What’s next? Predictions for the creator-journalism space

We'll see more traditional publications acquiring successful indie operations. These one-person businesses have loyal audiences and sustainable revenue streams — and legacy outlets will look to bring these writers onboard to expand their reach and revenue.

I think a lot of these independent journalists are gonna start being editors themselves. I don't see them accepting a lot of VC funding and churning out a lot of content all at once, but I do see them maybe commissioning articles. I write the Study Hall newsletter where I compile freelance opportunities and I'm already seeing people starting to commission content. It will be interesting to see because a lot of these newsletters are very attached to a personality. So how do they bring other creators into the mix while staying true to their brand voice and their brand vision? 

I do think it's something to be optimistic about because when I started off as a writer my personal milestones were, like okay, I got the Vogue byline, the Interview magazine byline, the Esquire. So now is it gonna be like, oh my god, I got the Emily Sundberg cosign?

We’re going to see more collaborations between journalists and creators. Media outlets can’t just do the same kind of journalism that creators do, because they don’t have the same kind of trust with audiences that creators have. I think that trust allows in part for the creativity that comes with creator journalism. So that means traditional outlets are going to need to partner with creators who can help spread the news. We’ll see more content co-produced by outlets and individual creators, shared across multiple platforms in different formats. Creators and journalists might work on a story together, publishing content the way their audience prefers it, but the story would be co-reported, just ultimately shared differently. 

We’re also going to see a lot more journalists go solo, especially in the context of increased authoritarianism and attacks on the press — truly independent, watchdog journalists might increasingly get frustrated with their outlet’s coverage, leading them to strike out on their own, not just for monetary reasons, but for reasons related to the norms and responsibilities associated with a journalism that’s meant to support democracy. 

That means we’re going to need more professional development, similar to what we did at the Knight Center last fall with UNESCO, where our course about how to be a trusted voice online reached more than 10,000 participants from 170 countries. I also think a lot more universities will start to offer courses aimed not at going viral or just producing news for social media, but rather how to be a solo news entrepreneur, and not just a freelancer. Universities need to prepare students for where the jobs are, and I think a lot more jobs are going to be self-created, especially as the industry continues to shrink.

These are really exciting times to be someone who wants to provide news and information, whether you call yourself a journalist, creator, or something else entirely. We have a chance to reinvent what journalism that truly serves the public interest can look like.

The implications of audiences embracing creator-led journalism will have a profound impact on the landscape of journalism writ large. Research has shown that people have an affinity for creator-driven journalists and media and we are seeing more and more journalists from legacy media organizations like Nick Valencia and Dave Jorgenson going solo. 

The already burgeoning creator economy will flourish in the next year or so as audiences seek out authentic voices and alternative news sources.

Bundling is on the horizon. I have yet to see a viable solution for it on the tech side but it doesn’t necessarily require technology to be deployed. We’ve already seen worker-owned newsrooms team up to help each other launch and promote. We’re starting to see that kind of collaboration from creator model journalists. A good recent example is Mel Buer and Sean Beckner-Carmitchel who have been co-reporting and co-promoting from Southern California during the ICE raids, including boosting each other’s tip jars.

What we’re going to see next is more revenue bundling from solo journalists, with or without tech’s help. This idea could co-exist with the idea of creator collectives, which aren’t necessarily newsrooms, but journalists who are consistently relevant to each other’s audiences and who want to build together, while staying separate entities. Independent journalists are rarely in competition. They know they are better off collaborating, particularly on the marketing and revenue side.

We're going to see more bundling, consolidation, and co-founding in the creator economy. Whatever you want to call people working together instead of going it fully alone. More Defectors, 404 Medias, and Hell Gates. More Extra Points. The more crowded and competitive the creator economy grows, the more I believe the best-built, most sustainable businesses will be small teams splitting duties across the three core creator jobs (create, grow, sell) instead of true-solo creators.