• by Liv Allen , Yesterday

One in five Americans now get their news primarily from social media, according to Pew Research. It’s not all that surprising, considering our increasing time spent on these platforms and the quick bursts of information they deliver. But what’s particularly striking to me as a 15-year PR agency veteran is how strongly influencers are shaping public perception and becoming de facto news sources over mainstream media. The White House has even expanded briefing-room access to this new breed of media. As these "newsfluencers" continue gaining trust, influencer partnerships represent a foundational shift in how people discover and engage with brands.

The algorithms behind social platforms where news is consumed (like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube) reward personality, transparency, and immediacy. That’s where influencers thrive, and also where brands can earn cultural capital and long-term relevance. A big appeal of influencers is that they make ideas digestible and trends desirable. In a landscape where Gen Z’s trust of influencers is increasing (according to research from Sprout Social) and their trust of media is simultaneously declining (according to research from SmartNews), newsfluencers offer something uniquely powerful: authenticity with impact.

All this raises a key question: Should newsfluencers stay in their lane because they aren’t bound by journalistic ethics, or is there value in everyday voices decoding complex issues and sparking conversation?

This opportunity is particularly relevant for tech brands. The barrier to understanding tech can be high, but newsfluencers can break important news or product moments down and make things relatable -- for both B2B and B2C brands. I’ve seen firsthand how strategic partnerships can elevate brand reputation in ways that traditional PR can’t do alone.

That said, not all influencers are brand-safe, and the same due diligence we apply to traditional media must apply here, too. A misaligned collaboration can do more harm than good, especially given how creator authenticity is under constant scrutiny. While paid influencer collaborations offer brands more control over their message, allowing creators the freedom to shape the content in their own voice consistently yields the most impactful results. That’s why brand alignment, a thorough vetting process, and clear creative brief from the start are critical.

Amid the influencer marketing wave, we shouldn’t forget that earned media remains a powerful pillar of brand-building. Journalists bring rigor, ethics, and credibility that lend lasting depth to a brand’s story. Several influential reporters (like Kara Swisher, Taylor Lorenz, and Alex Konrad) have even become influencers themselves and built their own loyal audiences, offering new ways for brands to engage across platforms.

It’s not about choosing between influencers (or newsfluencers) and traditional media. It’s about building integrated strategies that combine the authority of journalism with the immediacy and authenticity of creators. To truly show up in both coverage and culture, brands must invest in influencer programs with the same discipline they apply to media relations. If we want to help brands show up in both coverage and culture, PR teams have to build new muscle.