Mainstream news is losing audiences as consumers question its validity and find alternative sources of facts, which have the same potential to mislead or reinforce misconceptions. Amid this cacophony, reliable information becomes more valuable.
“Consumers are exceptionally desperate for at least a sense of control and a sense of choice,” Whitney Fishman, executive vice president, futures and applied transformation at Dentsu, said in this interview with Lisa Granatstein, editorial director of Beet.TV.
“We’re seeing this proliferate in alternative media, becoming mainstream media and really replacing mainstream media as we know it,” Fishman said.
The availability of choices helps to support consumer confidence as they curate their information sources to align with what they believe to be true.
“When they feel like right or wrong, they align with what they feel is the facts that they’re looking for,” Fishman said.
People who create content outside of the strictures of major media organizations are becoming more empowered. They can produce professional-sounding audio and video that rivals the efforts of billion-dollar media organizations.
“There’s never been a better time to be a content creator. There’s a reason we don’t talk about influencers anymore,” Fishman said. “It’s not about influence. It’s about creating unique content to reach niche audiences.”
Partnering with voices from micro-communities is crucial for brands that seek to build personal connections, “especially when it comes to telling genuine, real stories and connecting on a one-on-one level,” she said.
You’re watching “Rethinking the Open Internet,” a Beet.TV Leadership Series at CES 2025, presented by Teads. For more videos from this series, please visit this page. You can view all of our CES 2025 content here.
