US EditionInfluencers have more reach on 5 major platforms than news media, politicians: report
Political influencers generate about half of all posts and 62% of engagement on five major Canadian social platforms, surpassing news media and politicians in reach.
- The Media Ecosystem Observatory found political influencers hold greater reach on X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Bluesky, identifying 1,097 influencers and collecting 4.1 million posts, Nov. 13, 2025.
- An online survey of 1,431 Canadians conducted between Aug. 28 and Sept. 3, 2025, supplements the report, which defines political influencers as individuals with at least 10,000 followers.
- When analysts summed posts across the five platforms they found influencer activity accounted for about half of the total, and an earlier Media Ecosystem Observatory report found influencers received 62 per cent of engagement .
- Survey results show 32 per cent of Canadians reported engaging with influencers on political topics, and Zeynep Pehlivan said `We can say that Canadians online are more likely to see a political opinion from a political influencer than from a politician, for example.`
- The study also notes influence is shifting from political parties and news outlets to individuals on social media, with variation in the 2024 B.C. election and Ontario's 2025 campaign and inclusion of longtime columnists like Andrew Coyne and Chantal Hébert.
18 Articles
18 Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
Influencers have more reach on 5 major platforms than news media, politicians: report
Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada
OTTAWA—More than two thirds of young Canadians interact with political content from influencers, and one study indicates that influencers have a far greater reach than media and politicians on five major social media platforms. A significant part of the political content Canadians consult on key platforms "comes directly from influencers," says the Media Ecosystem Observatory report, a joint initiative of McGill University and the University of …
The study focuses on publications on X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Bluesky. The post The influencers are more important than the media and politicians on five platforms appeared first on Les Affaires.
More than two-thirds of young Canadians interact with political content from influencers, and one study indicates that influencers have a far greater reach than media and politicians on five major social media platforms.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 70% of the sources lean Left
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