The Reflection of Popular Culture on Journalism: Influencer Journalism and YouTube

Abstract

Popular culture and social media are constantly evolving. Recently, influencers, a subject of particular scrutiny in the marketing field, have begun to appear in journalism, giving rise to the brand-new concept of influencer journalists. This study covers journalists who engage in YouTube journalism, feature news and commentary in their content, and can be considered influencer journalists. The aim of the study is to examine how influencer journalism has transformed journalism practices in Turkey through the broadcast streams of four journalists who work on YouTube and can be described as influencer journalists. The study, based on the August results of the YouTube Rating Report prepared by Marketing Türkiye and the Media Monitoring Center, selected the four most-watched journalists as a sample. Content analysis was used to analyze the broadcasts of Özlem Gürses, Nevşin Mengü, Cüneyt Özdemir, and Abdurrahaman Uzun between September 1 and 15, 2025. The analysis found that Gürses produced the longest and most frequent broadcasts, and Mengü shared the most news. All journalists except Uzun provided photo/video support and featured guests and reporters. Broadcasts were found to occur almost daily, and journalists often corroborated information with other sources. In this sense, it can be said that journalists are both practicing their journalistic practices and keeping pace with the digital world.