For 'new media' to flourish, we need to separate influencers from outlets
By Hannah Ferguson
This commentary was originally written for the University of Canberra’s Digital News Report: Australia 2026 in response to their research results for Chapter 4: News Creators and Influencers.
You can read the full report here.
‘Well, you don’t interview like Sarah Ferguson on 7.30 — do you?”
When I think of the perception gap between legacy and new media, this is the remark that comes to mind. It’s a common quip from media figures attempting to distinguish between a journalist and a content creator. The question offers no interrogation of the broader shift in how news is delivered, who is trusted to speak on it and how people receive information. The insinuation is that legacy media is serious, and new media is superficial. What a sad generalisation used to undermine a topic that should excite us all. In this attention economy, how can new media and creators offer different conversations, new avenues of political engagement and invite us to diversify our media diet?
Of course, we must have standards for those we consume news from, but let’s remember — new media players emerged because we felt many mainstream outlets had abandoned them. As illustrated in this chapter, this new wave resonates with Australians — we are a nation 5% higher than the global average when it comes to engaging with creators and influencers.
Like legacy media, new media exists on a spectrum of quality and has varied offerings. There are investigative journalists breaking stories on Instagram, and commentators reaching more people with a single video than talkback radio hosts did at the height of their careers. To judge the breadth of new media based on the loudest influencer of the day is like assuming every journalist in mainstream media has the same editorial standards as a tabloid publication. It is a bad faith view of how diverse our offering is becoming — we need to kill the mentality that every celebrity that speaks about politics is ‘new media’ and approach this thriving ecosystem with curiosity about what it could be — if we commit to regulating the entire landscape well. The Digital News Report: Australia 2026 illustrates some of these core issues and concerns loudly and clearly. Forty percent of Australian news consumers are accessing news from creators and influencers — we need to get this right.
In the year since the 2025 Federal Election, the new media landscape in Australia has flourished. Exceptional journalists are exiting established outlets that are steered by the interests of lobbyists and advertisers. Ette Media, Deepcut News, and Lamestream Media are just three examples of small teams publishing a significant volume of high-quality work for consumers yearning for something they aren’t getting from newsrooms they once trusted. When we are talking about the ‘new media landscape’, these teams should be central to the discussion. Instead, the noise and numbers garnered by a small group are prioritised as the face of the movement. I acknowledge that I sit somewhere in the middle of this complicated puzzle.
While Cheek Media was created as an outlet for progressive commentary, it became a space for my opinions that was considered synonymous with my identity. Over the last year I’ve worked hard to change this, hiring new full-time roles and commissioning more than one hundred external conitrbutor pieces from expert voices with a diversity of experience. As I approach the uncharted territory of running an independent political campaign, the unprecedented space I’m operating in becomes even more challenging to navigate.
New media suspends the rules, but transparency remains key to growing a trusted audience long term.
Currently, we lack a clear definition of what makes up new and independent media. One of the most intriguing points of this report demonstrates the need for this scope. Participants were asked to provide up to three names of people they follow, distinguishing between (1) those who primarily focus on news and (2) those who talk about other topics with the occasional mention of news. Of the top ten, three people were repeated in both categories — with Jordan Shanks-Markovina (friendlyjordies) topping both lists.
I understand why people identify individual political creators as part of new media, but how do we develop our comprehension of what this offering is? Well, it may rely on new outlets growing to the scale some of these individual commentators have reached. While the data tells us that young people find news creators more entertaining, relatable and authentic, can emerging media news ‘brands’ garner the same level of trust and reach? Or must we rely on a personality-led, individual connection with our audience to build a dedicated and sustainable subscriber base?
New media is fresh territory we’re still building the foundations of. As one of the earliest creators in the sphere, I recognise the responsibility we have to ensure we do not mirror the mistakes of the past. We’re getting there. But the notion that people are stuck in their ideological bubbles is also refuted within this report. The data indicates that news consumers are drawn to creators and influencers if they prefer news that either shares their point of view or challenges them.
It isn’t necessarily about partisan support, but instead that new media consumers want an authentic feel from someone who honestly breaks down the story, takes a position and stands for something, rather than an anchor reading a teleprompter during the 6pm bulletin.
People are desperate for both connection and disruption. Instead of attacking creators who are thriving in this innovative space, we need existing journalists to meet audiences where they are and see social platforms as an opportunity for their work to be amplified to new readers and viewers.
New media isn’t going anywhere. Creators are a core part of this ecosystem. Instead of blaming the people making their own space, harness your own. As we find our footing in this new landscape, there are a lot of us ready to collaborate to increase media literacy and political engagement in our new public square.
We may not all interview exactly like Sarah Ferguson on 7.30, but I’d happily help her reach the next generation with a few engaging reels.
We can help each other.
About the Author:
Hannah Ferguson is the founder and CEO of Cheek Media, and the co-host of news and pop culture podcast, Big Small Talk. She is also a Forbes 30 under 30 honouree and the bestselling author of two books. Hannah intends to run as an independent candidate at the next federal election.
What I find really interesting about the commentary around news influencers is the shared perception of mimicry and mockery of women? Any Influencer commentary by a woman on any matter receives more backlash compared to that of a white male... or is it my algorithm?