Influencers’ Rise in Political Reporting Raises Questions About Training, Accountability, and Credibility
In today’s digital landscape, social media influencers are becoming a significant source of news and information for millions of Americans. According to a Pew Research poll, 20% of Americans now get their news from social media influencers on various apps. As the influence of these "newsfluencers" grows, so do questions about their role in the democratic process. Can they be trained to produce credible and accurate reporting? Should they be held to the same standards as traditional journalists?
To answer these questions, Summer Harlow, associate director of the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas at UT Austin, created a class called "Content Creators and Journalists: Redefining News and Credibility" to provide influencers with the tools to ensure accuracy and build trust in their work.
V Spehar, a digital content creator with over 3 million TikTok followers, started UnderTheDeskNews to provide a different perspective on the news. They believe that transparency and media information literacy are key to credibility.
"I think because it came across as more personal, a little bit more peer-led," Spehar said of their platform. "Folks were looking for that kind of reassurance, this feeling that they were being spoken to and not at."
However, the role of newsfluencers in political reporting has been criticized, with some questioning their accountability and independence. Spehar responded by saying that they rely on their audience for feedback and are committed to fact-checking their reporting.
"Holding people who are doing journalism on social media to different standards than traditional journalists is a bad habit," Harlow said. "We need to make sure that consumers can understand how to verify information and not just believe something because it fits within what they already believe to be reality."
As influencers continue to shape the way people consume news, the debate surrounding their role and responsibilities will likely intensify. Can newsfluencers be both authentic and accurate? Should they be held to the same standards as traditional journalists? As the lines between social media and journalism continue to blur, one thing is clear: the future of journalism will rely on the collaboration and innovation of both sides.
