Why Content Creators Are Our New Trusted Cultural Messengers

I’m recently back from the Democratic National Convention - which I attended as one of the 200 content creators - and I’m getting back up to speed on some of the commentary floating around.?

TL:DR: the girls are fighting.

What do I mean? As I discussed with Newsweek, trusted messengers are a tried-and-true requirement of politics and communications, but the long and short of this ‘fight’ are frustrated journalists who are not sure about content creators earning priority.?

As someone who is both a journalist and a content creator, I’d like to jump further into this convo – it’s an interesting one.

So let’s explore it a bit.

The root causes of journalist frustration

Traditional journalists are proud of their objectivity.?

In journalism school, it’s hammered into you as a foundation. Impartiality and objectivity are more important than anything else, apart from how observational reporting should include great detail, precision, and professionalism.

Removing yourself from both the situation and any personal feelings about it maintains an impartial point of view. It’s certainly admirable and applies well in most scenarios. You could say it’s a core tenet of traditional storytelling.

However, it has increasingly become a hill to die on for many journalists. Why? Because they believe content creators are more like champions for a cause than professionals who maintain that sense of ‘disconnection’ so emotion or personal feelings don’t cloud their work.

Maybe you saw this recent Politico article where they noted pretty much exactly that –? that many journalists “felt disrespected by the [Democratic National] convention’s VIP treatment of influencers, who they view as acting more as cheerleaders for the Democrats.”

In the interview, a reporter from the DNC elaborated on this feeling: “When you’re getting a TikTok from an influencer about what’s happening at the DNC, that is not objective, that is a subjective person, putting on a very specific spin. You can argue that the media has its own spin, but journalists care about fact-checking. We care about making sure that something is accurate. And you can’t say the same about most quote-unquote content creators.”

Hmmm.?

There’s not necessarily anything new going on here, but the world is evolving, y’all.

How we got here

The rise of influencers and content creators is not an overnight sensation. It’s a natural evolution in direct response to how we use technology and consume media.

Consider the move from the telegraph, to radio, to the television, and then, the internet. As time passes, technology improves, and the ways we share important information with one another also change.

Think about your own habits. You naturally gravitate toward personal, relatable, and authentic content, right?

Traditional journalism can and should adapt their approaches to expand their toolkit and take note of what content creators do well.?

When that recognition turns into partnerships, journalists – by collaborating with influencers – can tap into a collective storytelling power. Together, we can share narratives that hit home with a broad cross-section of our society and blur the lines that hold the two media types apart.

Imagine what this marriage of styles and capabilities would look like at scale. It’d be much more visually striking and conversational, for sure. We’ve got to capture attention.

The importance of influencers in modern cultural and political communication

Influencers and content creators are the heartbeat of the new communication playbook.?

As a society, we’ve grown up to rely on trusted messengers when it comes to political, or what you might call “serious” communication. I’d argue that since Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather were sitting behind news desks, to modern TikTok creators, there’s nothing new here.?

It’s simply a difference in medium and style.

Influencers have influence because they have unparalleled access to large, engaged audiences, allowing for direct communication that bypasses traditional media channels. There’s no filtering and watering down of the message – you get the news straight from the source.

The notion of trust has also evolved.?

Given recent studies the average person often views influencers as more authentic and trustworthy than traditional political journalists, giving their endorsements and messages significant weight. These messages can be distributed in real-time across social media, with there being viral potential behind every message shared - something attractive and necessary for political parties and social causes to leverage.

These messages often go viral because folks feel like the content speaks to them directly by people who look and sound like they do. This alignment and familiarity helps influencers rally followers around their causes, campaigns, or political movements, making much quicker & easier work of mobilization – especially when compared to traditional media.

It’s almost expected now. And it can happen every time you open Insta or TikTok.

Most importantly, influencers and content creators more often than not represent historically underrepresented voices who, for the first time in modern history, have a tremendous opportunity to expand the diversity of perspectives on the political and cultural issues that our country is facing.?

Maybe my favorite part of this diversity of perspective is how it decentralizes ‘storytelling power’ and power dynamics away from the traditional legacy media gatekeepers, which naturally democratizes who gets to shape public opinion.

In other words, our voice is loud and folks are listening to us over them.

New media and traditional journalism share a lot in common

Don’t get me wrong: legacy media undoubtedly still has a place in political discourse – I’m a firm believer in that. But I also believe that influencers and content creators have incredibly important roles to play in how we engage with politics and social justice now and going forward.

The role of influencers and content creators is a twist on long-standing practices in political communication. Influencers today play a role similar to trusted political figures in the past, like Rather and Cronkite. Celebrity endorsements, newspaper columnists, and community leaders have always swayed public opinion. I’m sure you’re remembering a few public figures and their respective campaigns right now.

Not unlike those campaigns, modern campaigns leverage influencers to reach specific, engaged audiences in a more generally relatable way. They use the authority of high-profile cultural figures as the cornerstones of those messages. What makes our landscape now so different? It’s more possible in our digital age to distribute messaging at scale than during the peak of the print journalism era.

Most importantly, content creators and influencers are cultural trendsetters, much like past cultural icons like musicians and actors who helped to shape public sentiment and opinion. Influencers serve this purpose not only locally - or nationally - but on a global scale, and due to this reach, more easily galvanize and energize their followers into driving political action.

Community leaders have always been essential in developing trust in any type of media outlet – that hasn’t changed. Today’s trust thrives on authenticity, and I believe creators have that authenticity baked into their DNA. Relatability comes with trust, and it’s much easier for content creators to shape the views of those who don’t feel like their voices matter –

Especially younger generations.

But there are also some tangible differences

While there are certainly still similarities between traditional journalists and today’s content creators and influencers, some striking differences remain.

The most obvious difference is what’s sometimes called ‘memetic influence.’

Where influencers are incredibly skilled at creating and spreading viral content is where political messages can be naturally embedded. When traditional outlets try to do the same thing, it comes off as stilted or forced. Hey, at least they’re trying, but there’s a real difference in the way the message ‘hits’ – especially with the generations most ready to enact change.

In our world, virality is often directly proportional to relatability.?

Everyday folks have a louder voice than prior to the creation and evolution of social media. With a quick sign on and click of a button, you can carry on real-time conversations with your followers. Your convos spark immediate feedback and interactions that dynamically influence public opinion.

Consider this ‘decentralized communication’ in the truest sense. Diverse voices with a wide range of perspectives hold collective attention, while legacy media gets weighed down by editorial standards. Call it the luxury of being creative and the first to the party.

Gen Zs like me gravitate towards diversity of voice and viewpoints. If you’ve been plugged in lately, I’m sure you’ve heard this: my generation holds incredible decision-making power in the upcoming presidential election, and will for years to come in our nation’s most important political races.?

Leveraging young multicultural creators earns engagement across a spectrum of issues that matter. And I don’t see this changing anytime soon.

How journalists can shift frustration into collaborative action

I can see how journalists could be frustrated by the fact that content creators and influencers ‘don’t play by the rules’ - at least not the same rules they feel they have to play under. I get it. But it’s limiting, and I’d argue, unhelpful – especially when the stakes are high.

Journalists the world over have a tremendous opportunity to see content creators and influencers as allies. We naturally compliment their work when trusted as sources of information, not dismissed as unvetted competition. The direct, authentic connections between content creators and their audiences enhance the reach and impact of political messaging.

We give a voice and a face to the viewpoints.

My suggestion to journalists: make a concerted effort to seek out those voices who audiences are listening to on social media, and form powerful allyships with those folks. The win? A more consistent, aligned message.

Don’t know where to start? We do. And we’re here to plug you in.

In Conclusion

One thing is certain: the lines between traditional journalism and modern content creators will continue to blur, and, if not eventually, totally end. Both have indispensable roles in shaping public opinion and driving conversations about our politics.

Journalists bring analytical depth to the table, while content creators offer a fresh and authentic perspective that naturally resonates with diverse audiences who are ready to act. Both sides should embrace one another’s strengths, and an incredibly powerful media ‘mechanism’ would result.

The stories that matter most will always reach the widest possible audience and drive impact that leads to tangible, meaningful change.

The future of political communication shouldn’t be about choosing sides. It should be about collaboration where credibility and creativity aren’t at odds but are an expectation.?

With that expectation, we can all carve a new path that isn’t just about reporting and shaping our collective future.