The Pew Research Center is out with a fascinating new report on America’s News Influencers. These are the people with at least 100,000 followers on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X or YouTube who regularly write about current events.
This new and highly influential group of podcasters matters more than ever because of the dramatic fragmentation and decline in trust of traditional media and the collapse of viewership on cable TV. MSNBC and CNN are now at 25-year lows in viewership. MSNBC has 45,000 and CNN has 65,000 viewers in the 25-54 age group as of last week. CNN is down from 560,000 viewers as of September 2020. Meanwhile, Fox News now has nearly 75 percent of cable news viewers.
These influencers are most likely to be posting on X (85 percent), followed by Instagram (50 percent) and YouTube (44 percent). By two to one, the influencers are male, and slightly more likely to identify as Republican than Democrat (27 percent vs. 21 percent). The topics they most often discuss are politics (43 percent), social issues (21 percent), international issues (18 percent), technology (5 percent) and the economy (5 percent). Only 16 percent of them have experience in the news industry, and three quarters are seeking to monetize their presence on social channels via subscription, donation, or merchandise.
According to Pew, 20 percent of Americans report getting their news from these influencers; 37 percent of those are under 30 years old. Seven in 10 said that the news they get from influencers is at least somewhat different from the information they get from other sources. One key finding is the confirmation of thought bubbles; far more respondents say they mostly agree with what they see (30 percent) versus what they disagree with (2 percent). This existence of confirmation bias has contributed to the incredible growth and effectiveness of news influencers. Influencer Marketing as a practice has always been used in this way - brands partner with influencers who align with their target audience's values or interests, which then allows the influencers to validate and reinforce consumers' beliefs by endorsing the brand or product.
Here is a list, in no particular order, of some of the most prominent news influencers from the Edelman Public Affairs Unit for both Conservative and Liberal constituencies:
Conservative
- Joe Rogan
- Tim Pool
- Candace Owens
- Steven Crowder
- Charlie Kirk
- Elon Musk
- The Daily Wire (Ben Shapiro, Matt Walsh)
- Benny Johnson
- The Hodgetwins
- Dan Bongino
- Megyn Kelly
- OutKick Network (Clay Travis, Collin Rugg, Buck Sexton)
Liberal
- Ethan Klein
- Hasan Piker
- The Young Turks
- Pod Save America (Jon Favreau)
- David Pakman
- MeidasTouch (Ron Filipkowski)
- Molly Jong-Fast
- Brian Tyler Cohen
- Mary Trump
- The Lincoln Project
The essential question for communicators is whether to put CEOs or CMOs in front of these influencers. As a matter of PR practice, it is our responsibility to find channels that reach large audiences. I spoke to Edelman Vice Chair Nikki Haley this morning and her advice is as follows: “Americans are looking for news sources that provide truth and common sense. They want to learn something. They are choosing what they want to hear instead of waiting for a network to program it. Podcasts now must be considered as a critical component of media strategy.” She just hosted Charlamagne tha God on her own podcast to discuss why minority groups shifted to Trump in this past election.
Business podcasts more often focus on entrepreneurs and technology, including Harvard Business Review and TED. The political news influencers will move toward business coverage in the coming months. Smart CCOs will advocate first for sit-downs with smart observers of the scene such as Scott Galloway of The Prof G Pod podcast. Galloway is a moderate and can address issues such as DEI and sustainability without political overtones. These new news influencers should be included in media plans over time on topics such as in-sourcing, upskilling, support for entrepreneurs and American optimism. They are no longer the future; they are the new normal.
Richard Edelman is CEO.
