The Evolution of Journalists into Influencers

Today, about 64% of people from around the world use social media, according to Shopify marketing statistics. 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. 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 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 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.

Building a Personal Brand

Some news organizations today 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. 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 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.