Journo-influencer

Last updated

Journo-influencer
Occupation
Occupation type
Profession
Activity sectors
Media, Journalism, Social Media
Description
CompetenciesCommunication skills, Investigative skills, Social media literacy, Ethical judgement
Education required
Journalism, Media Studies, Communications
Fields of
employment
News organizations, Freelance, Social media platforms
Related jobs
Journalist, Social media influencer

Journo-influencers, or journalist influencer, or news influencers [1] are professionals who blend traditional journalism with the internet reach of modern social media influencers. [2] A production of the internet age, Journo-influencres typically use platforms such as Substack, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube to report news, provide commentary, and engage with audiences on social media platforms.

Contents

Background

The rise of journo-influencers can be traced back to the early 2020s, as news consumption increasingly shifted to social media platforms. [3] Following their audiences, news brands as well as individual journalists began to adopt social media to expand their reach. [4] Simultaneously, some online content creators have started to engage in activities resembling journalism, uncovering facts, reporting on current events and offering analysis. The latter have been called as interlopers by the media scholar Scott A. Eldridge II [5]

According to the survey conducted in 2022 for the Reuters Institute Digital News Report, audiences today perceive journalists as including YouTubers, podcasters, comedians, authors, and social media influencers. The study found that these ‘alternative’ or ‘independent’ actors accounted for 15% of all named journalists in the United States, a figure higher than in any other of the researched countries. [6]

Journo-influencers typically have a background in Journalism, Media Studies, or Communications, combining these traditional fields with skills in digital media and social media marketing. Examples of key competencies include communication and storytelling, proficiency in using social media platforms for content distribution as well as navigating ethical considerations related to journalism and social media influence [7]

Examples of journo-influencers

Some of the journo-influencers mentioned in the 2022 LSE research report Can journalists be influencers? by Salla-Rosa Leinonen [8] include

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Media studies</span> Field of study that deals with media

Media studies is a discipline and field of study that deals with the content, history, and effects of various media; in particular, the mass media. Media Studies may draw on traditions from both the social sciences and the humanities, but mostly from its core disciplines of mass communication, communication, communication sciences, and communication studies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Journalist</span> Person who collects, writes and distributes news and similar information

A journalist is an individual who collects/gathers information in the form of text, audio, or pictures, processes it into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">News media</span> Elements of mass media that focus on delivering news

The news media or news industry are forms of mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public. These include news agencies, newspapers, news magazines, news channels etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Citizen journalism</span> Journalism genre

Citizen journalism, also known as collaborative media, participatory journalism, democratic journalism, guerrilla journalism or street journalism, is based upon members of the community playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing, and disseminating news and information. Courtney C. Radsch defines citizen journalism "as an alternative and activist form of news gathering and reporting that functions outside mainstream media institutions, often as a response to shortcomings in the professional journalistic field, that uses similar journalistic practices but is driven by different objectives and ideals and relies on alternative sources of legitimacy than traditional or mainstream journalism". Jay Rosen offers a simpler definition: "When the people formerly known as the audience employ the press tools they have in their possession to inform one another." The underlying principle of citizen journalism is that ordinary people, not professional journalists, can be the main creators and distributors of news. Citizen journalism should not be confused with community journalism or civic journalism, both of which are practiced by professional journalists; collaborative journalism, which is the practice of professional and non-professional journalists working together; and social journalism, which denotes a digital publication with a hybrid of professional and non-professional journalism.

News values are "criteria that influence the selection and presentation of events as published news." These values help explain what makes something "newsworthy."

Mass communication is the process of imparting and exchanging information through mass media to large population segments. It utilizes various forms of media as technology has made the dissemination of information more efficient. Primary examples of platforms utilized and examined include journalism and advertising. Mass communication, unlike interpersonal communication and organizational communication, focuses on particular resources transmitting information to numerous receivers. The study of mass communication is chiefly concerned with how the content and information that is being mass communicated persuades or affects the behavior, attitude, opinion, or emotion of people receiving the information.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadcast journalism</span> Field of news and journals which are broadcast

Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are broadcast by electronic methods instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. It works on radio, television and the World Wide Web. Such media disperse pictures, visual text and sounds.

<i>Daily Maverick</i> South African newspaper

Daily Maverick is a South African online news publication and weekly print newspaper, with offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg. It claims to have a readership of approximately 10 million readers per month. It was founded in 2009 by Branislav Brkic, who is also the Editor-in-Chief of the publication, and Styli Charalambous, its Chief Executive Officer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism</span>

The USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism comprises a School of Communication and a School of Journalism at the University of Southern California (USC). Starting July 2017, the school's Dean is Willow Bay, succeeding Ernest J. Wilson III. The graduate program in Communication is consistently ranked first according to the QS World University Rankings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Online newspaper</span> Newspaper in digital format

An online newspaper is the online version of a newspaper, either as a stand-alone publication or as the online version of a printed periodical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital journalism</span> Editorial content published via the Internet

Digital journalism, also known as netizen journalism or online journalism, is a contemporary form of journalism where editorial content is distributed via the Internet, as opposed to publishing via print or broadcast. What constitutes digital journalism is debated by scholars; however, the primary product of journalism, which is news and features on current affairs, is presented solely or in combination as text, audio, video, or some interactive forms like storytelling stories or newsgames, and disseminated through digital media technology.

Content creation is the act of producing and sharing information or media content for specific audiences, particularly in digital contexts. According to Dictionary.com, content refers to "something that is to be expressed through some medium, as speech, writing or any of various arts" for self-expression, distribution, marketing and/or publication. Content creation encompasses various activities including maintaining and updating web sites, blogging, article writing, photography, videography, online commentary, social media accounts, and editing and distribution of digital media. In a survey conducted by Pew, content creation was defined as "the material people contribute to the online world."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Internet celebrity</span> Someone famous because of the Internet

An internet celebrity is an individual who has acquired or developed their fame and notability on the Internet. The growing popularity of social media provides a means for people to reach a large, global audience. Internet celebrities are often found on large online platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, which primarily rely on user-generated content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emre Kızılkaya</span> Turkish journalist

Emre Kızılkaya is a Turkish journalist and researcher who is a vice-chair of the Vienna-based International Press Institute, a global network of leading editors and media executives.

The Conversation is a network of nonprofit media outlets publishing news stories and research reports online, with accompanying expert opinion and analysis. Articles are written by academics and researchers under a Creative Commons license, allowing reuse without modification. Copyright terms for images are generally listed in the image caption and attribution. Its model has been described as explanatory journalism. Except in "exceptional circumstances", it only publishes articles by "academics employed by, or otherwise formally connected to, accredited institutions, including universities and accredited research bodies".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multimedia journalism</span> Practice of contemporary journalism

Multimedia journalism is the practice of contemporary journalism that distributes news content either using two or more media formats via the Internet, or disseminating news report via multiple media platforms. First time published as a combination of the mediums by Canadian media mogul, journalist and artist, Good Fridae Mattas in 2003. It is inseparably related to the media convergence of communication technologies, business integration of news industries, and editorial strategies of newsroom management.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yen.com.gh</span> Ghanaian online news publication

YEN.com.gh is a Ghanaian online news publication created in September 2015. It covers local and international news, politics, business, entertainment, technology, sport news and users’ generated news content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Media independence</span> Absence of external control on a media institution

Media independence is the absence of external control and influence on an institution or individual working in the media. It is a measure of its capacity to "make decisions and act according to its logic," and distinguishes independent media from state media.

Social media as a news source is the use of online social media platforms rather than moreover traditional media platforms to obtain news. Just as television turned a nation of people who listened to media content into watchers of media content in the 1950s to the 1980s, the emergence of social media has created a nation of media content creators. Almost half of Americans use social media as a news source, according to the Pew Research Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophia Smith Galer</span> English digital journalist (born 1994)

Sophia Smith Galer FRSA is a British digital journalist, author, and TikTok influencer. In 2022, she was named as one of Forbes 30 Under 30 for Marketing and Media in Europe, and short-listed on British Vogue's list of Top 25 Most Influential Women in the UK.

References

  1. Maheshwari, Sapna; Isaac, Mike (22 February 2024). "Instagram's Uneasy Rise as a News Site". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  2. "Can journalists be influencers? A new research report on engaging audiences on social media". Polis. 28 June 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  3. "Reuters Institute Digital Report". Reuters Institute Digital News Report. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  4. "The rise of the journalist-influencer". Nieman Lab. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  5. "Online Journalism from the Periphery: Interloper Media and the Journalistic Field". Routledge & CRC Press. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  6. "Which journalists do people pay most attention to and why? A study of six countries | Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism". reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  7. Sophia Smith Galer laments the absence of regulation & support from big tech for influencers , retrieved 11 February 2024
  8. "Can journalists be influencers? A new research report on engaging audiences on social media". Polis. 28 June 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2024.