Social Media News Influencers Lead The Way As MSNBC Struggles With Declining Viewership

Mike Barnicle, a contributor to MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” recently expressed concern over the growing influence of social media influencers in the news landscape, particularly as MSNBC has seen a steep decline in viewership since the 2024 election. The liberal network has lost nearly 40% of its audience, highlighting the difficulties traditional media outlets face in adapting to the changing ways Americans consume news.

According to Pew Research, 20% of Americans now turn to social media influencers for their news updates. Interestingly, more of these influencers identify as conservative (27%) than liberal (21%), which has made them especially influential in the political sphere. Barnicle lamented that traditional news outlets like MSNBC are struggling to keep up with the speed and convenience of social media platforms, where 20-second video clips are the norm.

Joe Scarborough, the host of “Morning Joe,” acknowledged the challenges facing cable news, noting that today’s viewers often consume news while on the move, with their phones in hand. He pointed out that it’s difficult for cable networks to compete with the convenience of short, digestible content available at any moment on a smartphone.

Eugene Robinson, an MSNBC analyst, suggested that the network should adapt to this new reality by creating shorter videos that can be quickly consumed on platforms like Twitter and TikTok. “We need to meet news consumers where they are,” Robinson said, emphasizing the need for mainstream media to evolve and connect with a younger, more mobile audience.

 

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