 37% of 18-29-year-olds relying on influencers for news updates. ## The Erosion of Trust in Traditional Media The rise of influencer-driven news consumption coincides with a decline in trust in traditional media outlets. Decades of declining trust in journalism, coupled with the increasing accessibility of information online, have created a fertile ground for alternative sources to flourish. Influencers, often perceived as more authentic and relatable than journalists, can capitalize on this distrust. Their informal style and personal connection with their audience can create a sense of intimacy and shared experience that traditional news outlets often struggle to replicate. ## Key findings about news influencers According to T[he Pew Research Center,](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/11/18/americas-news-influencers/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) around 20% of Americans, especially younger adults under 30 (37%), say they often get their news from social media influencers. These influencers are mainly users of the social media platform X, where 85% are active content creators. Many also use other platforms like Instagram (50% have accounts) and YouTube (44%). A bit more news influencers identify as Republican, conservative, or pro-Donald Trump (27%) compared to those who identify as Democratic, liberal, or pro-Kamala Harris (21%). Most news influencers are men, making up 63% of the group. Additionally, 77% of them do not have any ties to traditional news organizations. ## The Consequences for Journalism The impact of influencers on public opinion poses several challenges for traditional journalism: - **Competition for Attention**: News outlets must compete with the constant stream of engaging content produced by influencers, making it harder to capture and maintain audience attention. - **The Spread of Misinformation**: The amplification of misinformation by influencers can undermine public discourse and erode trust in factual information. - **The Pressure to "Go Viral":** In an attempt to compete, some news organizations may prioritize sensationalism and clickbait over in-depth, investigative reporting. However, the rise of influencers also presents opportunities for journalism: - **New Avenues for Engagement:** Journalists can leverage social media platforms to connect with audiences in new and innovative ways, building relationships and fostering trust. - **Collaboration**: Partnerships between journalists and influencers can bring unique perspectives and reach wider audiences. - **Fact-Checking and Media Literacy:** Journalists can play a crucial role in promoting media literacy and combating the spread of misinformation by debunking false claims and providing reliable information. ## The Future of News and Information While one cannot deny the influence of social media influencers, it is very important to remember that traditional journalism still plays a huge role in our society. Journalists are taught to investigate, verify information, and contextualize complex issues, skills that certainly hold more relevance today in these times of information overflow and proliferation of misinforming. Going forward, a healthy information environment will have to strike a balance in its approach to appreciate both the traditional value of journalism as well as the expanding role that social media influencers are playing. The only way to sustain a healthy democracy is to make sure the people have access to reliable information that is trustworthy. Promoting media literacy, fact-checking, and collaboration between journalists and influencers can pave the way. information has profound implications for traditional journalism and the very fabric of our understanding of current events. A new type of news influencers has emerged, and they are recognized by having at least 100,000 followers on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X (which used to be called Twitter), and YouTube. These influencers often share news-related content. Interestingly, most of them work on their own, with about 77% not being connected to any news organization in the past or present. They mix their personal brand with sharing information, creating a unique area that combines journalism and entertainment, though the accuracy of their information can sometimes be uncertain. ## The Influencer Effect: Beyond Fashion and Food While initially associated with fashion, beauty, and lifestyle, the reach of influencers has extended far beyond niche interests. They now frequently weigh in on political issues, social movements, and even breaking news. Their opinions, often delivered with a casual, relatable tone, can resonate deeply with followers who may view them as trusted friends rather than detached media personalities. This influence is particularly potent on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where algorithms prioritize engaging content, regardless of its factual accuracy. Misinformation and "fake news" can spread like wildfire, amplified by the echo chambers created within social media circles. A [Pew Research Center study](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/11/18/americas-news-influencers/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) found that nearly one in five U.S. adults regularly get news from social media influencers. This trend is particularly pronounced among younger demographics, with 37% of 18-29-year-olds relying on influencers for news updates. ## The Erosion of Trust in Traditional Media The rise of influencer-driven news consumption coincides with a decline in trust in traditional media outlets. Decades of declining trust in journalism, coupled with the increasing accessibility of information online, have created a fertile ground for alternative sources to flourish. Influencers, often perceived as more authentic and relatable than journalists, can capitalize on this distrust. Their informal style and personal connection with their audience can create a sense of intimacy and shared experience that traditional news outlets often struggle to replicate. ## Key findings about news influencers According to T[he Pew Research Center,](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/11/18/americas-news-influencers/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) around 20% of Americans, especially younger adults under 30 (37%), say they often get their news from social media influencers. These influencers are mainly users of the social media platform X, where 85% are active content creators. Many also use other platforms like Instagram (50% have accounts) and YouTube (44%). A bit more news influencers identify as Republican, conservative, or pro-Donald Trump (27%) compared to those who identify as Democratic, liberal, or pro-Kamala Harris (21%). Most news influencers are men, making up 63% of the group. Additionally, 77% of them do not have any ties to traditional news organizations. ## The Consequences for Journalism The impact of influencers on public opinion poses several challenges for traditional journalism: - **Competition for Attention**: News outlets must compete with the constant stream of engaging content produced by influencers, making it harder to capture and maintain audience attention. - **The Spread of Misinformation**: The amplification of misinformation by influencers can undermine public discourse and erode trust in factual information. - **The Pressure to "Go Viral":** In an attempt to compete, some news organizations may prioritize sensationalism and clickbait over in-depth, investigative reporting. However, the rise of influencers also presents opportunities for journalism: - **New Avenues for Engagement:** Journalists can leverage social media platforms to connect with audiences in new and innovative ways, building relationships and fostering trust. - **Collaboration**: Partnerships between journalists and influencers can bring unique perspectives and reach wider audiences. - **Fact-Checking and Media Literacy:** Journalists can play a crucial role in promoting media literacy and combating the spread of misinformation by debunking false claims and providing reliable information. ## The Future of News and Information While one cannot deny the influence of social media influencers, it is very important to remember that traditional journalism still plays a huge role in our society. Journalists are taught to investigate, verify information, and contextualize complex issues, skills that certainly hold more relevance today in these times of information overflow and proliferation of misinforming. Going forward, a healthy information environment will have to strike a balance in its approach to appreciate both the traditional value of journalism as well as the expanding role that social media influencers are playing. The only way to sustain a healthy democracy is to make sure the people have access to reliable information that is trustworthy. Promoting media literacy, fact-checking, and collaboration between journalists and influencers can pave the way. information has profound implications for traditional journalism and the very fabric of our understanding of current events. A new type of news influencers has emerged, and they are recognized by having at least 100,000 followers on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X (which used to be called Twitter), and YouTube. These influencers often share news-related content. Interestingly, most of them work on their own, with about 77% not being connected to any news organization in the past or present. They mix their personal brand with sharing information, creating a unique area that combines journalism and entertainment, though the accuracy of their information can sometimes be uncertain. ## The Influencer Effect: Beyond Fashion and Food While initially associated with fashion, beauty, and lifestyle, the reach of influencers has extended far beyond niche interests. They now frequently weigh in on political issues, social movements, and even breaking news. Their opinions, often delivered with a casual, relatable tone, can resonate deeply with followers who may view them as trusted friends rather than detached media personalities. This influence is particularly potent on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where algorithms prioritize engaging content, regardless of its factual accuracy. Misinformation and "fake news" can spread like wildfire, amplified by the echo chambers created within social media circles. A [Pew Research Center study](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/11/18/americas-news-influencers/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) found that nearly one in five U.S. adults regularly get news from social media influencers. This trend is particularly pronounced among younger demographics, with 37% of 18-29-year-olds relying on influencers for news updates. ## The Erosion of Trust in Traditional Media The rise of influencer-driven news consumption coincides with a decline in trust in traditional media outlets. Decades of declining trust in journalism, coupled with the increasing accessibility of information online, have created a fertile ground for alternative sources to flourish. Influencers, often perceived as more authentic and relatable than journalists, can capitalize on this distrust. Their informal style and personal connection with their audience can create a sense of intimacy and shared experience that traditional news outlets often struggle to replicate. ## Key findings about news influencers According to T[he Pew Research Center,](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/11/18/americas-news-influencers/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) around 20% of Americans, especially younger adults under 30 (37%), say they often get their news from social media influencers. These influencers are mainly users of the social media platform X, where 85% are active content creators. Many also use other platforms like Instagram (50% have accounts) and YouTube (44%). A bit more news influencers identify as Republican, conservative, or pro-Donald Trump (27%) compared to those who identify as Democratic, liberal, or pro-Kamala Harris (21%). Most news influencers are men, making up 63% of the group. Additionally, 77% of them do not have any ties to traditional news organizations. ## The Consequences for Journalism The impact of influencers on public opinion poses several challenges for traditional journalism: - **Competition for Attention**: News outlets must compete with the constant stream of engaging content produced by influencers, making it harder to capture and maintain audience attention. - **The Spread of Misinformation**: The amplification of misinformation by influencers can undermine public discourse and erode trust in factual information. - **The Pressure to "Go Viral":** In an attempt to compete, some news organizations may prioritize sensationalism and clickbait over in-depth, investigative reporting. However, the rise of influencers also presents opportunities for journalism: - **New Avenues for Engagement:** Journalists can leverage social media platforms to connect with audiences in new and innovative ways, building relationships and fostering trust. - **Collaboration**: Partnerships between journalists and influencers can bring unique perspectives and reach wider audiences. - **Fact-Checking and Media Literacy:** Journalists can play a crucial role in promoting media literacy and combating the spread of misinformation by debunking false claims and providing reliable information. ## The Future of News and Information While one cannot deny the influence of social media influencers, it is very important to remember that traditional journalism still plays a huge role in our society. Journalists are taught to investigate, verify information, and contextualize complex issues, skills that certainly hold more relevance today in these times of information overflow and proliferation of misinforming. Going forward, a healthy information environment will have to strike a balance in its approach to appreciate both the traditional value of journalism as well as the expanding role that social media influencers are playing. The only way to sustain a healthy democracy is to make sure the people have access to reliable information that is trustworthy. Promoting media literacy, fact-checking, and collaboration between journalists and influencers can pave the way. ### Leveraging Influencer Strategies URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/news-influencers-community-engagement/ Last updated: 2025-08-06T14:51:46.000Z Journalism today is facing a major challenge: how to keep audiences engaged and, more importantly, how to maintain their trust. With social media now the go-to source for news for many people, traditional reporting methods don’t always cut it. So, what’s the solution? Interestingly enough, journalists might find the answer by looking at an unexpected group—social media influencers. Influencers know how to capture attention, build loyal communities, and maintain credibility. While journalism and influencer culture may seem worlds apart, there are lessons reporters can learn from how influencers connect with their audiences. By adopting some of these strategies—without compromising journalistic integrity—reporters can foster stronger community connections, build trust, and make their work more accessible. ## **What Journalists Can Learn from Influencers** ### **1\. Build a Personal Brand That Feels Authentic** If there’s one thing influencers do exceptionally well, it’s personal branding. They create a recognizable voice, tone, and style that followers connect with. Journalists can benefit from this approach, too. And no, this doesn’t mean turning into a “brand” in the corporate sense. Instead, it’s about being authentic and consistent. When journalists show just a bit of their personality—whether through a unique writing style, social media presence, or even how they cover stories—they become more relatable. Think of reporters like [Taylor Lorenz](https://www.instagram.com/taylorlorenz/?hl=en&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) or [Jemele Hill](https://www.instagram.com/jemelehill/?hl=en&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). Their audiences aren’t just interested in the stories they cover; they’re interested in *how* they cover them because their voices feel genuine and trustworthy. ### **2\. Engage Directly with Your Audience** Influencers don’t just talk *at* their followers—they have conversations *with* their followers. Journalists can do the same. Hosting Q&A sessions, replying to reader comments, and creating spaces for open dialogue can turn passive readers into active participants. News organizations like [NPR](https://www.tiktok.com/@npr?lang=en&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) and [The Washington Post](https://www.tiktok.com/@washingtonpost?lang=en&ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) are already doing this effectively on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, breaking down complex stories in a way that feels approachable and engaging. Remember, at the end of the day, it’s not just about getting clicks—it’s about creating connections. ### **3\. Be Transparent About Your Process** One reason influencers build strong trust with their audiences is that they’re transparent. For journalists, transparency is unfortunately not just a nice-to-have—it’s essential. Explaining how stories are reported, how sources are verified, and what goes into fact-checking can demystify the process. When audiences understand the work behind a story, they’re more likely to trust it. This kind of openness is especially powerful in combating misinformation. If people know how rigorous and ethical your reporting process is, they’re less likely to fall for false narratives elsewhere. ### **4\. Collaborate to Expand Your Reach** Influencers often collaborate with others to reach new audiences and bring fresh perspectives to their content. Journalists can adopt this strategy as well. Collaborating with other reporters, experts, or even respected content creators can add depth to your reporting and introduce your work to new audiences. For example, working with a climate scientist on an environmental story can boost credibility while reaching people who may not typically follow traditional news outlets. ### **5\. Let the Community Drive the Story** Influencers thrive on community-driven content. They listen to their audiences, adapt based on feedback, and even let their followers help shape the narrative. Journalists can do something similar by embracing community-focused reporting. This could mean sourcing stories directly from community members, highlighting underrepresented voices, or using audience feedback to guide future coverage. Crowdsourced journalism, for example, allows communities to share their lived experiences, providing rich, authentic perspectives that traditional top-down reporting might miss. ## **Navigating the Ethical Challenges** Of course, borrowing from influencer strategies isn’t without its challenges. Journalists must always strive to maintain a delicate balance between engagement and ethics. The end goal isn’t to chase likes or go viral at the expense of accuracy. It’s about using engagement tools to support strong, ethical journalism. This means that clickbait headlines, sensationalism, or prioritizing popularity over substance can, in the long run, damage credibility. Another consideration is the blurred line between personal branding and impartial reporting. While showing personality helps build connections, journalists still need to maintain objectivity and fairness in their reporting. It’s a tough balance, but with thoughtful execution, it’s possible to be both relatable and responsible. ## **The Future of Journalism Is Community-Driven** The media landscape is changing, and audiences expect more than just traditional reporting. They want to feel seen, heard, and involved. By adopting influencer-inspired strategies—like personal branding, direct engagement, and transparent storytelling—journalists can build deeper connections with their communities. This doesn’t mean journalism should abandon its core principles. It means enhancing those principles with new tools and approaches that meet people where they are. At its heart, journalism has always been about informing, engaging, and empowering the public. Today, that mission requires not just reporting the news but *connecting* with the people who consume it. And that’s where the real opportunity lies. ### The Evolution of Journalists into Influencers URL: https://news.influencerjournalism.com/news-influencers-journalism/ Last updated: 2025-08-06T14:31:34.000Z Today, about 64% of people from around the world use social media, according to [Shopify marketing statistics](https://www.shopify.com/blog/influencer-marketing-statistics?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). Of those people, 69% of consumers say they trust influencers over specific brands. Those influencers are often made up of celebrities, bloggers, activists, industry experts—and now journalists. ## **The Beginning of the Shift** Mark Stenberg, a Business Insider reporter and Medialyte author, noticed this shift in his [predictions for 2021](https://www.niemanlab.org/2020/12/the-rise-of-the-journalist-influencer/?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com). At first, he noticed that reporters started posting some of their work on Substack—a platform for writers and journalists to publish content as creators for a subscription-based audience. Stenberg began noticing journalists were also starting to post on other platforms such as Patreon, Twitch and Cameo. These journalists began finding new ways to turn their skill sets into money. This trend has only spiraled since then. ## **Gen Z and News Sources** A [Pew Research Center study](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/09/17/more-americans-regularly-get-news-on-tiktok-especially-young-adults?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) from September 2024 revealed that roughly 40% of adults in the U.S. are regularly receiving their news from TikTok. The majority of these users were aged between 18 and 29\. However, it is not just TikTok. 59% of Twitter (X) users, 48% of Facebook Users, 40% of Instagram users, and 37% of YouTube users also admitted to getting their news through the platforms. This makes the future look even more promising for journalist influencers on some of the most mainstream platforms. ## **Journalists Who Became Successful Influencers** There are plenty of [examples of modern journalists who have become successful influencers](https://izea.com/resources/journalists-and-news-influencers/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) on social media platforms. One famous example is Stephen A. Smith, sports reporter and ESPN host, who now runs a successful commentary Instagram account with more than 5 million followers. Independent video journalist, Cleo Abram, also runs a successful TikTok account with over 1.7 million followers, and news anchor Caroline Collins has also gained over 1.6 million followers on her TikTok account and 334,000 followers on Instagram. The list goes on and on. The trend of journalists turning their work into additional influencer content is becoming increasingly common. ![](https://influencerjournalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Placeholder-Image-11.webp) Image courtesy of Edmond Dantès via Pexels ## **Building a Personal Brand** Some [news organizations today](https://journalistsresource.org/economics/brand-journalism-impact-reporter-personal-identity/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com) require their reporters to have a social media presence. The content their reporters post helps define the organization's overall branding and allows the audience to feel more connected. Even Anderson Cooper, CNN reporter, has gained a following on Twitter (X) of over 9 million people. The brands these journalists make for themselves as influencers can make or break the public perception of them. Many news influencers still post content surrounding their news stories, but there are also other trends as well. Some of the most successful content these users create are not news stories or commentary but other behind-the-scenes content such as [“a day in the life” and “get ready with me” videos](https://www.niemanlab.org/2023/12/tv-reporters-become-tiktok-influencers/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com). Jessica Maddox, assistant professor of digital media technology and the co-director of Office of Politics, Communication and Media at the University of Alabama, came to this discovery in her predictions for journalism in 2024\. She found that many of these influencers' most successful videos were content such as live streams from their desks, showing their audience behind-the-scenes what it is like to cover breaking news and sharing what goes into their work bags. ## **Ethical Dilemmas and Limitations** One of the biggest frustrations for journalists who are social media influencers is that they are more subject to online attacks and criticism. This can take an emotional toll and create extra work for their demanding careers. Another big limitation for these influencers is the inability to capitalize on their content. Ethical dilemmas still often prevent journalist influencers from being able to take sponsorship deals because it could damage or give the appearance of damaged credibility. Whether or not journalists can accept sponsorship money for their content may depend on the specific news outlet they are coming from. However, another recent [Pew Research Center study from November 2024](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/11/18/how-news-influencers-who-have-worked-for-news-organizations-differ-from-those-who-havent/?ref=news.influencerjournalism.com#:~:text=On%20social%20media%2C%20many%20news,affiliation%20with%20a%20news%20organization) found that only 23% of “news influencers” are affiliated with a news organization. This means that 77% of news influencers today have no previous or current employment with a news organization and may have different journalistic standards and levels of training. ## **Influencer Journalists Today** The preferred ways for how news is communicated have gone through some major changes in recent years. Influencer journalists now have a greater influence than ever before. They have changed the way news is produced and consumed by the public. These influencers have become a major news source for users under 30. Influencer journalism has come a long way from what it was a decade ago. Many journalists are looking into additional revenue streams besides subscription fees given for platforms like Substack. They can now make money through sponsorships, merchandise and more. With only 23% of “news influencers” having a background in news, the door has opened much wider for new aspiring reporters wanting to monetize their work.