Why publishers are building their own creator networks

"News publishers have been here before, chasing the promise of video, shifting strategies to appease the algorithm gods, hoping to reinvent themselves before the ground beneath them shifts again. But this latest pivot involves news publishers trying to take more control into their own hands. They're curating groups of creators to form networks and membership programs that they can use to collaborate on personality-led video, and written content."

"Faced with collapsing referral traffic, platform algorithm changes, waning relevance among younger audiences and the growing dominance of individual creators, publishers are running out of options. The strategy also mirrors a shift in audience loyalty: people are increasingly following people, not mastheads. "Publishers are leaning into what they do best - curation, credibility, and audience trust - while tapping creators for personality, loyalty and built-in reach," said Alexandra Press, chief marketing officer at talent management group Mana Talent Group."

""Anybody that's in the legacy publishing business, but particularly inside the news businesses, you are now competing with individual creators," Perlman said. Earlier attempts to ride the video wave were driven more by platform-dependent algorithms than long-term strategy. This time, the urgency is real. The strategy has to scale and stick. "Traditional news outlets are facing a threat from independent creators. Adapting isn't just about staying relevant - it's about survival," said Becky Owen, CMO of influencer marketing agency"

News publishers are shifting toward curated creator networks and membership programs to produce personality-led video and written content. Publishers are collaborating with creators to combine editorial curation, credibility and audience trust with creators' personality, loyalty and built-in reach. Entertainment publishers like BuzzFeed pioneered similar approaches; a wider range including CNN, Yahoo, The Washington Post, Future and Bustle Digital Group are formalizing creator relationships at larger scale. Publishers face collapsing referral traffic, platform algorithm changes, waning relevance among younger audiences and the growing dominance of individual creators. Industry leaders describe the trend as 'creatorification' and warn that adaptation is necessary for relevance and survival.

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