European News Creators; A Local Play

Edelman has just completed its assessment of the top news creators in France, Germany, and the UK. We find more crossover with mainstream media compared to the U.S., more reliance on an earned-only business model to preserve journalistic credibility, more focus on politics and more geographic concentration in capital cities. The big news for brands is the reality of a decentralized landscape, where local culture and habits matter. Here are specific findings:

1. Creator Identity — Two-thirds of the top 100 creators are journalists or subject-matter experts who engage in “creator-ship.” France is the outlier, with 55 percent of the news creators as subject matter experts, 30 percent cultural commentators and only 5 percent journalist creators.
2. Connection to Mainstream Media — More than one-third of German news creators have ties to public broadcasters ARD and ZDF, including prominent figures Eva Schulz and Mirko Drotschmann. In the UK, some news creators are taking on reporting roles with established local media outlets, illustrating the growing intersection of traditional journalism and creator-led news. At the same time, independent “super creators” like Dylan Page, known as The News Daddy, are emerging as powerful new voices, attracting more than 5 million daily views on TikTok.
3. Politics Matters but Does Not Dominate the Category — In the UK, 42 percent of top news creators focus on politics, 35 percent on industry topics such as technology, and 23 percent on culture. France presents a different picture, with 60 percent focused on culture. Yet French creators are also playing a growing role in news coverage. Hugo Travers, known as HugoDécrypte, has drawn 4 million daily views with his fact-based reporting on recent protests, balancing student perspectives with official responses and linking to sources. In Germany, Marcant has covered the rise of the AfD party, interviewing both supporters and demonstrators.
4. Platform Ecosystem — News creators in the three European countries are far more reliant on social platforms than their U.S. counterparts, nearly half of whom are audience-focused, with newsletters as the leading primary platform. In the UK, no single platform dominates: TikTok leads at 30 percent, followed by Instagram (25 percent), X (17 percent) and YouTube (15 percent). France is driven by social video, with TikTok at 55 percent and Instagram at 45 percent. In Germany, Instagram dominates at 63 percent, followed by TikTok (19 percent), YouTube (15 percent) and X (5 percent).
5. Audience Size Depends on Topic — UK subject matter experts have three times the median audience (750,000) of political commentators (250,000) and seven times more than journalist creators (90,000). The same is true in France and Germany, with subject matter experts in the dominant position.
6. Owned Audience Matters — In the UK, 25 percent of leading news creators offer a Substack newsletter. In Germany, creators such as Mark Keller and Esra Karakaya are building direct audience relationships and supporting independent journalism through podcasts and membership platforms.
7. Monetization — In the U.S., 75 percent of the top news creators have brand relationships, including traditional sponsored posts, newsletters, consulting, speaking and subscriptions. This is only happening now in Europe
8. Journalists Not Influencers – News creators want PR teams to support their storytelling with credible sources, relevant expertise and early access to information. In the U.S., more than half of leading news creators produce long-form content featuring external guests, while European creators favor short-form social video.

Edelman is committed to the development of the news creator segment. We now know that our Local First strategy is the right one, as cultural differences are significant, we need to understand every market, everywhere - this is something that has always driven our global footprint. The U.S. news creator is increasingly running a media business, with newsletters and podcasts yielding direct audience ownership and diversified monetization, including in regional and smaller local markets. In the UK, the archetype is a journalist or expert adopting creator mechanics while retaining subject matter authority and mainstream media credentials. In France, the creator is cultural mediator, using entertainment or fashion to explain news-adjacent issues. In Germany we see a hybrid model deeply shaped by the interrelationship with public broadcasting. In short, news creators are NOT a distribution channel for media buys, they are a deeply influential news channel for young people and deserve to be treated with respect in the media landscape.