Publishing in Pursuit of Personality: From Mastering Content to Mastering Creators

The shift: people follow personalities – rather than news brands

Media consumption is evolving at lightning speed. For many,  smartphones and social media are now the windows to the world of  news and entertainment. As a result, social platforms and podcasts have become the fastest-growing sources of news, whilst traditional forms – TV, radio, newspapers and their associated digital sites and apps – are seeing declines a structural shift that challenges traditional media models.

In the United States, 35% of adults now use YouTube for news – surpassing CNN and CBS – and fast approaching Fox News’ reach. Whilst this shift is less pronounced in the UK and Europe, we expect this to grow; the future of information consumption is increasingly social, algorithmic and personality-driven.

For publishers, this presents a new challenge.

Publishers are accustomed to countering the risk of audience erosion and adapting to changing monetisation models from the shift from print to digital; the new challenge is around attracting, nurturing and retaining their journalistic talent. Journalists, presenters and thematic experts are building direct relationships with audiences and have highly engaged social followings via platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Substack. Whilst many traditional news brands have amassed larger social followers on social platforms than individual personalities, major personalities drive higher engagement per video than major news brands.

The response: Embracing Personalities within Publishing

Publishers can adapt by leaning into the trend, and inviting – indeed, nurturing – personalities within their businesses.  Personalities benefit from aggregation, incubation and investment, as evidenced by the new generation of digital-native businesses built around talent.

Players such as Puck, Morning Brew, and The Daily Wire demonstrate that creator personalities value being part of a larger whole, if incentives can be structured so they benefit from upsides, and they can benefit from central infrastructure to improve commercialisation.

Established publishers are experimenting.

Future Plc’s “Collab” initiative, launched in September 2025, connects mid-tier creators with a selected set of trusted editorial brands such as Marie Claire and Who What Wear. At this level, both sides benefit: creators the benefit from association with and amplification by strong established brands, and Future benefits from a new set of authentic voices bringing in new audiences.

There are early signs of success: Collab brands have grown their unique visitors more than non-Collab brands, with Marie Claire and Who What Wear both recording over 40% increases in unique visitors within months of launch – in comparison to non-collab brands showing 0 – 12% growth over the same period.