Influencers reshape media landscape as young audiences shift from traditional sources

A study from Pew Research Center notes that about one in five Americans regularly get their news from social media influencers, marking a shift in how information reaches audiences, particularly younger demographics.

The study, which analyzed over 28,000 social media accounts and surveyed over 10,000 U.S. adults in summer 2024, found that 37% of adults under 30 rely on influencers for news consumption, compared to 21% of Americans overall. For this research, Pew defined news influencers as individuals with at least 100,000 followers who regularly post about current events across major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube.

Notable figures in this space range from progressive podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen to conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, as well as non-partisan voices like former CNN analyst Chris Cillizza, who now operates his own newsletter.

Platform politics and demographics

While the social media platform X hosts 85% of news influencers, these content creators maintain a broad presence across multiple platforms. Instagram is the second most popular platform at 50%, with YouTube at 44%. About two-thirds of news influencers operate on multiple platforms, with 27% maintaining a presence on five or more sites.

The demographic makeup of news influencers skews heavily male, with men accounting for 63% of these content creators. However, TikTok stands apart with near gender parity, with 50% of men and 45% of women creating news content on the platform.

The political landscape of news influencers reveals a slight rightward tilt, with 27% explicitly identifying as conservative or pro-Trump, compared to 21% presenting as liberal or pro-Harris. About half maintain no clear political orientation in their content. This disparity becomes more pronounced on Facebook, where conservative voices outnumber liberal ones by a three-to-one margin.

Campaign season and political coverage

The 2024 election cycle saw unprecedented integration of influencer content into campaign strategies. Both major political parties credentialed content creators for their conventions, recognizing the growing impact of these voices on voter outreach.

Vice President Harris engaged with audiences through appearances on popular podcasts like “Call Her Daddy,” while Trump focused on platforms reaching young male voters, including “Bussin’ With the Boys” and “The Joe Rogan Experience.”

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During key campaign moments, influencer coverage spiked significantly.

The study found that 5% of posts focused on the first assassination attempt on Trump, 4% covered the Democratic National Convention and 3% discussed the Republican National Convention. Coverage of Biden’s withdrawal from the race accounted for 2% of posts during the analyzed period.

Content creation and distribution

The business model for news influencers extends beyond social media posts.

The study found that 59% monetize their online presence through various channels, including subscriptions, donations and merchandise sales. Additionally, 34% host podcasts and 22% produce newsletters, indicating a diversification of content delivery methods.

Content analysis revealed that politics dominated discussions, with 55% of current events posts focusing on politics, government or the presidential election. Social issues claimed 18% of posts, while international affairs, including the Israel-Hamas war, represented 14%.

Platform-specific trends emerged in content distribution.

Instagram featured more coverage of the Israel-Hamas war (14% of posts) compared to other platforms, while YouTube showed the highest concentration of political content at 68% of posts.

The new newsroom

Perhaps the most striking finding is that 77% of news influencers have no background in traditional journalism.

Those with traditional news backgrounds show different behavior patterns – they’re less likely to express political views and more likely to maintain a presence on X than their independent counterparts.

Among Americans who consume news from influencers, 65% say these creators have helped them better understand current events. When encountering opinions from influencers, 61% of consumers say they see an even mix of views they agree and disagree with, while 30% mostly agree with the content they see.

Nearly one-in-five news influencers (18%) share aspects of their identity or beliefs beyond political orientation. This includes expressions of LGBTQ+ identity or support (6%) and pro-Palestinian stance (5%). TikTok notably leads in LGBTQ+ representation among its news influencers compared to other platforms.

The platform landscape continues to evolve, with TikTok emerging as a distinct space. It remains the only platform where left-leaning influencers outnumber conservative voices, suggesting potential demographic and cultural differences in platform adoption.

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The shift toward influencer-driven news raises questions about editorial standards and verification processes, as most operate independently of traditional journalistic oversight. The study notes that racial minorities, young adults, and lower-income individuals are more likely to rely on news influencers for information.

Galen Stocking, senior computational social scientist at Pew Research Center, emphasized the growing prominence of these voices.

“These influencers have really reached new levels of attention and prominence this year amid the presidential election,” Stocking said.

As traditional media organizations grapple with this evolution, the rise of news influencers signals a fundamental change in information distribution and consumption patterns. The implications for journalism, political communication, and public discourse will likely extend well beyond the current election cycle, reshaping how future generations engage with news and current events.