What journalists can learn from content creators

We dive into how news content creator journalists are building trust, communicating complexity, and making journalism not just informative, but engaging.

With more people turning to social media and content creators for news, traditional journalism is facing a major shift. In this episode of Backlight, we reflect on how journalists can seize this opportunity and learn from the creators who are redefining how information is shared.

Recorded at the International Journalism Festival in Perugia, host Tessa Pang sits down with three news content creators – Johanna Rüdiger, Johnny Harris, and Adam Cole (Howtown) – to explore how they build trust, communicate complexity, and make journalism not just informative, but engaging.

From fighting the idea that short-form means “dumbing down,” to embracing transparency, audience-first storytelling, and conversational tone, this episode dives deep into how content creators are reshaping news and what traditional journalists can take from their playbook.

Whether you’re in a newsroom or just news-curious, this one’s for anyone thinking about the future of how we tell stories.

You can also listen to the episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa Pang
Sound design, mixing and editing: Spoovio – Audiovisual Productions