On a recent Wednesday in Brooklyn’s Dumbo neighborhood, Mosheh Oinounou, a former producer for CBS, Bloomberg News, and Fox News, was scrolling through Instagram. He had started his day reading major newspapers and over a dozen newsletters. Then, he spent most of the day turning many of the articles into posts on his Instagram account, under the handle Mo News. A Wall Street Journal story on aging Americans was shared through a cake picture with the caption “Record Number of Americans Will Turn 65 This Year: Wealthy, Active, And Single.” Occasionally, Mr. Oinounou, a friendly 41-year-old, has also been seen on camera with the co-host of his daily news podcast discussing Republican presidential candidates’ polling and why President Biden was a write-in candidate in New Hampshire.
The content on Mo News has attracted 436,000 Instagram followers, transforming what was initially a pandemic side project into a business with three full-time employees and more visibility. In December, the State Department offered Mo News an interview with Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken. Mr. Oinounou mentioned that the agency acknowledged how people are receiving their news.
“People are very critical and cynical about information they’re getting from traditional outlets,” Mr. Oinounou stated in an interview. “It resonates where this guy on Instagram is breaking down the news.”
Mr. Oinounou is part of a group of personalities who have found ways to package information and deliver it on Instagram, making the social platform increasingly influential in news dissemination. Many millennials and Gen X-ers have become more comfortable reading news on Instagram and sharing posts and videos with friends on Instagram Stories, which disappear after 24 hours.
Traditional news organizations, like The New York Times, have extensive Instagram feeds where they share reporting, but these news accounts have a different appeal and have become more prominent in recent years. They curate content like traditional blogs, engage with their audience like TikTok and YouTube influencers, and promise to be nonpartisan.
Instagram, owned by Meta, has become a significant news outlet in the U.S. presidential election. According to Pew Research, as of last year, 16% of U.S. adults regularly consumed news on Instagram, surpassing TikTok, X, and Reddit. News influencers have become popular on Instagram despite the platform’s efforts to de-prioritize political content.
This shift has led to a decline in engagement for news accounts following Instagram’s announcement, sparking backlash from influencers like Jessica Yellin. Instagram has been criticized for its changes, with some influencers expressing concerns about the impact on public information and democracy.
Despite these challenges, Instagram remains an essential platform for news influencers to reach a wide audience and engage with followers. Many influencers have expanded into newsletters and podcasts, offering subscription-based services and sponsored content. Instagram has become a starting point for these influencers to monetize their content and educate their followers on current events and government issues.
