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Media brands need to radically transform the amount and structure of journalists’ salaries to successfully address the “threat” of creators. They must also halt waves of redundancies which are leading to the loss of the storytellers – and stories – that are key to making their channels relevant and broad-reaching.
There are three main reasons journalists’ salary structures need to be transformed:
- Putting reporters at the forefront of news brands on social channels like TikTok – which is arguably the new Google in a post-ChatGPT, post-Gemini world – makes them central to attracting audiences and advertisers. This positions journalists as sub-brands of media organisations, where their personal social feeds can be leveraged to drive greater demand.
- If media companies do not improve journalists’ salaries, reporters will own the commercialisation of their work and stand to become more financially successful as independent publishers. Creator journalists are highly desired by brands and can charge – based on 2026 commissions made by CORQ – £3,000 to £6,000 per video. Combining this with freelance writing fees and monetising audiences through subscription platforms offers a lucrative career path in which they call the shots.
- Demand for this style of advertising, which values the perspective of individual journalists in the context of their social channels, is rising. Industry research by analytics platform Aspire found 23% of brand marketing budgets are allocated to creators and 78% of marketing directors are increasing their spend in 2026. It is in the commercial interests of media businesses to offer advertising packages which include access to creator journalists.
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Not everyone can achieve the scenario outlined in point two, but many are aiming for it. Fewer in-house reporting roles and lack of vision from news organisations has led to journalists becoming more entrepreneurial as a survival strategy. Press Gazette, which tracks journalist lay-offs, reported 3,434 were made redundant in the UK and US in 2025. In tandem, platforms like Substack and Patreon have emerged as plausible routes to financing independent publishing.
This uncertainty is also shaping the next generation of reporters. Multiple media course leaders who use CORQ are preparing students for post-graduation success by encouraging plural careers, where they are journalists, UGC creators and brand content producers.
They are giving them the tools to commercialise their work and understand the value of their skills in a wider context, away from ever-contracting newsrooms. With these journalists learning how to pitch brands – not just editors – they are considering how to own their professional destiny, where they cut out legacy media businesses entirely and build their own.
Cross-generational = competitive
This era, in which AI summaries are decimating traffic to news websites, will reveal the true cost of losing talented journalists who have decades’ experience in breaking stories and interviewing high-profile figures. An industry survey by Reuters’ found publishers intend to double-down on original investigations, contextual analysis and human stories in 2026 while scaling back on evergreen content, general news and service journalism.
In short, reporters who have compelling stories to tell are more valuable than ever in the face of AI as they offer audiences a riveting experience in which minute, insider detail is the appeal. This revolution will not be summarised.
@thetimes I’ve lived The Devil Wears Prada in real life. From intern to editor, Kate Reardon’s career in fashion began in New York at American Vogue as a 19-year-old fashion assistant. A single mistake on a major shoot shaped her into a relentlessly organised, disciplined and reliable professional. Now, as an editor, she reflects on how that experience changed everything. #devilwearsprada2 #devilwearsprada #vogue #intern #truestory
♬ original sound – The Times and Sunday Times – The Times and Sunday Times
A cross-generational roster of creator journalists who can riff on trending TikTok subjects, break big stories and reference unique encounters with celebrities, politicians and people of interest is where news brands can have an edge. This multitude of voices and stories will allow them to reach a wide and diverse audience, overcoming the fragmentation caused by social platforms’ algorithms.
A recent example of this is Kate Reardon – editor-in-chief of Times Luxury – sharing her career path “from Andy to Miranda”, connecting perfectly with the excitement for The Devil Wears Prada 2. Then there’s Chante Joseph‘s viral 2025 article for Vogue – Is having a boyfriend embarrassing? – which became a movement thanks to her unique take, explained fully on TikTok.
@chantayyjayy Global syndication!!!!!! #britishvogue
All of this requires a mindset shift from the very top of news organisations, if they want to compete and thrive in a media landscape that is defined by creators. Journalists should be viewed as talent, not commodities. They must be given a slice of the commercial pie to incentivise developing their own channels which will inevitably drive consumers to the news organisations they work for. Without this change, journalists who once would have aimed to work for media brands will become their competition. The reality is, many already are.
By Sara McCorquodale, CEO and founder of CORQ
Reading list
- The Monday Edition: Welcome to the new media order, where authority has to be earned in public not inherited (free to read)
- Substack is Tumblr’s older sister: The resurgence of microblogging and the appetite for 2010s digital behaviour
- British journalist Chris York is amassing millions of views through on the ground “rants” about Russia’s war on Ukraine
- 52% of Brits get news from social media: Gen Z creators reformatting current affairs for youth audiences
- Trend Board: BBC News’ TikTok audience is +1,092% in three years as UK publishers pivot to video
- Trend Board: Half of UK journalists have less than 5K followers on social, but these reporters are gaining traction
- Creators as columnists: The social stars who are sharing their expertise in the mainstream media
- The oracles of chic: Stylists, influencers and editors growing consumer engagement with effortless luxe
