When journalism meets creator culture: Rethinking trust, reach, and relevance
Why creators outperform news brands
From competition to collaboration
Creator culture as intelligence
Building strategies that last
The creator shift: What newsrooms must learn or risk losing the next generation
Creators are reshaping how people discover, trust, and engage with information. They build loyal communities through authenticity, platform fluency, and direct connection – skills that legacy news organisations have historically undervalued.
This isn't about whether creators are "real" journalists. It's about what happens when newsrooms take creator culture seriously: as a lens for understanding audiences, as a source of editorial innovation, and as a potential partnership model.
INMA's Young Audiences Summit explores the intersection of journalism and creator culture across three sessions. We’ll start with a core question — do newsrooms need creators? — and then explore practical ways to learn from them and work together.
This programme is for publishers ready to engage with creator journalism honestly: not as a trend to chase, but as a shift to understand.
Speakers
Ellie Beetham
Head of Social Creative
DMG Media
United Kingdom
Sofia Bliss-Carrascosa
Journalism Programme Associate
Knight Foundation
United States
Birgit Coenen
Chief Growth
Spilnews
Netherlands
Nicolás Copano
Creative Director
Turno Media
Chile
Sara Goo
President
The Washington Post
United States
Elise Alexandra Gulbrandsen
Journalist
VG
Norway
Rebecca Hutson
Editor-in-chief
The News Movement
United Kingdom
Christopher Kenis
Publisher & Managing Director
Spilnews
Belgium
Vinzenz Mayer
Axel Springer Academy of Journalism & Technology
Axel Springer
Germany
Liz Kelly Nelson
Founder
Project C
United States
Mikey Olympitis
Multimedia News Producer
DMG Media
United Kingdom
Lisa Reck
Trainee Journalist
Axel Springer Academy of Journalism & Technology
Germany
Johanna Rüdiger
Journalist
Deutsche Welle
Germany
Curated by
Kerstin Hasse
Young Audiences Initiative LeadInternational News Media Association (INMA)
Agenda
Thursday, September 10
Module 1: The creator sphere
Creator journalism is reshaping who tells the news, how stories travel, and why audiences decide to trust one voice over another. On day one, we map the landscape — from the creator economy at large to what it means for publishers trying to reach younger audiences. We will look beyond the hype and ask what news can realistically learn from creators: about trust, formats, audience relationships, and the courage to sound less institutional.
Expect honest conversation, sharp case studies, and a group exercise that puts the question directly to you: what would creator journalism look like inside your organisation?
Click here for more information on this module
Tuesday, September 15
Module 2: Who is doing the job?
Someone is already doing creator journalism — inside legacy newsrooms, at digital-first outlets, and in entirely new formats. On day two, we look at the people and organisations leading the way: what they built, what it cost, what worked, and what surprised them.
This is the day for practical examples. We will look at how editorial teams reach audiences where they already are, how new newsroom cultures are being built around video and social platforms, and what legacy publishers can learn without pretending to become something they are not.
Click here for more information on this module
Thursday, September 17
Module 3: How to build creator talent
Wanting to do creator journalism and actually building the conditions for it are two different things. On day three, we get practical, structures, incentives, editorial courage, and the bigger case for why this matters. We close with a hands-on exercise to take the conversation home.
Click here for more information on this module