The End of News? Defining Journalism in the Creator Era
Summary
Audiences are increasingly turning to content creators for everything from quick news recaps to in-depth explainers, raising urgent questions about standards and credibility. Is this shift the future of journalism or the erosion of it? Building on original data from the Pew-Knight Initiative and insights from the creator economy, this session will explore how the definition of “journalism” is evolving in real time. We will go beyond debate to identify the tools, norms, and strategic shifts needed to preserve public trust in a creator-driven information ecosystem.
- Format: Panel
- Category: Panel
- Event Type: panel
- Presented By: Pew-Knight Initiative
Contributors
- Dylan Wells
- Katerina Matsa
- Cheyenne Hunt
Raw Event JSON
Large nested arrays are compacted for page readability. Full payload remains in dataset files.
Open JSON payload
{
"id": "PP1162901",
"track": "Creator Economy",
"focus_area": null,
"category": "Panel",
"event_id": "PP1162901",
"event_type": "panel",
"format": "Panel",
"genre": null,
"subgenre": null,
"name": "The End of News? Defining Journalism in the Creator Era",
"presented_by": "Pew-Knight Initiative",
"publish_at": "2026-02-17T11:35:00.000-06:00",
"reservable": true,
"reservable_id": "PP1162901",
"reserved": false,
"date": "2026-03-15",
"end_time": "2026-03-15T17:00:00.000-05:00",
"start_time": "2026-03-15T16:00:00.000-05:00",
"message": null,
"image": null,
"credentials": [
{
"name": "Platinum Badge",
"type": "platinum"
},
{
"name": "Innovation Badge",
"type": "innovation"
}
],
"contributors": [
{
"id": 102554,
"company": "The Washington Post",
"credential_types": [
"innovation"
],
"entity_id": 2270130,
"name": "Dylan Wells",
"speaker_types": [
"Speaker"
],
"title": "WP Creator Host",
"image": {
"alt_text": "Dylan Wells",
"credit": null,
"url": "https://images.sxsw.com/isW9CkALjk3pqiaEIiKg0Z0Q600=/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/ebff6093-6385-45a6-ad4a-91e909f26dcf/pcid-1653547"
},
"speaker_type": "Speaker",
"details": "Dylan Wells is the inaugural Creator Host for WP Creator at The Washington Post, where she leads the intersection of traditional journalism and the creator economy. She is the author of Verified (launching March 2026), a weekly newsletter chronicling how creators are disrupting global industries and reshaping public discourse.",
"links": {},
"type": "person"
},
{
"id": 93485,
"company": "Pew Research Center",
"credential_types": [
"innovation"
],
"entity_id": 2256285,
"name": "Katerina Matsa",
"speaker_types": [
"Speaker"
],
"title": "Director",
"image": {
"alt_text": "Katerina Matsa",
"credit": null,
"url": "https://images.sxsw.com/H9tp_JDTTan4x2__ZdJ5pDLCnhw=/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/e2e35ebe-a52d-9b07-c12f-aaa86fc55d8c/pcid-1642795"
},
"speaker_type": "Speaker",
"details": "Katerina Eva Matsa is Director of News and Information Research at Pew Research Center, based in Washington, DC. She studies how people navigate news, digital platforms, and information overload—and what that means for journalism, technology, and democracy. Her work helps newsrooms, technologists, policymakers, and the public understand how information ecosystems are changing and how news travels in today’s media environment. At SXSW, Katerina brings research‐backed insights into how information really moves in the social media era—and what that means for trust, democracy, and public life.",
"links": {},
"type": "person"
},
{
"id": 93484,
"company": "Gen-Z for Change",
"credential_types": [
"innovation"
],
"entity_id": 2256284,
"name": "Cheyenne Hunt",
"speaker_types": [
"Speaker"
],
"title": "Executive Director",
"image": {
"alt_text": "Cheyenne Hunt",
"credit": null,
"url": "https://images.sxsw.com/-_RTxKyIOxhS16mp1JIUHvu3H70=/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/ffc8b440-4e2f-6ba7-1c9d-8955d6bdaefb/pcid-1642788"
},
"speaker_type": "Speaker",
"details": "Cheyenne Hunt is a nationally recognized policy advocate, lawyer, and Gen Z leader working at the intersection of tech accountability and democratic participation. As the Executive Director of Gen-Z for Change, she has become a prominent voice in holding corporations and policymakers accountable while empowering younger generations to engage in civic life. Hunt’s key experience includes clerking for Senator Amy Klobuchar, advising the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, and running for Congress in California’s 45th District. She uses her legal background and social media influence to make complex digital rights and policy issues understandable and actionable for everyday people.",
"links": {},
"type": "person"
}
],
"venue": {
"accessible": false,
"age_policy": null,
"floor": null,
"id": "V2129",
"indoor_outdoor": null,
"mixhalo_url": "https://translate.mixhalo.rocks/432?venue_id=432&partner=true",
"name": "Waller Ballroom A",
"parent_id": "V2024",
"parent_venue_name": "Austin Marriott Downtown",
"venue_entry_info": null,
"formats": null,
"location": {
"address": "304 E Cesar Chavez St.",
"lat_lon": [
30.2628298,
-97.74157
],
"city": "Austin",
"postal_code": "78701",
"state": "TX",
"name": "Austin Marriott Downtown"
},
"root": {
"id": "V2024",
"name": "Austin Marriott Downtown",
"mixhalo_url": null
},
"events": "[omitted 5 venue events]"
},
"description": "Audiences are increasingly turning to content creators for everything from quick news recaps to in-depth explainers, raising urgent questions about standards and credibility. Is this shift the future of journalism or the erosion of it? Building on original data from the Pew-Knight Initiative and insights from the creator economy, this session will explore how the definition of “journalism” is evolving in real time. We will go beyond debate to identify the tools, norms, and strategic shifts needed to preserve public trust in a creator-driven information ecosystem.",
"experience_level": "Intermediate",
"audio_url": null,
"accessibility": [
"Closed captioned"
],
"accessible_venue": false,
"add_bcl_url": false,
"add_slido": false,
"after_midnight": null,
"age_policy": null,
"american_sign_language": false,
"apple_url": null,
"audio_description": false,
"caption_url": null,
"captioned_qa": false,
"closed_captioned": true,
"cpe_credit": false,
"event_status": "none",
"has_subtitles": false,
"hash_tags": [],
"high_sensory_experience": false,
"live": false,
"long_description": "Audiences are increasingly turning to content creators for everything from quick news recaps to in-depth explainers, raising urgent questions about standards and credibility. Is this shift the future of journalism or the erosion of it? Building on original data from the Pew-Knight Initiative and insights from the creator economy, this session will explore how the definition of “journalism” is evolving in real time. We will go beyond debate to identify the tools, norms, and strategic shifts needed to preserve public trust in a creator-driven information ecosystem.",
"meeting_url": null,
"meeting_url_live": false,
"mentorly_url": null,
"mobile_audio_url": null,
"open_captioned": false,
"playlist_tag": null,
"rebroadcast": false,
"recommended_ids": [],
"search_conversions": null,
"short_program": false,
"slido_url": null,
"sort": "END OF NEWS? DEFINING JOURNALISM IN THE CREATOR ERA",
"source": "Official",
"squad_up_url": null,
"stream_embed": null,
"stream_id": null,
"stream_url": null,
"strobe_warning": false,
"subdiscipline": null,
"summit": null,
"summit_display_name": null,
"tags": [
{
"id": 2315,
"name": "Social Media",
"created_at": "2022-01-28T15:30:51.945-06:00",
"updated_at": "2022-02-14T12:08:15.998-06:00",
"sort": "SOCIAL MEDIA",
"alpha": "S"
},
{
"id": 2546,
"name": "Misinformation / Disinformation",
"created_at": "2025-01-21T22:44:04.576-06:00",
"updated_at": "2025-01-21T22:44:04.576-06:00",
"sort": "MISINFORMATION / DISINFORMATION",
"alpha": "M"
}
],
"talent_attending": null,
"title_only": false,
"track_display_name": "Creator Economy",
"trailer_id": null,
"trailer_url": null,
"video_on_demand": null,
"vimeo_id": null,
"vod": false,
"xr_project_type": null,
"youtube_id": null,
"related_events": [],
"related_sales_client": null
}