Beyond the byline: Working with trusted community creators to fight health misinformation
As more Americans turn to social media creators for news and health information, journalists should view creators as potential partners rather than competitors, speakers from News Creator Corps said during a session at Health Journalism 2026.
The organization’s research found that one in five Americans gets their news from creators on social media. That figure underscores both the growing influence of creators and the urgent need for accurate, trustworthy health information online.
Health information is especially vulnerable to misinformation because it is deeply personal and often fills gaps left by shrinking local news coverage, said Rachel Lobdell, founding executive director of News Creator Corps.
“So you’re seeing health content show up across the creator space, whether they’re a parenting creator, a travel creator, a news creator or a sports creator. Health is in every single bucket that we see, and we also know that creators are one of the primary ways that Americans get news now,” Lobdell said.
To help address that challenge, the nonprofit launched its eight-week Trusted Creator Fellowship, which teaches creators journalism fundamentals including fact-checking, sourcing, interviewing and public records research. Since launching in 2024, the program has trained 40 creators across 16 states whose combined audiences exceed 5 million people.
Maya Srikrishnan, research lead with News Creator Corps, at HJ26. Photo by Zachary Linhares
Adriana Goblirsch at HJ26. Photo by Zachary Linhares
From left to right: Rachel Lobdell, Adriana Goblirsch, and Maya Srikrishnan. Photo by Zachary Linhares
The panel emphasized that creators’ strongest asset is the trust they build with their audiences. Minneapolis-based parenting creator Adriana Goblirsch said that trust comes from being transparent, consistent and committed to sharing evidence-based information.
“Building that trust is really personal. You’re letting people in on what you’re navigating as a parent. Building that trust means I’m going to be honest with the people who are a part of my community online. … I just want to make sure what I’m sharing is science-backed, evidence-based and rooted in research, and that’s what I always lean on,” Goblirsch said.
Speakers also encouraged journalists to think strategically about creator partnerships. Maya Srikrishnan, research lead for News Creator Corps, said successful collaborations require careful planning and mutual respect.
She encouraged newsrooms to thoroughly vet creators, establish clear editorial expectations, fairly compensate creators for their expertise and audience reach, use creator-friendly contracts, preserve creators’ authentic voices and ensure collaborations provide value to both audiences and news organizations.
Rather than viewing creators as a threat to traditional journalism, panelists argued that trusted creators can help newsrooms reach underserved communities, communicate complex health information and counter misinformation by combining journalists’ reporting expertise with creators’ established audience relationships.
