A new survey by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) reveals a mixed approach among its members toward so-called ‘news creators’, with journalists’ organisations split on whether to recognise these emerging actors as part of the information landscape. The findings show that concerns over journalistic ethics and conflicts with organisational statutes remain the main barriers to their inclusion.
In its latest Digital News Report, the Reuters Institute highlights how news creators (see definition below) are successfully reaching large audiences, often at the expense of traditional media, including within the news sector. As the boundaries of the information landscape shift rapidly, and labeling proposals are currently under discussion in several countries, the EFJ sought to understand where journalists’ organisations – both journalists’ unions and professional associations – currently stand on this development. What motivates them to exclude or accept news creators within their membership? And what challenges and opportunities do they pose for organisations representing journalists and media workers across Europe?
Professional criteria key to welcoming news creators within unions
The survey was answered by 26 EFJ affiliates from 22 European countries in November 2025. Results show that the journalists’ organisations are almost equally divided into three groups:
- One-third (9 members) have not adopted a clear policy yet and say the issue is under discussion;
- One-third (8 members) already accept news creators under certain conditions: if they meet the basic professional criteria of a journalist, i.e. engage in journalistic work, create socially significant content, make a living out of their journalistic activities, do not carry out any commercial activity, and/or adhere to ethical principles;
- One-third (8 members) do not consider news creators to be journalists or media workers and therefore do not accept them as members.
- One respondent from Iceland stated that there are currently no active content creators in the country.
In addition, 8 members reported that news creators had already reached out to their organisations to request typical union services, such as legal assistance, defence of their status, safety equipment, and press cards.
While the type of organisation (union or association) does not appear to influence responses, the main reason for not accepting news creators as members are primarily statutory. In some countries, such as Belgium or Finland, either statutes of journalists’ organisations or national legislation require members to meet specific criteria, including holding a national press card, demonstrating that the majority of their income comes from journalism, banning any form of commercial activity, or adhering to ethical standards. Most news creators currently do not meet these requirements.
Tensions or opportunities for journalism?
Responses highlight the challenge for organisations of taking a clear stance on a highly heterogeneous group, characterised by diverse profiles and uneven content quality. Internal discussions focus around the definition and criteria for membership: if journalists’ organisations were to open their doors, what standards – such as content quality, societal impact or adherence to ethical principles – should determine their eligibility? Should journalists’ organisations provide the space for exchange between news creators and traditional journalists on audience engagement or ethics for instance? Or do we consider that non-professional news content creation should remain outside the journalistic profession because of the ethical shortcomings in some of the news content produced?
Some organisations have chosen to embrace news creators as a new category of members driven by the need to reflect the ongoing changes within the profession. In Serbia for example, students have independently produced and published news across various online platforms since the anti-corruption protests over the tragic collapse of the Novi Sad canopy on 1 November 2024. While these outlets are not always traditional or formally registered media, the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS) decided to prioritise whether they serve the public interest over their registration status.
A similar approach was taken by the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) and the Dutch journalists’ union (NVJ) which accept influencers and bloggers provided that they are responsible independent media content producers and follow ethical standards.
In Denmark, the Danish journalists’ union (DJ) has gone even further by organising a group of influencers and bloggers, who have their own board of directors and operate within the union. For several years, they have been developing an ethical code for influencers, which not only complies with Danish legislation but also sets out additional ethical standards that members are expected to follow. The code includes a graphic mark that members can use and is overseen by an independent council that handles complaints regarding breaches of the code.
The Reuters Institute defines ‘news creators’ as “Individuals (or sometimes small groups of individuals) who create and distribute content primarily through social and video networks and have some impact on public debates around news and current affairs”.
Countries covered by the survey are Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Kosovo, Luxembourg, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and Ukraine.
Source: EFJ
