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What journalist-creators know about trust that newsrooms don’t

Poynter · Gabrielle Lazor · last updated

From whiteboard explainers to pop culture references, journalists are using personality to connect with skeptical audiences and make news accessible

For 19-year-old Shelby Moore, the news doesn’t usually come from a headline. It’s most often packaged within the 9:16 aspect ratio of a TikTok or Instagram Reel, where journalists like Eva Pound, an associate booking producer for Punchbowl News, break down politics — sometimes with a pop culture twist. In one series, Pound explained the 2026 midterm elections in the style of reality TV, calling it “Keeping Up With the Kampaigns.”

Why the parody?

“Because I can promise you that U.S. politics has more money, higher stakes and more drama than any reality TV show. Period,” Pound said in an Instagram Reel that amassed more than 103,000 likes.

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