Social Media Journalists
I follow a person on LinkedIn who actively posts on a range of topics. Within a months span I’ve seen them comment on Narayan Murthy’s 70 hour work week remark, India winning the World Cup, changes in taxation rules, the Olympics and the latest AI trends. Out of curiosity I tracked the growth in followers and was surprised to see that the count doubled in the time period.
This kind of creators are not unique, I call them social media journalists. Instead of providing a unique insight or a personal story, they focus on rephrasing the information that’s already trending. Their goal? To maximize reach by amplifying topics of national or international significance—topics guaranteed to grab attention. In the process individuality and authenticity is lost. These influencers have become content “amplifiers” rather than content “creators”.
There’s a reason why traditional media won’t tell you about niche topics you find online, because the audience of that is too small for their distribution.
For example, I follow an AI Influencer, who regularly posts news about AI developments in a group, posing the same tired question: "What do you think about this?" It’s clear they’re more interested in engagement metrics than offering meaningful analysis.
Then there are the podcasters who have become more like journalists themselves. They cover everything from science to politics, from startups to the supernatural. Some hosts, barely into adulthood, offer up advice about corporate life. Their endgame is clear: build enough of a following to invite experts and celebrities onto their show, banking on the guests’ names to drive views. At this point, the audience isn’t even watching in for the host anymore—they’re there for the big-name guest. The content doesn’t need to be compelling, the questions don’t need to be sharp; the success is guarenteed by the guest’s popularity.
So what’s the value in all this? These posts rarely spark new thinking or offer fresh insights. Instead, they rely on the emotional momentum of the masses, riding the wave of whatever’s popular in the moment. It’s bizarre to see someone farm engagement on topics they likely have no deep understanding of.
It feels good to be the one summarizing, collating, and delivering information to others. It creates an illusion of being a source of knowledge, of educating. But it’s easy to summarize. It’s easy to gather opinions and ask people what they think. It’s far harder to create something new, to contribute original thought or real experience.
And while creators might feel that they’re fulfilling some duty by “educating” their followers on what’s trending, the result is a feed inundated with recycled ideas. It’s noise, not substance.