The future of influencers

In the dotcom era, communication professor Angèle Christin embedded herself in newsrooms, where she witnessed how audience metrics tilted journalism toward viral content over in-depth reporting. Christin now researches the influencer economy and how content creators monetize their production by any of three means – brand sponsorships, engagement-based payments from social media platforms, and direct-to-audience subscriptions, donations, or sales. She says this engagement-based ecosystem steers communication toward what captures attention, not always what best informs. To improve our reeling national dialogue, we must first change the financial model of social media content, Christin tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.

Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your question. You can send questions to [email protected].

Episode Reference Links:

• Stanford Profile: Angèle Christin

Connect With Us:

• Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website
• Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon
• Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Introduction

Russ Altman introduces guest Angèle Christin, a professor of sociology at Stanford University.

(00:02:28) From Journalism to Social Media

How Angèle’s research moved from journalism to influencers.

(00:03:23) Journalism’s Digital Disruption

How platforms and advertising shifts changed the news industry.

(00:06:16) Metrics in Newsrooms

Why journalists began tracking clicks, traffic, and audience behavior.

(00:09:01) Redefining Success

The tension between editorial quality and online popularity.

(00:14:08) Unbundling Media

How digital platforms changed the way audiences consume news.

(00:15:29) The Pull of Virality

Why going viral can be both rewarding and distorting.

(00:16:22) The Creator Economy

How influencers emerged as a new media ecosystem.

(00:19:09) Studying Influencers Online

How Christin researched creators during the pandemic.

(00:23:59) The Passion Principle

Why many creators begin by sharing expertise or personal experience.

(00:25:44) Influencer Revenue Models

The three main ways creators make money online, and the pitfalls of each model 

(00:33:59) Rethinking Monetization

The case for subscriptions, donations, and direct support.

(00:35:09) Future In a Minute

Rapid-fire Q&A: incentives, social media, and research.

(00:36:23) Conclusion

Connect With Us:

Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website

Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon

Connect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.