Opportunities and Risks of Integrating Social Media Influencers into Traditional Media

On January 29, 2025, the administration of President Donald Trump decided to allow social media influencers to attend press conferences to cover White House activities. This raises the discussion about the rising role of non-traditional media, including social media influencers, bloggers, podcasters, and others.

In contrast, traditional media faces existential challenges since the revolution in communication and information technology, followed by the widespread proliferation of digital media. The number of followers of printed newspapers and television channels has seen a significant decline over the years, greatly impacting their advertising revenues and operational profits. According to the “Digital News Report 2024” published by the Reuters Institute for Journalism, the public’s reliance on traditional newspapers as a news source has dropped to 22% of total news sources, a decrease of 10% compared to 2018. Meanwhile, social media, especially short news video content, has become the primary source of information for younger generations, reflecting a fundamental shift in news consumption habits.

This new media landscape has pushed traditional media to rethink innovative ways to attract audiences and regain dominance in the media scene, including integrating social media influencers as their role has grown in recent times. According to a survey conducted by Statista in 2023 regarding millennials’ trust in product or brand recommendations made by social media influencers worldwide, 36% of respondents said influencer recommendations are more trustworthy compared to traditional advertisements. A report by the Pew Research Center in November 2024 indicated that about one in five Americans regularly gets their news from digital influencers, who are most likely found on the platform “X” (Twitter), and 77% of these influencers have no affiliations with any media institution, focusing mainly on topics like politics, elections, social issues, and international events.

Influencers and the Media Industry:

Social media influencers play a vital and increasingly important role in the media industry due to their ability to provide personalized and straightforward content that meets the needs of specific audience segments. Most of these audiences tend to follow content presented by individuals they feel a personal connection with. This makes platforms like TikTok and Instagram particularly attractive, as they offer quick and personal content reflecting the lives and experiences of the influencers. For instance, health and fitness influencers provide information related to healthy lifestyles, making them key references for their followers. Similarly, political influencers play an important role in simplifying complex political issues for audiences that may lack deep political backgrounds. Several factors enhance the role of influencers in the media industry, including:

1. Accessibility: Social media delivers news faster and in concise formats that fit the fast-paced lifestyles of users.
2. Interactivity: Users can interact directly with news and participate in discussions, enhancing their sense of engagement and influence.
3. Visual Appeal: Digital content is often accompanied by attractive images and videos, capturing audiences’ attention more effectively than long texts.

Dependence on Influencers:

The phenomenon of traditional media relying on influencers has become increasingly clear since the mid-last decade, especially with the massive rise in social media usage. One of the first initiatives that drew attention was by The Washington Post in 2017 when it launched a collaboration campaign with Instagram influencers to present news content aimed at millennials. This initiative was a response to the significant decline in traditional newspaper readership and the desire to reach a new audience that increasingly relies on digital platforms.

In 2019, CNN took a similar step by launching a short program on TikTok with popular influencers to present news reports in a concise and engaging manner suitable for the platform’s content style. These attempts were not limited to Western media; for instance, in the Arab world, Al Arabiya employed several influencers to produce digital content focused on news analysis.

What distinguishes these initiatives is their ability to blend the personal style of influencers with traditional journalistic standards. In The Washington Post’s experience, influencers worked closely with editorial teams to ensure that the content adhered to the accuracy and neutrality required, and this partnership helped attract a new audience without compromising core journalistic values. However, these initiatives face several challenges, as some studies indicate that traditional media’s reliance on influencers may lead to a decline in the quality of the content presented. The criteria for success on these platforms differ from those used in traditional media, which could negatively impact content quality.

Opportunities and Risks:

The future of traditional media’s reliance on influencers appears promising if adopted strategically. Successful experiences demonstrate that combining journalistic authenticity and digital creativity can create a new media model that aligns with contemporary audience aspirations. This approach could be fundamental in rebuilding trust between traditional media and the public, especially in an era where fake news and misinformation dominate the digital landscape. However, traditional media’s reliance on influencers may carry both opportunities and risks.

The main opportunities lie in traditional media’s success in adapting to the demands of the digital age while maintaining authentic journalistic values by creating a hybrid model that combines deep analysis with visual appeal that resonates with audiences. The BBC’s experience in presenting a documentary series on Netflix is a prominent example of how traditional media can use digital technology to attract a new audience. This experience has proven that combining journalistic quality with creativity in content delivery can contribute to redefining the relationship between the public and the media. Furthermore, embracing technology like artificial intelligence could enhance the efficiency of journalistic production processes and deliver personalized content to users based on their interests, allowing media organizations to regain some of the audience that has gravitated towards social media platforms.

Conversely, excessive reliance on influencers without clear standards could lead to a decline in content quality and a loss of traditional journalistic identity. For example, the experience of some major newspapers in Europe and the U.S. that relied on influencers to present news reports sparked widespread controversy after the publication of inaccurate reports that affected their credibility. The success of the influencer model in traditional media depends on several key factors:

1. Audience Engagement: Influencers’ success largely depends on their ability to create genuine interaction with their followers. Consequently, an influencer’s ability to merge the journalistic message with their personal style may enhance trust in traditional media.
2. Commitment to Credibility: Collaboration between traditional media and influencers requires clear standards to ensure adherence to credibility, as evidenced by the experience of The Guardian, which faced criticism after collaborating with influencers who did not fully commit to journalistic standards.
3. Adapting to Platform Nature: Successful content must align with the platform’s nature. For instance, content that works on TikTok should be concise and creative, while content on YouTube may require more detail and deeper analysis.

Two Scenarios:

Traditional media faces a pivotal transformation amid the dominance of digital media and content delivered through social media, increasing pressure to rethink its strategies and adapt its operational models to meet the demands of the digital age. In this regard, two scenarios can be highlighted:

1. The Optimistic Scenario: This involves traditional media institutions successfully leveraging the advantages of digital media without compromising professional journalistic principles. We may witness the emergence of hybrid platforms that provide content combining instant interaction via social media and deep analysis associated with traditional media. These platforms may utilize artificial intelligence to analyze audience interests and prepare tailored reports, which would help restore trust and expand follower bases.
2. The Pessimistic Scenario: This scenario involves the continued dominance of social media and influencers at the expense of traditional media, as traditional institutions fail to adapt to market changes and do not invest in developing innovative digital capabilities. This may lead to a significant reduction in their presence and influence. The failure here is not limited to losing audiences but extends to an erosion of the trust built over decades between traditional media and society, potentially leading to the closure of many traditional media institutions or a significant reduction in their operations, further opening the door for the dominance of digital platforms.

In conclusion, the greatest challenge facing traditional media concerning integrating social media influencers lies in achieving a balance between journalistic quality and professional values on one hand, and the demands of the digital audience on the other. Overcoming this challenge requires a strategic vision based on digital innovation and the appeal necessitated by modern platforms while adhering to the journalistic values that form the core of traditional media. Moreover, adopting advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and data analytics may give traditional media institutions a competitive edge, enabling them to offer personalized and relevant content to their audiences. Additionally, traditional media could target youth demographics through more creative tools. In this context, adventurous media experiments utilizing technologies like augmented reality and virtual reality could become part of traditional media strategies in an attempt to compete with engaging digital content.