illustration: DALL-EAs highlighted by the authors of the "Behind The Screens" report, published at the end of 2024 by UNESCO, digital creators operate for various reasons. Most frequently, they emphasize sharing knowledge (26%), earning income (23.8%), and providing entertainment (23.4%). Less common motivations include expressing opinions (13.8%) or promoting specific causes (5.8%).
For instance, Amanda da Cruz Costa from Brazil emphasizes her engagement in climate activism, while Faith Sycaoyao from the USA sees her mission as inspiring others through art. Creators, despite working in different fields, combine personal passions with a mission to influence the world.
Main Motivations:
- Sharing knowledge: 26%
- Earning income: 23.8%
- Entertainment: 23.4%
- Expressing opinions: 13.8%
- Promoting causes: 5.8%
Content Credibility Issues
A significant portion of creators (62%) admit that they do not thoroughly verify information before publishing. Popularity – measured by likes and views – is their main indicator of credibility (41.7%). Further down the list are recommendations from friends (20.6%) and evidence in the content (17%).
| Indicator | Percentage of Creators |
|---|---|
| Popularity (likes, views) | 41.7% |
| Recommendations from friends | 20.6% |
| Author’s reputation | 19.4% |
| Evidence and documentation | 17% |
The lack of systematic data verification poses risks to content audiences. UNESCO recommends intensifying training for creators to promote better media practices.
Law, Ethics, and Hate Speech
The study reveals that 59% of creators are unaware of regulations regarding freedom of speech or copyright laws. Only 32.4% of respondents claimed a good understanding of these regulations.
Insufficient legal knowledge is also linked to ethical issues. Only 50% of creators always disclose their content sponsors, undermining the transparency of their actions. This points to the need for implementing ethical standards in the influencer industry.
One of the biggest challenges for creators is hate speech. As many as 32.3% of respondents have experienced it firsthand, with 31.5% ignoring such incidents and only 20.4% reporting them to platforms.
Creators and Social Media Platforms
The relationship between creators and platforms is crucial for their success. The report indicates that 67.8% of respondents find platform guidelines clear, although most believe that technical support could be improved.
| Aspect | Percentage of Respondents |
|---|---|
| Clarity of guidelines | 67.8% |
| Content moderation | 64.6% |
| Technical support | 65.9% |
| Safety management | 69.3% |
Introducing better algorithms and a more human approach to moderation could improve the quality of collaboration between creators and platforms.
Training and Support
The report highlights a significant demand for training. Only 13.9% of respondents have participated in any ethics or legal courses, although 73.7% expressed interest in free UNESCO programs.
What Can Help Creators?
- Access to training in ethics and law.
- Tools to combat hate speech.
- Better collaboration with social media platforms.
Implementing such initiatives would allow creators to operate more responsibly and professionally. The UNESCO report shows that digital creators play a key role in shaping public opinion and promoting credible content. However, for their influence to be positive, they need support through training, regulations, and better relations with platforms.
The research was conducted on a group of 500 creators from 45 countries and included 20 in-depth interviews. The full UNESCO "Behind The Screens" report is available for free at https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/11/1157546.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
New articles in section Media industry
Information laundering. Russian propaganda returns as news from China
KFi
Russian intelligence agencies use complex tactics to mask the primary source of their harmful narratives. Patrycja Krzyśpiak from NASK details this dangerous process of information laundering in a recent report.
Health disinformation on the internet. Diagnosis from an algorithm
Katarzyna Czechowicz
Health disinformation can cause a cancer patient to see a doctor when it is too late for effective treatment. It can also undermine trust in doctors and public institutions. As a result, people may refuse to cooperate even during a real external threat, experts warn.
Feminatives are not a given. How Polish women talk about their professions
SWPS
Polish women still rarely use female job titles. This comes from the latest report by the Center for Research on Social Relations at SWPS University. Women's professional activity proved to be a significant factor in using feminatives.
See articles on a similar topic:
Media Subscriptions to Replace Advertising. TMT Predictions 2018
BARD
Some publishers already consider attempts to generate revenue from online advertising a waste of time. According to the "TMT Predictions 2018" report by Deloitte, by the end of 2018, half of all adults in developed countries will have at least two online media subscriptions.
How artificial intelligence misrepresents the news. PBC analysis
Sylwia Markowska
In news summaries generated by the most popular models in Polish, as many as 46% of responses contained at least one significant error, 27% had serious issues with sources (missing, misleading, or incorrect), and 19% contained hallucinations and outdated information.
Most medical influencer posts on TikTok are FALSE
KFi
Researchers from East Carolina University Health Medical Center analysed 120 TikTok videos tagged with hashtags such as #naturalparenting, #antivaccine, and #holistichealth. The results of their study leave no doubt.
Review of media from around the world. See what they are buzzing about [LINK]
AUTOPROMOCJA Reporterzy.info
What is the media buzzing about? A review of the headlines of the most important newspapers and websites. Events of the day, country, world, media market, economy, sport, foreign media, and even gossip and curiosities. In real time and 24 hours a day. We invite you!




























