Veteran and emerging journalists say social media has reshaped news consumption, but journalistic ethics remain unchanged
As influencers continue to dominate social media platforms, two journalists said the shift in where younger audiences get their news is also changing who they trust.
The trend is reflected in a 2025 Pew Research Center survey, which found that among adults younger than 30, 51% trust national news organizations, while 50% trust social media platforms—showing digital platforms have become nearly as influential as traditional news outlets.
According to NPR, one in five Americans regularly get their news from social media influencers, highlighting the growing role creators play in informing the public.
“News-tainment”
LeeAnn Lambert, former Ke Alaka‘i advisor from Missouri and a journalist with 25+ years of experience, said journalism has become more complex as traditional reporting competes with digital creators.
“Journalism is varied now. Before, traditional forms of media and journalists were trained to be more objective and how to think beyond whatever their perspective was so they can give people options to make their choices,” she explained.
While advocacy journalism has become more accepted, Lambert said openly displaying bias can damage credibility. “If you show your bias, it’s going to bite you because people won’t trust your point of view if it’s different from theirs,” she said.
Lambert said another challenge is the decline in original reporting. “There are fewer journalists than there used to be,” she said. “There’s also less journalists who research information and so the actual information being shared is being recycled and if you share recycled information, it just makes things worse.”
Younger audiences may gravitate toward influencers because of relatability and entertainment value, Lambert said. “People want to connect with others, and they also want to be entertained,” she said.
Lambert described today’s media environment as “news-tainment,” where audiences expect information to be engaging as well as informative.
Branding and representation
Benjamin Christensen, a senior majoring in English from Utah and an intern at Deseret News, said distrust is often directed at media organizations rather than individual journalists. “I feel like it’s not so much distrust toward journalists themselves, but toward the idea of media,” he said.
Christensen said audiences often judge reporters based on the organizations they represent. “If the same journalist worked at CNN or Fox News, some people would still distrust them because of the brand,” he said.
An NPR report in January 2025 highlighted efforts to bridge the gap between journalists and creators. The Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas at the University of Texas at Austin developed a course titled “Content Creators and Journalists: Redefining News and Credibility,” which trains influencers to strengthen transparency and fact-checking while encouraging journalists to build stronger audience relationships.
According to NPR, digital creator V Spehar, known for “UnderTheDeskNews,” has built an audience of more than 3 million followers and said trust must be earned consistently. “I have to earn the trust of the audience because even one mistake can affect credibility,” Spehar said.
Lambert said while social media has expanded access to information, it has also shifted responsibility to audiences. “Social media has democratized journalism because anyone can create content and make an impact, but it also puts responsibility on the viewer,” she said.
Ethics and accountability
Lambert said audiences should learn how to verify information before believing or sharing it. “Viewers have to ask themselves, ‘What is the motivation behind why people are publicizing what they are publicizing?’” she added.
Christensen said although he believes journalists can also become influencers, he said newsroom structure still provide safeguards that independent creators often lack. “Traditional news outlets often have a good code of ethics and standards where projects or writing are checked and edited,” he explained.
Journalism relies on multiple layers of accountability, Lambert said. “When you have an editor, you also have fact checkers. You can print something libelous and get sued if you aren’t careful. Influencers usually do not have those systems,” she said.
Christensen said editors remain one of journalism’s greatest strengths. “I find it difficult to critically examine my own writing sometimes, so I like to rely on editors because writing and editing are two separate things,” he added.
Lambert said she worries that these safeguards are weakening as more creators publish independently. “It’s sad because the systems journalism developed over many years are disappearing,” she said.
For Christensen, influencers and journalists are not opposing forces. “I think they can totally coexist." He said everything will depend on both adapting to new platforms while thinking about the principles that have long defined the journalism profession.
Lambert said regardless of whether news is delivered through a newspaper, television broadcast or TikTok video, credibility ultimately depends on a commitment to truth. “Every country needs journalists who are truthful and curious as they are where you get information that you cannot get anywhere else,” she explained.