Lessons from influencers, for journalism: Knight Center publishes free e-book on digital content creators

What do “newsfluencers” mean for journalism? What can digital content creators and journalists learn from each other?

These are the questions driving a year-long project by the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas and UNESCO that has led to the publication of a pioneering e-book offering a holistic look at the topic.

On Monday, Oct. 21, the Knight center published the free, open-access e-book, “Content Creators and Journalists: Redefining News and Credibility in the Digital Age.” Available to download for free now, the e-book, funded by UNESCO, is an edited collection of lessons and observations from digital creators and journalists from around the world, shedding light on the emerging importance of influencers in the news media landscape.

“We are grateful for UNESCO’s support for another pioneering project from the Knight Center, this time to cover one of the most important phenomena of this stage of the digital revolution: the emergence of influencers or content creators and their impact on the media ecosystem, especially on how how people consume news and information,” said Rosental C. Alves, Knight Center founder, director and UNESCO Chair in Communication at the University of Texas at Austin.

The e-book features interviews, research and first-hand accounts with journalists, content creators and activists. Some of those featured participated in a roundtable discussion in Austin, Texas, in April 2024; were panelists at the 25th International Symposium on Online Journalism in Austin; or were part of the experimental Youth Multimedia Room, where journalists, creators, and activists joined forces to cover UNESCO’s 31st World Press Freedom Day conference in May 2024, in Santiago, Chile.

News content creators from across the globe are highlighted in this e-book, including Dylan Page (aka News Daddy) of the United Kingdom, Kassy Cho (founder of Almost) of Taiwan and Hugo Travers (aka HugoDecrypte) of France.

Part 1 considers the similarities and differences between content creators and journalists and the important roles both can play in this new media landscape. Profiles in Part 2 let readers get up close and personal with “newsfluencers” from around the world. Part 3 provides perspectives from creators and activists using their influence to fight climate change, and Part 4 shows how creators can promote media and information literacy.

Lastly, in Part 5, the e-book offers best practices for journalists and content creators who want to ethically and successfully share the news in an age of digital media.

Available now in English, the e-book will be translated to Spanish and Portuguese soon, reaching an even wider audience.

“In this edited collection, we explore how the rise of digital content creators is reshaping the journalism landscape,” said e-book editor Dr. Summer Harlow, associate director of the Knight Center and visiting associate professor at UT Austin’s School of Journalism and Media. “This book explores the blurred lines between traditional reporting and influencer-driven content, highlighting the challenges and the opportunities for the future of news. By bringing together perspectives from journalists and content creators, we offer a nuanced look at the possibility of how new journalistic actors and methods might offer new and better ways of informing the public.”

The publication of the e-book coincides with the launch of the Knight Center’s Journalism Courses program’s new free online, asynchronous course “Digital Content Creators and Journalists: How To Be a Trusted Voice Online.” The course will be taught in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French, and runs from Nov. 18 to Dec. 15, 2024. Registration opens Oct. 24, 2024.

The course is open to aspiring and seasoned content creators wanting to incorporate more journalistic practices, journalists wanting to better connect with their audiences, or anyone looking to better understand the changing media landscape. It is taught by instructors Salla-Rosa Leinonen of Finnish Broadcaster Yle and Enrique Anarte Lazo, TikTok lead for Openly, a global digital platform for LGBT+ news from the Thomson Reuters Foundation.