The rise of "newsfluencers"

We’re 10 days into 2025, a year in which uncertainty reigns as we await the second Trump administration, rapid developments in AI and business, new global health challenges, extreme weather events, and more.?

COMPASS, a newsletter from Global Gateway Advisors designed for leaders and strategic communicators, will help navigate the complexities of the evolving landscape.?

• This is a resource for insights and analysis on the latest trends shaping outreach and engagement with key stakeholders.
• We’ll provide guidance to help communications professionals make informed decisions and steer internal and external communications.

Have a specific question or topic you’d like us to cover? A comment on something we’ve written? We welcome the conversation. Email us at?[email protected].

Our hearts are with all those impacted by the fires across Los Angeles this week. The Los Angeles Times?compiled?a list of ways to help affected residents.

Five trends that could shape the dialogue in 2025?

Emerging economic, workplace, and geopolitical trends?(The Gulf of America? A fight over Greenland and the Panama Canal?)?are already influencing the global landscape in 2025. Here are five topics that could require a refresh of communications plans or programs.

1. The new media landscape:

With legacy media struggling, and trust in the media at a historic low, independent “newsfluencers” are filling the void.?

Podcast power continues to grow (e.g., President-elect Trump on Joe Rogan), alongside the?meteoric rise of Substack newsletters. Jessica Reed Kraus’?House Inhabit, the top culture Substack, shared insider access to Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the campaign trail, amassing over 1 million Instagram followers.?

Meanwhile, niche business newsletters like Emily Sundberg's?Feed Me often break trends ahead of mainstream publications. Traditional journalists have also gone independent, such as?Mosheh Oinounou, who offers both free and paid nonpartisan news to his followers.

Why it matters:?One in five Americans say they regularly get news from influencers on social media, according to?Pew Research.?

• In some cases, newsfluencers can help organizations and their thought leaders reach core targets faster and more impactfully than traditional media.?
• It’s an increasingly important strategy to explore as part of your overall earned, paid, and owned content program.?
• To that end, it’s also time to reassess media results reporting to account for the role of newsfluencers.

2. The prism effect:?

In our highly polarized and fragmented society, every message delivered into the public dialogue will be perceived differently by key audiences. This environment requires a tailored strategy to connect with diverse perspectives and to plan ahead for disparate or opposing reactions.?

Why it matters:?To achieve clarity and resonance, communicators must be mindful of how a message is “refracted through the lens of audience and outlet,” Microsoft’s Frank Shaw?writes.?

3. CEOs as chief communicators

Organizations increasingly recognize the importance of positioning their CEO and C-suite executives to connect directly with other leaders to drive new business opportunities.?

The shift from broad-spectrum communication to niche targeting is focused on strengthening relationships, building coalitions, and advancing innovative ideas at the highest levels.

Yes, but:?A CEO's time is limited, so it's critical to prioritize key events and maximize their time on site to network, drive thought leadership and engage current and potential prospects.

4. Doubling down on mental wellness?

The World Health Organization?reports?that depression and anxiety lead to the loss of 12 billion working days annually, costing the global economy $1 trillion each year due to reduced productivity.

• To address this, companies and organizations should continue to evaluate and enhance mental health programs, including offering advanced training for managers, broader assistance, and cultivating both in-person and virtual communities to combat the loneliness epidemic.?
• Outgoing U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy highlighted this issue in his?final message?reflecting on his two terms in office.?

Go deeper:?Global Gateway Advisors is introducing a youth mental health coalition in partnership with the AFS Youth Assembly. If you’d like to be included in our weekly roundup of key coverage, insights, and resources,?subscribe here.

5. Building a risk-aware culture

To protect corporate reputation, companies cannot afford to simply react to issues as they arise. Doing so will overwhelm them when the next one emerges. Vulnerability assessments, mitigation plans, and crisis communications training are critical to build a risk-aware culture.?

Read more:?Check out our column in?O’Dwyers?about the range of scenarios – from AI accountability and cybersecurity, to labor issues, and social activism – that could generate heightened scrutiny in 2025.

Upcoming events to monitor

• The JPM Healthcare conference?(Jan. 13-16) brings together leaders from the global healthcare industry. This year’s forum will?cover?digital health, AI, gene editing and bioengineering, mental health, and more.
• Davos kicks off on Jan. 20?with the 55th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. Global leaders will gather to discuss topics centered around the theme "Collaboration for the Intelligent Age," including rebuilding trust, reimagining growth, investing in people, safeguarding the planet, and industries in the intelligent age.?
• President-elect Trump’s Inauguration is less than two weeks away. His inaugural fund has swelled to a record of more than?$170 million?(for context, Biden’s 2021 inaugural fund raised just over $60 million), with high-profile media, finance, and tech leaders making large contributions. Trump has also broken with tradition by reportedly?inviting foreign leaders, including President Xi Jinping of China and President Javier Milei of Argentina.

Notable media news + moves

• TikTok?went before the Supreme Court?today, with a potential U.S. ban looming. If upheld, the ban would require parent company ByteDance to divest TikTok or shut down operations in the U.S. by Jan. 19.?
• Meta?plans to end?its third-party fact-checking program and move toward a Community Notes model, similar to that used by X. “It’s time to get back to our roots around free expression on Facebook and Instagram,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, adding that censorship has become too prevalent. Zuckerberg also said the 2024 election felt like a “cultural tipping point toward once again prioritizing free speech.”?

• The Washington Post is?laying off?4% of its workforce, impacting the advertising sales, marketing, and print products divisions.?
• Puck, the newsletter-based publisher covering “power, money, and ego,”?hired?political journalist Leigh Ann Caldwell from the Washington Post as its chief Washington correspondent.