Why Influencers Aren’t Journalists: Entertainment ≠ Ethics

6 October, 2025 Credit: AI-Generated

No formal training in journalism

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Biased content and brand deals

[{"selector":"#anim-fd426c91-c87f-4fff-b20d-603e572144d5 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-53a2a05e-64c7-4851-8a82-8db0ef1cc18e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7508c023-aa29-4ce3-93e0-e6a7a55de776","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -748.24954%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4d8e5af7-57a6-4f08-bbb8-caf54c4803fa","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-57d1616a-8238-41dd-b56a-31d484cd9772","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 273.85616%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-99af4cd3-d1dc-42ac-b2a3-81c251918025","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5ea45d4f-3aad-4d20-8b90-b3daefc0de5a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 418.10043%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8a52bfcd-8bf8-4fa6-a505-2458d2050af6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e2a1a146-4fdd-42db-b28c-4fcb0c1537d5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 457.63847%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Sponsored posts can skew the truth; personal gain often trumps objective reporting. Credit: Pexels

Lack of fact-checking

[{"selector":"#anim-4d592fec-6575-44e5-9d46-11e1e0d4c792 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c91493f6-4643-453a-a7d6-f788b3260997","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3e4a01d0-b188-4fbb-9779-04bff9c8cfe9","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -748.24954%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c4fbfbe0-04ec-4324-9d95-ba19ffc6068e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8b37ba86-808d-4085-82d5-0671b6b758ce","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 328.26786%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3bf4107f-6389-4433-be3e-1880ec0ef65a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b610b5d5-d1e1-411e-8813-6eff60b72af1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 836.20085%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f1466007-eb51-48fd-82ed-402e5f2dfcf0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3b50b8c7-c252-429c-80c0-672c04636686","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 470.13828%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Influencers may share information without verifying, spreading rumors or misinformation. Credit: Pexels

Clickbait over credibility

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No editorial oversight

[{"selector":"#anim-6ef0dfae-cbc7-4712-a830-8107bb5b98e7 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-842288ec-040b-4a18-b7e6-aef1df7834c5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-05965fe5-e25c-4aba-a041-e91163319fb4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -801.67419%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3f99f68a-d5a0-4348-b856-c005d2d4db2f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c7e450e8-9bb7-472d-a335-db0443526179","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 269.44436%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-33450184-acd1-4b71-aab4-7beb75f50764","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-14de05ba-58e0-4660-9c69-2e35afbf40ad","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 720.07185%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-50ed3375-6834-4511-a498-675f19c8d3bc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8f29a1aa-2b3d-4abd-8649-2456f6df46e0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 470.13828%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Unlike newsrooms, influencers rarely have editors or accountability structures. Credit: Pexels

Emotional storytelling vs. investigative reporting

[{"selector":"#anim-70f1d3a3-22a3-4902-908d-d4debecf27bc [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e5f35e24-d915-4d23-8974-738ee587b3ea","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7bc7809e-1fb6-46c9-9da1-f848b4e1faa7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -748.24954%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7bc3d763-e7e8-4407-a0aa-45fd2258b25c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-46e1a4fb-461c-4775-8b9e-8735474a4d04","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 242.97380%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-230f8554-2b56-44fa-939d-b6f0c09bd219","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cadefb55-ccfc-4794-97db-4894f0b3a4eb","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 275.76823%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d2cc528b-2ed9-4893-ba93-e29e19e5ad2a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ed6da7d8-a6fc-4411-bf59-c33ec0bccdf3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 470.13828%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] They focus on personal perspective and entertainment, not uncovering verified truths. Credit: Pexels

Rapid content vs. thorough research

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