April 14, 2026
, in technology
The Creator Economy Comes for the Newsroom
Eidosmedia dives into the risks and rewards for publishers teaming up with content creators.
How Newsrooms Are Adapting to the Rise of News Influencers
KEY POINTS
- Creators are rising fast. News influencers are becoming a real alternative to traditional newsrooms.
- Discovery is algorithm-driven. Audiences often don’t look for news but come across it on social platforms.
- Publishers feel the pressure. Many see creators as a growing competitive threat for attention and reach.
- Journalists are becoming brands. Newsrooms are pushing reporters to act more like creators.
- Collaboration is the way forward. Publishers must work with creators while protecting their value and standards.
News creators are increasingly providing an alternative to conventional news operations. Since we last looked at this topic, the number of new influencers have ballooned, and lines are blurring between creators and traditional publishing.
In recent years, creator tools have become easier to use, even for the least experienced broadcasters. The advent of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) allows news influencers to level up their game when it comes to creating animations or videos, which not only gives their content an air of legitimacy, but makes it more compelling.
How is this growing trend impacting news publishers and how must they rethink their relationships with content creators to stay relevant?
What's driving growth in the news creator economy?
The creator economy is booming thanks to an algorithmic shift on social platforms that puts viral hits ahead of the content shared by friends and family—and news is not immune to this trend. At the end of 2025, Pew Research Center found that more than 20% of U.S. adults regularly got their news from news influencers on social media, which had not changed since 2024. Political affiliation does not seem to impact a person’s propensity to get news from social media influencers, but age does: 38% of Americans between 18 and 29 years old say they regularly do this, which is “more than four times the share of those 65 and older (8%).”
Regional differences are also easy to note. Reuters Institute research shows that news creators are having the most significant impact in Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and the U.S. Meanwhile, in Northern Europe and Japan, “traditional news brands tend to get more attention than individuals” which limits the impact of news influencers. Reuters suggests the difference lies in factors as simple as how often people use social media to access news to “cultural differences, the size of the market, and the strength or weakness of legacy media.”
Winners take most, but not all
Much of the attention goes to big-name creators: “These include those who provide ‘commentary’ such as Joe Rogan and Tucker Carlson in the United States, Dhruv Rathee and Ravish Kumar in India, ‘infotainers’ such as Leo Dias in Brazil, and ‘explainers’ such as Dylan Page in the UK.”
Still, it’s worth noting that Pew’s research found audiences who regularly get their news from influencers say they are not necessarily seeking out news influencers. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of those under 50 say they mostly engage with the content “because they happen to come across it, compared with 60% of Americans ages 50 and older.” Not only does this show the importance of algorithms when it comes to getting in front of audiences, but it also signals opportunities for smaller creators to partner with large media organizations to benefit everyone.
A news influencer strategy for publishers? The risks and rewards
News publishers are no stranger to the disruption that social media platforms and user-generated content create. News influencers, in their own way, are just copying news commenters who established enormous, loyal followings on legacy media. And that is creating a problem in its own right.
Reuters’ “Journalism, media, and technology trends and predictions 2026” found that top stars are now leaving their legacy media employers to set up shop on their own, or demanding top dollar to stay. “Overall, publishers are more concerned at this stage about the new competition (70%) than talent loss (39%), though this is already becoming a significant problem in large countries such as the United States where the creator economy is most developed,” Reuters reports.
The pressure to become ‘platform personalities’
Journalists who may have fancied themselves relatively anonymous writers should get ready for a new reality as publishers respond to pressure from the creator economy. Reuters’ research revealed that more than three-quarters (76%) of publishers said “they would be getting journalists to behave more like creators this year.”
In practice, that means publications like Wired have “set out a strategy to build its best-known writers into ‘platform personalities’ – from vertical video on TikTok and Instagram to live events.” Over at the Economist, “which for years shunned bylines,” they have also started “showcasing key talent through podcasts and newsletters.”
As personalities become a bigger part of publishers’ strategies, they are having to rethink their journalistic guidelines. Ivaylo Stanchev, Editor-in-Chief at Capital in Bulgaria, told Reuters, “Our goal is to clearly define the boundaries to avoid conflicts of interest and potential reputational risks, ensuring that their personal activities do not compromise our editorial standards.”
The risk of 'talent flight'
Publishers also run the risk of helping individual journalists become so prominent that they form their own following and branch out on their own. In fact, some early adopters have already seen this happen.
“The Washington Post’s TikTok guy, Dave Jorgenson, worked at the company for eight years picking up many prizes in the process before setting up on his own,” reports Reuters. The Post saw its YouTube channel collapse as Jorgensen set up his own LNI (Local News International). It serves as a warning to publishers, but probably not a deterrent.
The future of news creator collaborations with legacy media
Despite the risks of investing in individuals who may become bigger than the larger news brand, publishers likely can’t afford to ignore the power of influencers. As Nieman Labs put it, “In 2026, the news publishers that lead and thrive will be those that grasp what creators already know: Individuals command the attention that institutions need to survive.”
Publishers can offer support
So, how do publishers promote these personalities without risking their audience? Nieman believes publishers need to make their own value clear to the creators themselves. Publishers will craft compensation packages “to support and reward news creators who recognize that editing, research, legal protection and marketing are powerful incentives for collaboration.” A lot goes into creating content and keeping on the algorithm’s good side. Add a team or corporate lawyers to the mix, and publishers certainly bring plenty of value to the equation.
As brands become less important, Nieman predicts the relationship between media brands and journalists will change: “News organizations will become loose confederations of news creators and supporting services — more like legacy book publishing houses than classic newspaper newsrooms.” In many ways, they will start to become a service provider instead of a traditional employer.
New collaboration models
Salaries may need to be supplemented with revenue-sharing deals to attract big names and their audiences, but investing in up-and-coming influencers is another possibility. Organizations like The Lenfest — which recently announced its picks for the 2026 Philadelphia Media Founders Exchange News Creators Network, “a four-month incubator that builds partnerships between independent news creators and local news organizations” — are helping traditional news media and creators find common ground and work together.
Other organizations are finding new ways to collaborate with influencers without a need for long-term contracts. Whatever the partnerships look like, if publishers are willing to reimagine their relationships with journalists, they may be able to piggyback on the success of influencers. Audiences will likely win as their favorite influencers get better resources, better training, and gain traction with new viewers.
FAQ: The Creator Economy Comes for the Newsroom
What is the "news creator economy"?
It refers to the growing ecosystem of independent news influencers — individuals who create and distribute news content on social media platforms, often outside traditional newsroom structures.
How many people get their news from social media influencers?
As of late 2025, more than 20% of U.S. adults regularly get their news from news influencers on social media — a figure that has held steady since 2024.
Which age group is most likely to follow news influencers?
Young adults aged 18–29 are the biggest consumers, with 38% regularly getting news from influencers — more than four times the rate of those 65 and older (8%).
Does political affiliation affect whether someone follows news influencers?
No. Research shows that political affiliation does not significantly influence a person's tendency to get news from social media creators.
Is this a global trend?
Partly. News creators have the most impact in countries like Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, and the U.S. In Northern Europe and Japan, traditional news brands still dominate, due to cultural differences and strong legacy media.
Who are the biggest names in news creator content?
High-profile examples include Joe Rogan and Tucker Carlson in the U.S., Dhruv Rathee and Ravish Kumar in India, Leo Dias in Brazil, and Dylan Page in the UK.
How are publishers responding to the rise of news influencers?
More than 76% of publishers say they are pushing journalists to behave more like creators — building personal brands through platforms like TikTok, Instagram, podcasts, and newsletters.
What risks do publishers face when investing in individual journalists as personalities?
The biggest risk is that journalists can grow their own following and leave — taking their audience with them. The Washington Post's TikTok creator Dave Jorgenson is a well-known example of this.
What can publishers offer creators to attract and retain them?
Beyond salaries, publishers can offer editing support, legal protection, research resources, and marketing — as well as revenue-sharing deals. These are meaningful incentives for creators who must otherwise manage everything alone.
How might the newsroom model change in the future?
Analysts predict news organizations will evolve into "loose confederations of news creators and supporting services" — functioning more like book publishing houses than traditional newsrooms, essentially becoming service providers for independent journalists.
About Eidosmedia
Eidosmedia is a global supplier of advanced content-management and digital publishing systems.
Its products are used by large news-media groups for print and digital publishing.
Customers include business dailies The Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal , as well as generalist news publications like The Times of London, The Boston Globe and Le Figaro .
