News creators face mounting obstacles to sustainable revenue through brand deals and platform algorithms

Digiday reports that independent news creators face significant challenges monetizing their content on social platforms. While nearly 60 percent of Americans regularly get news from social media, creators encounter barriers to revenue through brand partnerships—which brands often avoid due to safety concerns around political or controversial content—and unstable ad income tied to platform algorithms. Platform suppression compounds the problem, making the promised freedom of independent news creation feel constrained by external rules and guidelines.