From beauty tips to financial advice and political commentary, influencers increasingly shape how we communicate, connect, and consume information. A new issue of Nordic Journal of Media Studies examines the role of influencers as cultural, economic, and political actors.
In contemporary media environments, where visibility is capital and self-promotion is normalised, influencers have become prominent cultural, economic, and political figures. Mette Mortensen and Anne Jerslev, professors of media and communication studies at the University of Copenhagen, are the editors of this year’s issue of Nordic Journal of Media Studies, which explores how influencers impact and respond to today’s media landscape.
“Influencers say a lot about how we communicate today. We live in a culture where branding, self-promotion, and visibility signal success. Social media is how we stay connected, and influencers are part of that – they feel both close and distant, like friends we admire from afar”, says Jerslev.
The issue builds on what scholar Sophie Bishop calls “influencer creep”, the steady spread of influencer logic beyond lifestyle and fashion into finance, literature, and political discourse.
“Studying influencer culture, ranging from food and beauty to politics and well-being, helps us understand how people think and connect in digital spaces”, Jerslev continues.
A Wide Range of Topics
The issue was introduced on 3 April during an online seminar hosted as part of the Geomedia Speaker Series at Karlstad University, where the first three articles were presented.
“We wanted to highlight the wide range of topics influencers engage with. One example is the growing category of “finfluencers” – that is, individuals offering financial advice to large audiences, often without formal credentials. One paper even discusses how this advice can border on pyramid schemes”, says Jerslev.
Other contributions examine influencers who cross conventional boundaries, such as a Danish literary critic who also operates as a lifestyle influencer, merging elite and popular cultural spheres. “It’s walking a tight line between autonomy and dependence”, Jerslev adds. “Many start out doing what they love but quickly have to adapt to platform algorithms”.
Algorithms and Authenticity
One of the key themes running through the issue is the balancing act influencers perform between being strategic and appearing authentic. Jerslev points out that authenticity has become a form of branding in itself: “It’s essential, but also something you have to perform in a way that fits the platform’s logic”.
Visibility, in turn, is largely governed by algorithms – often referred to by influencers as a “black box”. To succeed, many spend significant energy trying to understand and outsmart the system.
“Influencers often become so focused on pleasing followers and navigating algorithms that they risk losing the creativity and sense of purpose that initially motivated them”, says Jerslev.
The result, she says, is often a flattening effect: “There’s a risk of ending up with a pool of influencers who more or less look the same”.
The Politics of Influence
Another key theme in the issue is how influencers use their power – not just commercially, but politically and culturally. Mortensen points to articles examining the far right’s strategic use of influencer tactics, or the role of influencers in shifting gender norms, such as Pakistani male beauty influencer Adnan Zafar.
“These figures are not only content creators, but they’re also shaping important conversations, legitimising ideas, and sometimes spreading misinformation. They compete with traditional institutions like media, governments, and academia, and that has democratic implications”, says Mortensen.
In many ways, influencers fill a trust vacuum left by declining confidence in traditional authorities.
“They act as popular experts, but unlike journalists or scholars, they often operate without institutional checks. They’re both inside and outside the establishment – endorsing products, promoting ideologies, and sometimes critiquing the very systems they profit from”, Mortensen continues.
More Niche Perspectives
When reviewing the submissions for this year’s issue, the editors were struck by the growing prominence of niche influencers – those who embed themselves in specific communities or subcultures, offering tailored advice and “expertise”.
“We expected more papers on traditional lifestyle influencers, but the selection of papers that we received points to the tendency that influences increasingly operate in niche areas and subcultures where they take on the role of popular experts”, Mortensen notes.
“We do still like the classical influencers – the ones who share cute outfits or what they had for breakfast. But what we’re seeing now is a shift. It’s not just lifestyle anymore, it’s about fragmentation, polarisation, and how influencers take part in shaping identities and public discourse”, Mortensen concludes.
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Nordic Journal of Media Studies – Influencers: Navigating Platforms, Expertise, Branding, and Authenticity
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