Study: People Now Get News From Creators, Not News Outlets

Traditional newsrooms are losing a battle they didn't even know they were fighting. And it's not against other newspapers or cable networks — it's against individual creators filming news commentary in their bedrooms.

A new report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism reveals what media executives have been quietly dreading: creators and influencers are now capturing the same audience attention that once belonged exclusively to legacy news outlets. In multiple markets globally, people are choosing to get their news from individual content creators rather than established media brands.

This isn't about entertainment or lifestyle content. This is about hard news, breaking stories, and political commentary — the core territory that traditional journalism built its business model on.

The shift represents more than just changing consumption habits. It's a fundamental restructuring of who controls information distribution, who builds audience trust, and who gets to define what "media" even means.

What the Data Actually Shows

The Reuters Institute study tracked news consumption patterns across dozens of countries, measuring where people are getting their information and, more importantly, where they're choosing to spend their attention.

The findings are stark. In markets like Brazil, Thailand, and the Philippines, individual creators now rival or exceed traditional news organizations in terms of reach and engagement. Even in more traditional media markets like the US and UK, younger demographics are increasingly turning to creators for news analysis and commentary.

This isn't driven by misinformation or entertainment value alone. Many of these creators are former journalists, subject-matter experts, or individuals who've built credibility in specific verticals. They're producing news content — just without the institutional backing of a media organization.

The key difference? Distribution model. Traditional media spent decades building one-to-many broadcast systems. Creators built many-to-many community networks. When trust in institutions declined, the latter model proved more resilient.

Platform algorithms amplified this shift. A creator explaining a policy change directly to their audience often gets more distribution than a traditional news article about the same topic. The algorithm rewards engagement and watch time, not journalistic credentials.

Why This Matters Beyond Headlines

When creators become primary news sources, the entire media value chain gets disrupted.

Advertisers are paying attention. If audiences are consuming news from creators rather than CNN or The New York Times, advertising budgets will follow. Brands that traditionally bought spots during evening news broadcasts are now negotiating deals with YouTube commentators and Substack writers.

For decades, the model was simple. Media companies owned distribution channels — newspapers, TV stations, radio frequencies. Creators, if they existed at all, were employees or freelancers producing content for those channels. The company owned the audience. The company controlled the revenue.

Creators flipped that model. They own their audience. They control distribution. They set the terms. When a creator with 500,000 subscribers talks about a news event, they're not renting someone else's platform — they own the channel.

This changes negotiating power fundamentally. Traditional media treated talent as replaceable. Lose one anchor, hire another. The brand was the institution, not the individual. With creators, the individual is the brand. Lose the creator, lose the entire audience.

What It Means for Micro-Creators

If you're a micro-creator covering any topic that intersects with current events — tech, finance, health, policy, culture — this shift opens a strategic opportunity.

You're not competing with other influencers anymore. You're competing with legacy media outlets. And in many cases, you have structural advantages they don't.

Here's why:

Speed. You can publish a video response to breaking news in 20 minutes. A traditional outlet needs editorial approval, fact-checking, and production scheduling. By the time they publish, the conversation has moved on.

Authenticity. Audiences increasingly trust individuals over institutions. When you speak directly to your community, there's no corporate filter, no editorial board softening your take. That directness builds loyalty.

Niche expertise. Legacy media tries to cover everything. You can dominate one specific vertical. A creator focused exclusively on renewable energy policy or FDA drug approvals can build deeper expertise than a general assignment reporter.

Economics. You don't have a newsroom to fund. Your overhead is minimal. You can be profitable at 10,000 engaged followers. A traditional media outlet needs millions of readers or viewers to sustain operations.

But this opportunity comes with responsibility. If you're positioning yourself as a news source — even in a niche vertical — you're taking on editorial obligations that entertainment creators don't have.

That means fact-checking before you publish. It means correcting errors publicly when you get something wrong. It means disclosing conflicts of interest and being transparent about your sources.

The Reuters study shows that audiences are willing to trust creators as news sources. But trust is fragile. One major credibility failure can destroy what took years to build.

The Playbook: Positioning as a Niche Media Brand

If you want to leverage this shift strategically, you need to stop thinking like an influencer and start thinking like a media brand.

Define your editorial focus. What specific angle or vertical do you own? "Tech news" is too broad. "AI policy and regulation" is specific. "How AI legislation impacts small businesses" is a niche you can dominate.

Establish editorial standards. Create a simple one-page document outlining how you verify information, how you handle corrections, and what your disclosure policies are. You don't need a 50-page ethics manual, but you need principles you consistently follow.

Build a content calendar around news cycles. Don't just react to what's trending. Anticipate what's coming. If you cover healthcare, you know when FDA approval timelines hit. If you cover climate, you know when major reports drop. Plan coverage in advance.

Develop original reporting. Commentary is valuable, but original information is what separates media brands from opinion accounts. Interview sources. File FOIA requests. Analyze data yourself. Even one piece of original reporting per month changes how you're perceived.

Create format consistency. Media brands have formats audiences recognize. Maybe it's a weekly news roundup. Maybe it's a deep-dive analysis every Friday. Consistency builds trust and sets expectations.

Monetize like a media company. Diversify beyond brand deals. Consider subscriptions for premium analysis, sponsorships for specific segments, or affiliate relationships with relevant tools. Think about revenue streams that align with journalism, not just influencing.

The Risks No One Talks About

This shift isn't all opportunity. When creators become primary news sources, structural problems emerge.

Editorial independence becomes complicated. If a creator covering tech policy is sponsored by a tech company, can they cover that company fairly? Traditional media has (imperfect) systems to manage conflicts. Creators often don't.

Verification infrastructure is weak. Newsrooms have fact-checkers, editors, and legal teams. Creators usually don't. That makes them more vulnerable to spreading misinformation — even unintentionally.

Burnout is real. Traditional journalists can take time off. Someone else covers the story. When you're a solo creator who is the media brand, taking a week off means your audience goes elsewhere. The pressure to constantly produce is immense.

Legal exposure increases. If you're just making lifestyle content and get something wrong, the stakes are low. If you're covering news and defame someone or publish false information, you can get sued — and you probably don't have a legal team to defend you.

These aren't reasons to avoid becoming a news-focused creator. They're reasons to do it thoughtfully, with systems in place to manage risk.

Why It Matters

The Reuters study confirms what many suspected but few wanted to acknowledge: individual creators are now legitimate competitors to traditional media organizations. Not in every market, not in every demographic, but in enough places that the trend is undeniable.

For legacy media, this is an existential threat. For creators, it's a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build real media brands without needing institutional backing.

But opportunity comes with responsibility. If audiences are trusting you the way they once trusted The Washington Post or BBC, you need to earn that trust through consistent editorial standards, transparency, and accountability.