How Influencer Culture Has Impacted Journalism
Plus sign up for my AMA!
Happy Monday!
I hope everyone is over whatever happened on Thanksgiving! I mean, if you had to hide in the bathroom to avoid your family…
My Gift To You
I’m having a Google Meet on December 13th at 9:00 am PST/noon EST! It’s another AMA, but with the theme of What To Expect In 2025. You must be a paid member to attend. Please fill out the form here to receive a calendar invite.
HOW INFLUENCER CULTURE HAS IMPACTED JOURNALISM… PART 1
I’ve touched on this in previous posts because influencers have changed so much for writers. As always, this is my hot take, and I’m unlikely to win any friends by sharing my thoughts here.
Let’s start by stating the obvious. How do both of these people make money? Writers are paid by whoever they write for and are held to a certain level of integrity or journalistic standards.
Influencers or content creators, whether they are on social media, blogs, or YouTube, on the other hand, are paid by brands or earn money from ads. Other than complying with FTC regulations, they can pretty much do whatever they want. And let’s be real, they probably don’t comply with FTC regulations.
In the past, publicists worked exclusively with journalists. But when influencing became a thing, they started working with influencers as well. These days, I’ve noticed many brands have separate teams for both, which I actually think is a good thing. Another trend? Affiliate link reps pitching shopping content from various brands. I don’t think this is necessary, but okay…
Now, here’s one of my many unpopular opinions: I think some journalists look down on influencers. After all, there’s no real barrier to entry to be one. You need a phone, not a college education. But honestly? While many people don’t think content creation is a serious career path, I think influencers have it so much better than journalists.
YES, I SAID IT!
ICYMI, there was a media bloodbath right before Thanksgiving, with lots of people losing their jobs. And trust me when I say this: NO ONE IN THIS INDUSTRY IS PAID ENOUGH.
One of my closest friends was an “it girl” journalist back in the day. When she told me what her kill fees were 15 years ago, let’s just say it’s more than what some people I know make in a month.
To be clear, I’m not complaining about what I’m paid, but many writers I know rely on their spouses or families to subsidize their careers—myself included. I wish I could actually write more about this, but it’s not a good look for me.
Meanwhile, I’ve seen influencers go from living in tiny apartments to buying mansions. I don’t know of any journalist—except maybe someone whose viral article was turned into a book or movie deal—who’s managed to buy a mansion in Calabasas on their own. We should all have Trisha Paytas's money.
BUT LET’S DIVE DEEPER
As journalists, our job is to make a topic sound compelling. The job of influencers is to be compelling. Sure, they might be selling a product, but at the end of the day, they are the product.
Are Any Of These People All That Compelling Anyway?
There are influencers who have been incredibly popular that I’ve either interviewed or met in the wild and I can honestly say, I didn’t find them interesting at all. There’s a major one who I sat next to at a dinner in the Hamptons and I didn’t know who she was. (Yes, I’ve shared this story before). I’ve never encountered someone less interesting in my life. She also seemed like a terribly insecure person. But I guess she’s great on TikTok. I don’t want to name names but there’s a Reddit Snark about her.
Now, I’ll get a little cringe. A few years ago I went to a lunch for Lonely Ghost and I met Jaci Marie. She was just as compelling IRL as she is on YouTube. She recently renovated a home and as someone who writes about design, I was excited to watch the process. Her interior style is the opposite of mine, but I watched every video because she’s interesting. Would I ever design my home like hers? No, but that’s the point.
When you read an article, who writes it (for the most part) is neither here nor there. It’s really about writing in the voice of the publication and maybe putting your own spin on it a little bit. But if you read my work for Real Simple versus this Substack, it’s two very different voices. Real Simple is about the content. My Substack is about me (kinda).
WHY JOURNALISTS ARE FRUSTRATED
I’ve noticed that many writers feel shafted because our work doens’t often feel valued by the public.
One writer I know recently shared her frustration. (And yes, I asked her permission to include this) She’d worked with a brand multiple times but didn’t have the contact info for their new PR rep. She reached out via Instagram but was brushed off by the social media person. This writer is well-respected in her field but doesn’t have massive social numbers. That said, the social media person was a stupid asshole who didn’t see the value in connecting with the press.
I’ve also heard complaints about influencers being on press trips or that a trip was “mixed.” While the goals of writers and influencers on press trips don’t always align, I have zero sympathy here. Honestly, I don’t see what the big deal is. BUCK UP, BITCH! YOU’RE ON A PRESS TRIP. YOU COULD BE CLEANING THE FLOORS AT TACO BELL. BUT YOU’RE IN A FIVE-STAR HOTEL WITH A MASSAGE BOOKED IN 45 MINUTES. BOO-FUCKING-HOO.
CAN YOU BE BOTH A WRITER AND INFLUENCER?
With 33k+ followers, (follow me on IG) I’m micro-level, but I plan to hit social media harder in 2025. I genuinely feel like it’s a safer bet in the long term and aligns better with my long-term goals. The thought of this is also exhausting.
I’ve approached 75% of my work for Forbes like an influencer. I don’t care how cool or popular something is—if it’s not my vibe, I’m not interested.
That said, like many lifestyle writers, I still have to cover topics that aren’t glamorous. I mean, check out these links. That said, writing things like this is oddly satisfying.
5 Things You Can Do With Grass Clippings
7 Bad Habits That Are Attracting Bugs to Your House
But when it comes to pitching, it doens’t matter if you are trying to connect with a writer or influencer. It needs to align with their goals and interests.
BUT DON’T BE FOOLED , PUBLISHERS ARE ALSO PLAYING THE GAME
Publishers want us to share our articles on social media because it drives revenue for them. Here’s another hard truth:
WE’RE KIND OF BEING FORCED TO DIP OUR TOES IN BOTH PONDS
At the end of the day, having a larger social following is a major benefit for writers. It boosts your numbers and makes you more likely to get hired over someone with a similar resume but fewer followers. There are also many writers, myself included who are parlaying their writing into larger social numbers. Some have even quit to influence full-time.
So are influencers the new journalists? In some ways, very much so, but in other ways, not at all.
To be continued…..