Posted by There’s a new news source taking over the media world. And it’s not ABC, CBS, or NBC. It’s not even cable, TV, radio, or print.
If you grew up with your parents watching the 6:00 news every night around the dinner table, you may be able to tell your children and grandchildren about a cultural practice that’s gone by the wayside.
Today, influencers comprise a larger and larger portion of news media consumption. Influencers are shaping public perception of the news like never before, becoming what a growing population consider the “de facto news source” over and above mainstream media.
According to Pew Research, one in five Americans – twenty percent of viewers – now get their news primarily from social media. The development isn’t astonishing, considering the amount of time people spend on these platforms, and how today’s viewers are conditioned to receiving information in concise sound bites.
Several factors contribute to the rise of influencer news sources. Research from Sprout Social reports that Gen Z’s trust in influencers is increasing, while at the same time their trust in traditional media is declining.
Another plus is viewers believe influencers bring greater authenticity. They also appreciate how tech influencers, for example, can take a complex subject or product and break it down into understandable language viewers can relate to.
From a marketing perspective, this phenomenon has created a foundational shift in the way consumers discover and engage with brands. Influencers can make products desirable, spark trends, and provide word-of-mouth advertising that lends credibility by using their own words, not the manufacturer’s.
Some voices raise concern over so much news disseminating through influencer media sources, since these presenters aren’t bound by the journalistic ethics traditional reporters are held to. They claim influencers lack the depth that traditional news brings. And every presenter will naturally filter information through their own lens. Others insist there’s value in influencers raising questions and sparking conversations.
Some reporters have expanded their own repertoire by becoming news influencers themselves, building their own audience followings. It raises the question: is social media what the future of journalism will look like? Some are calling it “PR’s Next Frontier.” Read the full story here.