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Amy Ross Arguedas, Postdoctoral Researcher Fellow, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, University of Oxford, University of Oxford

News influencers are reshaping the media – insights from Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa

Kenya Nigeria South Africa Facebook Instagram BBC News NHK Ofcom TikTok University of Canberra

News creators and influencers have become increasingly important sources of news as more people turn to social media and video networks like Facebook and YouTube to inform themselves. By news creators, we mean individuals who create and distribute content mainly through social and video networks and have some impact on public debates around news and current affairs.

While traditional news outlets and journalists still tend to dominate attention for news on legacy platforms like Facebook, data from our Digital News Report 2025 show that news organisations face growing competition from creators on other platforms, especially on newer video-heavy networks.

In South Africa, for example, Facebook, YouTube and X users still pay more attention to traditional news media and journalists than news creators and influencers. But traditional media are now overshadowed by creators and personalities on Instagram (59%) and TikTok (52%).

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