Why Influencers Can’t Replace Real Journalism
In the attention economy, credibility and context are being replaced by clicks and charisma. It is a disaster for America.
Where we once turned to newspapers and books for information, many Americans now find themselves immersed in an endless stream of podcasts, YouTube videos, and Twitter posts (this writer will not be calling it X, ever). The relentless churn of the media cycle—and the attention economy that fuels it—has swept billions into a tide of constant stimulation. But that constant need to be entertained comes at a price: the decline of credible journalism and the rise of influencers.
What is a News Influencer?
While it is a ubiquitous term and there isn't a perfectly agreed-upon standard, new influencers are undeniably influential in modern discourse. In a 2024 report, Pew Research defined news influencers as "individuals who regularly post about current events and civic issues on social media and have at least 100,000 followers on any of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), or YouTube." Such influencers sometimes use social media not only to report on the news, but to comment on it as well.
These figures, some of whom are loud and controversial, such as Chaya Raichik, are not only a source of entertainment for some, but also serve as a major source of news. According to the same report by Pew, nearly 1 out of 5 Americans receive their news from influencers on social media. Roughly 37 percent of American adults under the age of 30 get their news from that same source. This influence on young people, especially in a politically charged atmosphere, means that much of the American body politic is dictated by the perspective of these influencers. To understand the impact of that influence on public discourse, it is necessary to understand these influencers' background.
The Influencer Background
Where these influencers come from and where they spend most of their time is all the more important, not only because of how social media influences modern thought, but also because of the way these social media apps are perceived.
In the aforementioned 2024 Pew report, it was noted that 85 percent of news influencers have a presence on Twitter, with 55 percent having an Instagram account and 44 percent having a YouTube account. They are slightly more likely to be Republican and are primarily male, with men accounting for 63 percent of all news influencers examined by Pew. A breathtaking 77 percent have no connection to a major news organization. This is especially important because much of the discourse is influenced by Twitter—either by how it's perceived or what happens on the app.
A 2025 report by Pew found that 31 percent of users—across the political spectrum—say that Twitter favors conservatives. However, Democrats are more likely to say that Twitter favors conservatives, with 55 percent saying that the site supports conservatives more than liberals.
It is in this environment of increasingly male, slightly conservative, and supposedly independent voices that much of America's news and political discourse is built upon. That foundation not only impacts the way we digest news today, but also impacts how we make life decisions and, for some, how we vote. Researchers at Management Information Systems Quarterly found that political parties alter their messages and policies to suit these influencers, but that said influencers also increase polarization.
Describing this study's findings, Penn State's Francisco Tutella writes:
"The researchers found that when social media influencers share distorted political messages, like misinformation and disinformation, to gain followers and increase their profits, political parties have to moderate their policy positions to attract median voters and win general elections. However, traditional media outlets’ editorial positions become more extreme, and the opinions of citizens swayed by influencers grow more polarized."
Such a finding is especially pertinent, as it suggests that misinformation can contribute not only to incorrect conclusions but also to increased division among the American people. By allowing misinformation to spread, by ignorance or willful distortion, influencers can sometimes increase divisions among the American people. This is dangerous.
Who Influences the Influencers?
While commentary is certainly useful and in some cases, necessary, there is a serious risk of inauthentic and manipulative media behavior, especially as newspapers and traditional journalism fall to the wayside. Two years ago, The Washington Post reported that Elon Musk's Twitter would share advertising revenue with creators on its site. However, that ad revenue primarily promoted right-wing accounts, with some exceptions, such as the Krassenstein brothers. Elon's ownership has played a major role in boosting engagement on the right as well. A 2023 study by the Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review found that after Elon Musk took over Twitter, far-right accounts saw a "70% increase in retweets and 14% increase in likes." All of this is to say that algorithms, payment programs, and the owners of social media sites can influence how the public views the news, much of it favoring the right.
That isn't to say that liberals are beyond the realm of inauthentic or astroturfed behavior online. In early 2024, Politico's Rebecca Kern uncovered that Priorities USA, a liberal political action committee, was paying influencers to encourage users towards liberal causes, and ultimately, to vote for Joe Biden. CNN further reported that the DNC was spending $2.7 million on a digital campaign for the 2024 election. The notion that influencers are completely independent is a falsehood that falls apart rather quickly.
Introducing Lies and Misinformation
The lack of good, transparent, and authentic influencers makes the online commentary sphere perilous for people trying to remain informed. Figures such as D.C. Draino, real name Rogan O'Handley, have helped spread the idea that the Francis Scott Key bridge collapse was due to an attack by either Iran, China, or Russia. There was no evidence of a terrorist attack; O'Handley's post received over 200,000 views and 3,285 likes. O'Handley previously sued California after officials flagged false election claims over the 2020 election on Twitter, which resulted in his ban. His case was dismissed, the Ninth Circuit of Appeals upheld the dismissal, and the Supreme Court rejected his appeal.
O'Handley wasn't alone in promoting baseless theory. Candace Owens, a noted far-right conspiracy theorist, has promoted the idea that Brigitte Macron, the wife of the French President Emmanuel Macron, is a secret trans man and that the French president is the product of a CIA mind control operation. Needless to say, the Marcons are suing for defamation. The basis of much of this misinformation is a fabricated medical document from a doctor named François Faivre. There's just one problem, Mr. Fairvre doesn't exist. Reporting from AFP Canada shows that this entire set of claims may very well be a Russian disinformation campaign. AFP's Cintia Cabral and Gwen Roley explain that, "Searches of the French health insurance directory surfaced no matching results for a doctor named 'François Faivre." Indeed, videos depicting the supposed doctor appear to be entirely AI-generated, from the video to the audio. Even the video supposedly showing Faivre's sister is AI-generated using stock footage, down to her very eyes.
Other content creators, such as Eva Bartlett, a left-wing conspiracy theorist and openly pro-Assad activist, have spread overt misinformation. In 2016, Bartlett falsely claimed that media outlets were replicating and recycling footage of victims from bombings in Syria by Assad's then-standing regime. Bertlett is also a contributor to the Russian propaganda outlet, RT. Other left-wing influencers such as Hasan Piker have also spread the idea that the D.C. murder of two embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum was a false flag operation. Piker was subsequently banned. Piker has previously argued that America deserved 9/11, though he later acknowledged that such comments were inappropriate.
The Danger Continues
Democracy requires an informed citizenry who have access to good, transparent, and verified information. Misinformation and extremist rhetoric are not only harmful but also fundamentally dangerous to the consent of the governed. People can't consent to anything if they don't know what they are getting into, especially when someone has lied to them for profit.
Influencers are not a replacement for journalists and newspapers. Proper investigations with editors and verified facts remain a necessary and desperately underappreciated facet of society. That isn't to say influencers are useless. I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge that I am part of an ecosystem of political commentary in the online world, and am overtly progressive in my coverage. However, all of my commentary depends upon the continued support of mainstream outlets that seek out the truth with well-supported journalists. The absence of said journalists would not only be a disaster for the public but would leave us all floundering in an ocean of lies, helpless in the hands of people who, quite frankly, don't give a damn.
References
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