Rise of the newsfluencers

While visiting my village, Khulna's Paikgacha — one of the remotest corners of Bangladesh, where broadband internet arrived only about five years ago and electricity some 12 years ago — a relative told me, "You have to be like Elias Hossain," after learning that I had graduated in Mass Communication and Journalism. He was not the only one. 

Many villagers I spoke to urged me to follow in the footsteps of figures like Pinaki Bhattacharya or Elias Hossain, both of whom appear to enjoy considerable popularity among the locals. When I asked how they knew of these two individuals, their answer was simple: YouTube!

With approximately 4.5 million and 3.5 million subscribers, Elias Hossain and Pinaki Bhattacharya are arguably among the most prominent news influencers in Bangladesh. The term 'newsfluencer'— a fresh twist on the buzzword 'social media influencer' — has been gaining traction in media and business-related academia over the past few years.

There is no universally accepted definition of who qualifies as a newsfluencer. However, the Pew Research Center, one of the world's leading research institutions, conducted a study on this emerging trend last year. In their research, they defined newsfluencers as individuals who regularly share content about current events and civic issues on social media and have at least 100,000 followers on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, or YouTube. 

These newsfluencers may be journalists, whether currently or formerly affiliated with news organisations, or independent content creators — but crucially, they are individuals, not institutions.

The dynamic described by my village relatives reflects a global transformation that has profoundly reshaped how we consume news. To understand why newsfluencers are flourishing, we must first consider how the very foundations of journalism have shifted over the last decade through a process that media scholars refer to as 'platformisation'.

This transformation has upended the traditional media business model. Where legacy outlets once attracted advertising revenue by monopolising audience attention, platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok now use sophisticated algorithms to deliver precisely targeted advertisements. These platforms are not merely competitors for ad revenue — they have rewritten the rules of the game.

The numbers are revealing. According to the Digital News Report 2025 by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, social media has, for the first time, overtaken television as the primary source of news. This marks a continued decline in engagement with traditional media such as television, print and even news websites, while dependence on social media, video platforms and online aggregators continues to grow exponentially.

The fragmentation of the news landscape is stark. News consumption across online platforms is increasingly splintered, with six digital networks now reaching more than 10% of the public weekly, compared to just a decade ago. Video consumption has surged in particular — rising from 52% in 2020 to 65% in 2025 — driven by platform algorithms that favour video and publishers' urgent efforts to remain visible.

In response, traditional outlets have been forced into an uneasy reinvention. Newsrooms now churn out clickbait headlines, photo cards, and short reels — formats that would have been inconceivable just a few years ago — merely to compete in an oversaturated attention economy.

But the more radical shift lies in how audiences now expect to consume news. The days of passive reception — where readers simply absorbed information from seemingly authoritative sources — are over. Today's audiences demand interaction. They want to comment, react, share, and engage directly with the people behind the information. 

Enter the newsfluencers. Their strength lies in offering what traditional media often cannot: a human face, a relatable tone, and the illusion of a personal conversation. The data speaks volumes. More than half of young people now prefer receiving their news from influencers over traditional journalists. Among 18- to 24-year-olds globally, 44% cite social media and video platforms as their primary news sources. The figure is 38% for those aged 25–34.

This generational shift reflects broader changes in how people relate to information. Audiences increasingly distrust mainstream media, perceiving such outlets as gatekeepers of truth who prioritise institutional interests. Whether or not this perception is fair, it has real consequences. Newsfluencers have tapped into this distrust by cultivating loyal followings within specific ideological or political communities.

In Bangladesh, we witnessed this dynamic vividly following the fall of the Awami League regime. Veteran journalists like Noboneeta Chowdhury and Masuda Bhatti, who had long careers in mainstream media, launched YouTube channels after losing their jobs amid political upheaval. These platforms offered them a space to maintain their influence and share unfiltered perspectives.

This trend is not confined to Bangladesh. In the US, 22% of people encountered news from podcaster Joe Rogan in the week following the presidential inauguration. In France, Hugo Travers reaches 22% of under-35s through YouTube and TikTok. Brazilian political commentator Felipe Neto boasts over 45 million YouTube followers. 

Yet this transformation also comes with serious risks. The rise of the so-called 'alternative media ecosystem' has created an environment in which content creators often command more attention than established outlets on platforms like TikTok. Alarmingly, online influencers and digital personalities are now regarded globally as the greatest threat for spreading false or misleading information, tied with politicians at 47%, according to international surveys.

This new digital terrain presents a Faustian bargain for all creators, including professional journalists. YouTube's recommendation engine, for example, rewards content that jumps on trending topics and uses sensational thumbnails. This pressure leads to difficult editorial compromises, often pitting journalistic integrity against algorithmic success.

For Bangladesh's traditional media, the message is clear: adaptation is no longer a matter of choice. The rise of figures like Elias Hossain and Pinaki Bhattacharya illustrates that audiences crave authenticity, relatability, and content formats suited to their habits and devices. 

Mainstream media must stop viewing newsfluencers as threats and instead see them as indicators of a changing media ecosystem. This means investing seriously in video journalism, developing strategies tailored for digital platforms, and finding ways to humanise institutional journalism without compromising ethics and accuracy.

The rise of newsfluencers does not mark the death of journalism — it signals its democratisation. In this reconfigured landscape, success will go to those who can combine the rigour of traditional reporting with the accessibility and engagement audiences now demand. For Bangladesh's media industry, the path forward is clear: evolve or risk fading into irrelevance in an era where audience attention is the ultimate currency.

Usama Rafid is a researcher at the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB), where he analyses the intersection of media business and technology.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.