The former head of BBC News, Deborah Turness, has issued a stark warning that broadcasters must urgently adapt to an existential threat from 'creator journalism,' which is causing audiences to abandon traditional television news. Speaking at the Sir David Nicholas memorial lecture in London, Turness said consumption of traditional TV news was 'collapsing' as viewers increasingly turn to personality-led content on digital platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Substack.
Decline in TV News Audiences
Turness pointed to a major decline in TV news audiences, noting that nearly 4 million fewer people have been sourcing their news from television over the past five years, including streaming services. 'At the same time, we've seen a trebling of the number getting their news from YouTube – a 10-fold increase from TikTok,' she said. This shift, she argued, may have an impact 'greater than the advent of the digital age, or the arrival of social media.'
The Rise of One-to-One Journalism
Since resigning from the BBC last year alongside then director general Tim Davie, Turness has been examining the new form of 'one-to-one' journalism delivered through digital platforms. She described it as a departure from 'the polished, controlled formality that is in the DNA of the established media.' Trust in individual figures is driving this change, she said, pointing to creators like Joe Rogan (20.9 million YouTube subscribers), Tucker Carlson (5.6 million), Megyn Kelly (4.2 million), and Mehdi Hasan (1.95 million).
Existential Nature of the Revolution
'I believe that the established media hasn't confronted the hard truth, that this revolution isn't just about consumers moving to different platforms. It's that they are choosing more direct forms of journalism,' Turness stated. 'This creator journalism is not a side-show. It is fast becoming the show. If we have been wondering for years what would eventually replace the broadcast news mass media model, we are seeing the answer now.' She urged the industry to respond with speed and urgency, or risk being 'like the proverbial frog in boiling water, who knew it was getting warm, but failed to jump.'
Industry Response
While the trend is most advanced in the US, major broadcasters worldwide are grappling with the same issue. In the UK, Sky News has launched a strategy promoting its most prominent journalists through podcasts and exclusive content. Turness endorsed this approach but acknowledged a tension between the opinionated nature of many creators and traditional broadcast impartiality. 'What we are witnessing is the wholesale shift from one established information ecosystem to another,' she said. 'News providers are going to have to be more prepared to liberate their talent.'
Call for Change
Turness concluded: 'The brutal truth is that, even with all this innovation, most large news organisations remain structured around broadcast – with key decisions being made with a broadcast-first approach. Yet I would argue that, if the established media are to thrive – or even survive – they need to start from where the consumer is.'
