Are Influencers Replacing the Jobs of Journalists?
By Samantha Sandoval
In recent years, journalism has undergone a shift in field professionalism. Where audiences used to be captivated by professional journalists, there is now a draw towards the non-professionals mass-producing poor journalism -- influencers.
Barbara Walters was a well respected journalist from the 1960s to 2014. She was known for her reputable interviews with various celebrities and world leaders, along with her time in hosting news programs and talk shows.
One of her most memorable interviews was with the Menendez brothers in 1996, where she asked straightforward questions about the murder of their parents. In 1977, she interviewed Cuban leader Fidel Castro, becoming the first American to cross the Bay of Pigs.
Recent evidence has continued to show that public trust in traditional media has been on a steady decline across the political spectrum. One heavy contributor to this distrust has been the resurgence of the term “fake news,” promoted heavily by President Donald Trump. The White House webpage has gone as far as to add pages titled “100 Days of Hoaxes: Cutting Through the Fake News” and the “Media Offender of the Week."
The Oscars after-party, hosted by Vanity Fair on Mar. 15, featured interviews by well-known influencers, such as Jake Shane, Quen Blackwell and Brittany Broski. These influencers started out as famous entertainers on TikTok, Youtube and even Vine.
However, viewers commented on how awkward and unprofessional they were in their questions, often void of any research. The primary role of a journalist is to come to interviews well-prepared, ready to ask a variety of questions to whomever they may engage with. This ensures the interviewers can come up with not only engaging questions, but questions that provide unique and previously unknown insight.
Most, if not all influencers attending red carpets as reporters are not trained as actual journalists. In particular, they typically fall short when it comes to ethics.
The field of journalism focuses on the code of ethics as a main structural pillar, ensuring that journalists seek accuracy, show respect to their interviewees and maintain transparency. They also decide what should or should not be published and shared with the public.
If a journalist were to not follow the code of ethics, harm and consequences would inevitably be done to themselves and their career, as well as the interviewee.
Most of these influencers lack journalistic education, and have admitted as much. Influencer Jake Shane, himself commented in a recent interview with The Rolling Stone Studio, "I think it's insulting to journalists to say what I do is journalism."
On their own, these influencers are entertaining and have their own place in the digital sphere. However, what consequences are aspiring journalists likely to face in a world focused on employing influencers?
True journalists should have the space to do what they have worked so hard for, without their opportunities being stripped away by those who already have their own separate careers in entertainment.
Whatever the future holds, true journalism will continue to seek the truth, no matter the obstacles.