May 23, 2025
Welcome to The L@B Report
Welcome to this month’s issue of The L@B Report from GSG, bringing you news and insights from the intersection of digital media and public affairs. In this issue, we discuss where Americans are increasingly getting their news (hint: social media), the boom in YouTube video podcast shows, and how M+R’s 2025 Benchmark Report can help inform marketing strategies.
This issue of The L@B Report was put together by Ryan Alexander.
In the News
Research Shows More Americans Regularly Get Their News from Influencers
The trend is particularly strong with Americans under 30
As reported in Teen Vogue, Americans – younger ones in particular – say social media is their preferred source of news and that they are increasingly turning to news influencers to get it.
The article also highlights how users on social media don’t necessarily seek news out:
Sara Sines, a 24-year-old dancer and performer, says she gets most of her news from influencers on social media, though the content often appears in her feed without her seeking it out. If she recognizes the face of someone whose approach she liked in the past, even if she doesn’t know their name, she stops to hear their take when they pop up on her For You page.
Takeaway
If you attended GSG’s Media Consumption Webinar in April or read our report, you probably nodded along while reading this.
As Americans get more and more news from their social feeds, it is critical for anyone working to get a message out or promote a brand to engage with content creators who are trusted and already reaching massive audiences every day. As Forbes notes, “unlike traditional journalists, who often work within the confines of established newsrooms and editorial boards, news influencers operate independently, directly engaging with their audiences and often covering stories mainstream outlets overlook or see as too niche.”
In addition to reaching key audiences, outreach to influencers is necessary to combat the potential for misinformation. As Teen Vogue reports, “77% of these influencers have no journalism background or affiliation with a news organization, which means they may not have strict standards for vetting the information they share.”
Podcasts are Becoming Television
And it’s happening on YouTube
Staying on the topic of changing media consumption, Vanity Fair has a fascinating article on the booming business of YouTube video podcast shows. Take, for example, Ezra Klein, who has quickly gone from “disembodied voice” to “bona fide millennial onscreen hottie.” Former TV news stars – from Megyn Kelly to Tucker Carlson, Jim Acosta, and Chris Cillizza – are there too.
According to the article, YouTube has not only surpassed Spotify and Apple as America’s top podcast platform but is also now the “most-watched service [in the U.S.], outpacing both Netflix and Prime Video.”
Takeaway
GSG’s research validates this: Americans are watching more and more content on YouTube. Our analysis of the landscape aligns with that of Mediaite founder Dan Abrams, quoted in the Vanity Fair article saying, “It is television. Anyone who thinks of YouTube as something for your phone or computer isn’t paying attention.”
Further cementing YouTube’s dominance as America’s go-to podcast platform, it is now releasing a weekly chart showing the top 100 podcasts in the US (Joe Rogan is #1).
Marketers, communicators, and public affairs professionals should pay close attention to YouTube for both earned and paid media strategies as it’s not just where the kids are anymore – it’s where America watches all kinds of content.
M&R Releases 2025 Benchmarks Study
More than 200 nonprofits joined the study, which reports on a host of metrics around digital media and grassroots fundraising
Each year, M&R Strategic Services works with nonprofit partners to release an annual benchmarks study on digital media and grassroots fundraising. Some of the 2025 highlights:
- Total advertising investment increased by 11%. Spending on Connected TV (CTV) increased by 84% in 2024 and made up 15% of fundraising advertising budgets.
- About half of study participants reported working with social media influencers in 2024. Among nonprofits with paid influencer campaigns, 60% used those partnerships for fundraising, 65% for advocacy or volunteer asks, and 77% for narrative or persuasion work.
- 52% of study participants conducted pre-market research in 2024 to inform messaging.
Takeaway
While focused exclusively on nonprofits, this study holds important lessons for a range of professionals.
In this year’s study, we found the investments by nonprofits in CTV and social media influencer advertising campaigns to be particularly noteworthy.
- An 84% increase in spending on CTV is a dramatic year-over-year increase – aligning with GSG’s own media consumption research showing Americans’ increasing move to streaming channels and YouTube.
- We also found the number of nonprofits using paid social influencer campaigns to be striking – especially how 77% of nonprofits that ran an influencer campaign used them for persuasion. This tracks – in our report we found Americans aren’t searching for news anymore – it’s coming to them through content creators.
Lastly, the number of nonprofits doing pre-market message research is also encouraging and is something we recommend and frequently do for GSG’s clients.
More from GSG
We are well into a second Trump administration and one thing is crystal clear – corporate communicators are navigating a chaotic and unpredictable policy landscape. GSG’s Communicating in Chaos 2025 report lays out data on where Americans go for trusted information, who they trust to provide that information, and more. Through a national survey of voters and in-depth conversations with corporate communications leaders, this report arms communicators with insights to help them reset and refocus. Read the full report here.