A new study from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism reveals a striking geographic divide in how news creators and influencers compete with traditional media for audience attention across global markets.
The research finds that in countries like Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and the United States, audiences frequently pay more attention to individual creators than to mainstream news brands when consuming news on social platforms. By contrast, Northern European markets and Japan show much more limited creator influence, with traditional news organizations maintaining stronger audience engagement.
According to the study, these geographical differences appear to be partially explained by varying social media usage rates, cultural factors, market size, and the relative strength of legacy media institutions in each region.
Platform Preferences Shape Creator Success
While Facebook remains broadly important, video platforms like YouTube prove most critical for news creators. The research shows traditional media still captures significant attention on Facebook and X, while news creators perform better on visual platforms.
Country-specific platform differences emerge as noteworthy. X remains particularly important in the United States, South Africa, Nigeria, and Japan, and serves as the primary platform for following politicians. Instagram sees wide political usage in Brazil and Indonesia, while maintaining popularity in India. Facebook remains a key news platform in parts of Asia (Thailand, the Philippines) and Africa (Kenya).
Political commentators gravitate toward X and YouTube, while creators focused on explanation, investigation, and news-adjacent content favor Instagram and TikTok alongside YouTube.
Creator Typology Shows Diverse Content Approaches
The research establishes a new typology of news creators based on the content approach:
News-Focused Creators:
Commentary: The most frequently mentioned category, exemplified by personalities like Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan, and Russell Brand
News and investigation: Includes citizen journalists in conflict zones and independent investigators
Explanation: Creators who simplify complex news topics for younger audiences
Specialism: Subject matter experts working in specific niches
News-Adjacent Creators:
Satire and comedy: Humor-based news commentary
Infotainment: Celebrity podcasts and entertainment content
Gaming and music: Streamers and musicians who occasionally discuss current events
Lifestyle: Broadly defined content that users consider “news” in their personal context
Gender Imbalance Persists Among Top Creators
The analysis reveals overwhelming male dominance among top news creators and personalities, with 85% of the most-mentioned individuals across all markets being men. Political commentary shows particular gender disparity, with predominantly male hosts often speaking with other men.
In contrast, lifestyle creators exhibit more balanced gender representation, with a significant female presence in countries such as Brazil and Indonesia.
Age Divides Audience Preferences
Age emerges as the key differentiator in audience preferences. Social media users under 35 are more likely to consume news from creators (48%) than from mainstream media (41%), while those 35 and older favor mainstream sources (44% versus 35% for creators).
These age differences help explain why, in aggregate, no significant differences in political orientation appear among audiences. The study suggests that older audiences for right-leaning creators like Tucker Carlson likely balance younger, more socially media-engaged audiences that tend to identify politically left.
Cross-Border Influence Limited but Notable
While most news creators operate primarily within national contexts, English-language commentators demonstrate unusual cross-border influence. Right-leaning political commentators in the United States, including Joe Rogan, Tucker Carlson, and Ben Shapiro, are gaining traction across multiple English-speaking markets.
The research finds that two-thirds of the most mentioned personalities in Canada are creators based in the United States or the United Kingdom, with Australia showing even higher numbers. Some European countries with high English proficiency also show a significant presence of U.S. commentators.
A few personalities achieve truly global mention. Elon Musk appears in all 24 countries surveyed, Donald Trump receives widespread citation across markets, and football transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano garners mentions in nearly every country studied.
Creator Sustainability Drives Business Evolution
The report identifies creator burnout as a significant industry challenge, driven by algorithmic pressure and monetization difficulties. In response, successful creators increasingly build mini-businesses and brands.
Examples include Hugo Travers employing more than 20 staff under his HugoDécrypte brand, Johnny Harris launching a network of independent YouTube channels through his company New Press, and Tucker Carlson Network operating as a professional media enterprise.
Simultaneously, traditional news organizations are increasingly hiring young creators to manage social video content or to establish creator studios focused on talent-led projects. The Independent (UK) partners with digital creators including football content from Adam Clery, while Vox signs deals to help monetize work from high-profile creators such as Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway.
Implications for Media Companies and Marketers
For traditional media companies, news creators represent additional competition for younger audiences already reluctant to visit news websites and apps. Creators typically demonstrate greater agility in adapting storytelling and tone to platform requirements, superior skill in attracting and retaining algorithmic attention, and a willingness to embrace broader audience needs for entertainment and passion-based content.
The study suggests the professional and creator worlds are converging, likely prompting increased discussion about regulation, standards, training, and approaches to build trust and maximize commercial opportunities.
The researchers note the ecosystem remains in early development, with future direction depending on platform promotion policies, business model changes, and sustained audience interest.
Image credit: Reuters Institute The full study is available here
Dragomir is a Serbian freelance blog writer and translator. He is passionate about covering insightful stories and exploring topics such as influencer marketing, the creator economy, technology, business, and cyber fraud.
A new study from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism reveals a striking geographic divide in how news creators and influencers compete with traditional media for audience attention across global markets.
The research finds that in countries like Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and the United States, audiences frequently pay more attention to individual creators than to mainstream news brands when consuming news on social platforms. By contrast, Northern European markets and Japan show much more limited creator influence, with traditional news organizations maintaining stronger audience engagement.
According to the study, these geographical differences appear to be partially explained by varying social media usage rates, cultural factors, market size, and the relative strength of legacy media institutions in each region.
Platform Preferences Shape Creator Success
While Facebook remains broadly important, video platforms like YouTube prove most critical for news creators. The research shows traditional media still captures significant attention on Facebook and X, while news creators perform better on visual platforms.
Country-specific platform differences emerge as noteworthy. X remains particularly important in the United States, South Africa, Nigeria, and Japan, and serves as the primary platform for following politicians. Instagram sees wide political usage in Brazil and Indonesia, while maintaining popularity in India. Facebook remains a key news platform in parts of Asia (Thailand, the Philippines) and Africa (Kenya).
Political commentators gravitate toward X and YouTube, while creators focused on explanation, investigation, and news-adjacent content favor Instagram and TikTok alongside YouTube.
Creator Typology Shows Diverse Content Approaches
The research establishes a new typology of news creators based on the content approach:
News-Focused Creators:
News-Adjacent Creators:
Gender Imbalance Persists Among Top Creators
The analysis reveals overwhelming male dominance among top news creators and personalities, with 85% of the most-mentioned individuals across all markets being men. Political commentary shows particular gender disparity, with predominantly male hosts often speaking with other men.
In contrast, lifestyle creators exhibit more balanced gender representation, with a significant female presence in countries such as Brazil and Indonesia.
Age Divides Audience Preferences
Age emerges as the key differentiator in audience preferences. Social media users under 35 are more likely to consume news from creators (48%) than from mainstream media (41%), while those 35 and older favor mainstream sources (44% versus 35% for creators).
These age differences help explain why, in aggregate, no significant differences in political orientation appear among audiences. The study suggests that older audiences for right-leaning creators like Tucker Carlson likely balance younger, more socially media-engaged audiences that tend to identify politically left.
Cross-Border Influence Limited but Notable
While most news creators operate primarily within national contexts, English-language commentators demonstrate unusual cross-border influence. Right-leaning political commentators in the United States, including Joe Rogan, Tucker Carlson, and Ben Shapiro, are gaining traction across multiple English-speaking markets.
The research finds that two-thirds of the most mentioned personalities in Canada are creators based in the United States or the United Kingdom, with Australia showing even higher numbers. Some European countries with high English proficiency also show a significant presence of U.S. commentators.
A few personalities achieve truly global mention. Elon Musk appears in all 24 countries surveyed, Donald Trump receives widespread citation across markets, and football transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano garners mentions in nearly every country studied.
Creator Sustainability Drives Business Evolution
The report identifies creator burnout as a significant industry challenge, driven by algorithmic pressure and monetization difficulties. In response, successful creators increasingly build mini-businesses and brands.
Examples include Hugo Travers employing more than 20 staff under his HugoDécrypte brand, Johnny Harris launching a network of independent YouTube channels through his company New Press, and Tucker Carlson Network operating as a professional media enterprise.
Simultaneously, traditional news organizations are increasingly hiring young creators to manage social video content or to establish creator studios focused on talent-led projects. The Independent (UK) partners with digital creators including football content from Adam Clery, while Vox signs deals to help monetize work from high-profile creators such as Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway.
Implications for Media Companies and Marketers
For traditional media companies, news creators represent additional competition for younger audiences already reluctant to visit news websites and apps. Creators typically demonstrate greater agility in adapting storytelling and tone to platform requirements, superior skill in attracting and retaining algorithmic attention, and a willingness to embrace broader audience needs for entertainment and passion-based content.
The study suggests the professional and creator worlds are converging, likely prompting increased discussion about regulation, standards, training, and approaches to build trust and maximize commercial opportunities.
The researchers note the ecosystem remains in early development, with future direction depending on platform promotion policies, business model changes, and sustained audience interest.
Image credit: Reuters Institute
The full study is available here
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