Whenever I’m on social media, I can’t scroll far without getting a video from a “news influencer.” The clips tend to be incredibly engaging. The person on the other side of the camera is passionate, confident and seemingly competent. I can feel myself drawn in by the conversational tone and friendliness of the news influencers.

As Americans lose faith in traditional media organizations, more and more people are turning to social media to stay updated on the news and current events. One-in-five Americans reported that they regularly receive news from influencers on social media. That number is even higher among adults under 30. 

I’m not here to say it’s a bad thing people are learning about current events and staying engaged with politics. I am all for political engagement, but I cannot let go of my wariness when it comes to news influencers.

Are these people qualified? Well, that’s the question. 77% of influencers surveyed had no background with a news organization and 59% of news influencers monetize their online presence in some way. Additionally, news influencers who have never been affiliated with a news organization are more likely to express a clear political stance. Does this necessarily mean that they are untrustworthy and incompetent? No, but it does raise some red flags for me.

Charlotte Moser

Traditional journalists from news organizations are expected to remain impartial and share any biases they may have. Traditional news organizations usually have a whole team of editors and fact-checkers to make sure all information shared is accurate. There are often no such guardrails for news influencers.

A lack of guardrails can contribute substantially to a worse news environment, specifically when it comes to the spread of misinformation. After all, algorithms are built for engagement, and engagement tends to happen with controversial issues and opinions. Furthermore,  misinformation is proven to reach more people on platforms, than the truth. 

Social media is an echochamber, feeding us thoughts and opinions that align with our own thoughts and opinions. Far more adults surveyed said they mostly agree with what they see from news influencers (30%) than mostly disagree (2%). Your algorithm knows you, your political opinions, your likes and your dislikes. Constantly being fed messages that align perfectly with your views limits the opportunities for meaningful discussion and debate, contributing to that echochamber.

Although news influencers can contribute to an informed society, I worry the lack of guardrails may only stimulate the spread of misinformation. We, as information-consumers, cannot take content at face-value. We cannot be so quick to believe what we hear on social media. We must be mindful of who we’re listening to, and what exactly they are saying. 

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Charlotte Moser at [email protected].