Independent news creators have won over a huge slice of the public, but turning that attention into a steady paycheck is another story. According to Digiday‘s Alyssa Mercante, creators who cover the news say brand deals are hard to land, ad revenue swings with the algorithm, and platforms can bury their posts without warning.
A big audience, a hard sell
Digiday points to a recent Syracuse University study finding that nearly 60 percent of Americans regularly get their news from social media instead of traditional networks, and that more than 79 percent see a “meaningful difference” between independent news creators and traditional journalists. Even so, the money hasn’t followed the audience.
“It’s probably the most difficult category to be in as a creator,” Kurt Stadelman, vp of talent management at Pearpop, told the outlet. He said brand safety is the sticking point when a creator’s topics are “consistently political or just controversial in nature at all.” YouTube’s Brendan Feldman, who handles news, civics and podcast partnerships, described a “sensitivity” around brand deals with news creators.
The creators are picky too. Adam Mockler, who has 2.2 million YouTube subscribers, said he only takes partnerships with brands he’d actually recommend. Mark Istook, a former local morning anchor who went independent, said many brand pitches “just don’t fit and they don’t feel authentic,” adding, “I am really sensitive to how this comes across to my audience.”
TikTok turned rough
Several of the five creators Digiday spoke with said TikTok has been tough since its U.S. ownership deal closed in January, with weaker engagement and inconsistent moderation. “I have mentally abandoned it,” Mockler said, pointing instead to Facebook and Reddit. Istook called the app “all over the map, post-sale.” A TikTok representative told Digiday the platform supports journalists with education and audience tools.
As WeRSM‘s Marcel D. put it in a follow-up analysis, news creators “have won the audience, but not the business model.” The outlet argues that spreading out across YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, Substack, Patreon and Twitch isn’t just a growth plan for these creators, it’s how they survive when any one platform changes the rules.
Subscriptions and shared apps
The creators kept coming back to paid subscriptions. “The subscription model is still the best,” said Grant Hermes, a former anchor who now hosts the Make It Make Sense podcast. Hermes and Istook both believe audiences will pay for trustworthy news, especially around big political moments like the midterms.
With subscription fatigue a real risk, some are betting on group platforms. Digiday reports that Caliber launched SaySo, a short-form video news app built around vetted news creators, earlier this year. Caliber CEO Ramin Beheshti said creators “should make money from the content that you are creating,” without leaning on ads or brand deals that compromise their coverage. Hermes and Istook both post there, and Hermes predicted that within two years many creators at his level will either band together or get picked up by a traditional outlet for social-first work.
The takeaway
News creators are learning what OnlyFans creators figured out years ago: brands get nervous around “controversial” content, and algorithms can cut your reach overnight. The most reliable income comes from fans who pay you directly, and owning that relationship is worth more than any single platform’s reach.
Image: AI-generated illustration.
