Gatecrashing journalism
How influencers are redefining news in Zambia
Keywords:
social media influencers, gatekeeping, public discourse, democratic values, societal normsAbstract
This study examines the impact of social media influencers on journalism, political, and cultural discourses in Zambia. It employs mixed methods including, quantitative and computational web scraping techniques to collect, extract, and analyze data from social media posts. Data from 22 influencers (N=5,000 posts, 2021-2023) shows how influencers challenge cultural norms and reshape media dynamics (RQ2). Findings reveal that influencers leverage audience engagement and captivating content to push against conservatism. They further disrupt traditional media by fostering trust through personalized interactions and emerging as citizen journalists. However, ethical concerns regarding transparency and objectivity necessitate establishing standards for influencer reporting.
References
References
Ajakaiye, O. O., Rachael, O. J., Owoeye, G., Ayantunji, K. A. A., Apalowo, J. T., & Akerele-Popoola, O. E. (2023). Media and Public Opinion in West Africa: An Interplay of Agenda Setting, Agenda Building and Framing Theories. In Media and Communication Theory in Africa (pp. 151-179). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Asante, J. (2020). African Politics in the Digital Age: A Study of Political Party-Social Media Campaign Strategies in Ghana (Doctoral dissertation, University of Westminster).
Beuckels, E., & De Wolf, R. (2024). Social media influencers as new agents on parenthood? A systematic literature review of parent influencer research and a future research agenda. Information, Communication & Society, 1-19.
Bob-Milliar, G. M., & Paller, J. W. (2023). The social embeddedness of elections: Ghana’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns. Commonwealth & Comparative Politics, 61(3), 293-314.
Cheng, Z., Chen, J., Peng, R. X., & Shoenberger, H. (2024). Social media influencers talk about politics: Investigating the role of source factors and PSR in Gen-Z followers’ perceived information quality, receptivity and sharing intention. Journal of Information Technology & Politics, 21(2), 117-131.
Chulu, J. (2012), Vote Buying of Electorates:A Case Study of Zambian Parliamentary By-Elections (Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2632156 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2632156
Gamson, J. (2023). Claims to fame: Celebrity in contemporary America. Univ of California Press.
Gao, Q., & Feng, C. (2016). Branding with social media: User gratifications, usage patterns, and brand message content strategies. Computers in Human Behavior, 63, 868-890.
Gelvin, J. L. (2015). The Arab uprisings: What everyone needs to know. Oxford University Press, USA.
Gómez, A. R. (2019). Digital Fame and Fortune in the age of social media: A Classification of social media influencers. Research: Revista Internacional de Investigación en Comunicación, (19), 8-29
Goodwin, A. M., Joseff, K., & Woolley, S. C. (2020). Social media influencers and the 2020 US election: Paying ‘regular people’for digital campaign communication. Center for Media Engagement.
Harff, D., & Schmuck, D. (2023). Influencers as empowering agents? Following political influencers, internal political efficacy and participation among youth. Political Communication, 40(2), 147-172.
Harff, D., & Schmuck, D. (2024). Who Relies on Social Media Influencers for Political Information? A Cross-Country Study Among Youth. The International Journal of Press/Politics, 19401612241234898.
Hudders, L., De Jans, S., & De Veirman, M. (2021). The commercialization of social media stars: a literature review and conceptual framework on the strategic use of social media influencers. International Journal of Advertising, 40(3), 327-375.
Iqani, M. (2019). Picturing luxury, producing value: The cultural labour of social media brand influencers in South Africa. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 22(2), 229-247.
Kalu, K. A. (2017). Agenda setting and public policy in Africa. Routledge.
Kim, H. (2022). Keeping up with influencers: exploring the impact of social presence and parasocial interactions on Instagram. International Journal of Advertising, 41(3), 414-434.
Lascity, M. E. (2023). Considering Fashion Journalism: News Values, Frames and Hybrid Genre in the Release of “Satan Shoes”. Journalism Studies, 1-18.
Lin, C. A., Crowe, J., Pierre, L., & Lee, Y. (2021). Effects of parasocial interaction with an instafamous influencer on brand attitudes and purchase intentions. The Journal of Social Media in Society, 10(1), 55-78.
Lou, C. (2022). Social media influencers and followers: Theorization of a trans-parasocial relation and explication of its implications for influencer advertising. Journal of Advertising, 51(1), 4-21.
Mackay, J. B. (2021). Ethical responsibilities for social media influencers. Research Perspectives on Social Media Influencers and Their Followers, 151.
Magno, F., & Cassia, F. (2018). The impact of social media influencers in tourism. Anatolia, 29(2), 288-290.
Molyneux, L., & Coddington, M. (2020). Aggregation, clickbait and their effect on perceptions of journalistic credibility and quality. Journalism Practice, 14(4), 429-446.
Mohammed, A., Mojaye, E. M., & Adelakun, L. (2022). Exploring the Prevalence of Agenda-Setting Theory in Africa-Focused Research, 2000–2020. Communicatio, 48(4), 67-92.
Ndlela, M. N., & Mulwo, A. (2017). Social media, youth and everyday life in Kenya. Journal of African Media Studies, 9(2), 277-290.
Olaojo, O. (2020). Impact of Nigeria social media influencers on their followers in online community. Nnamdi Azikiwe University Journal of Communication and Media Studies, 1(2).
Okposo, O. (2022). The effectiveness of Nigerian social media influencers in promoting brands and products (Doctoral dissertation, Dublin Business School).
Ong’ong’a, D. O. (2023). Unveiling African narratives on Facebook: Media posts and audience engagement. Journal of African Media Studies, 15(2), 199-216
Penney, J. (2023). Entertainment journalism as a resource for public connection: a qualitative study of digital news audiences. Media, Culture & Society, 01634437231168310.
Plaisance, P. L., & Skewes, E. A. (2003). Personal and professional dimensions of news work: Exploring the link between journalists' values and roles. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 80(4), 833-848.
Scheffauer, R., Goyanes, M., & Gil de Zúñiga, H. (2023). Social media algorithmic versus professional journalists’ news selection: Effects of gate keeping on traditional and social media news trust. Journalism, 14648849231179804.
Schmuck, D., Hirsch, M., Stevic, A., & Matthes, J. (2022). Politics–simply explained? How influencers affect youth’s perceived simplification of politics, political cynicism, and political interest. The International Journal of Press/Politics, 27(3), 738-762.
Shoemaker, P. J. (2020). Gatekeeping and journalism. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication.
Starbird, K., DiResta, R., & DeButts, M. (2023). Influence and improvisation: Participatory disinformation during the 2020 US election. Social Media+ Society, 9(2), 20563051231177943.
Wanda, J. F., Chipanjilo, B. S., Gondwe, G., & Kerunga, J. (2021). Clickbait-style headlines and journalism credibility in Sub-Saharan Africa: exploring audience perceptions. Journal of Media and Communication Studies, 13(2), 50-56.
Ward, S. J. (2020). Objectively engaged journalism: an ethic (Vol. 78). McGill-Queen's Press-MQUP
Wellman, M. L., Stoldt, R., Tully, M., & Ekdale, B. (2020). Ethics of authenticity: Social media influencers and the production of sponsored content. Journal of Media Ethics, 35(2), 68-82
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
