forbes.com
Business Leaders Become Their Own Press in 2025
In 2025, business leaders are increasingly creating their own media channels—newsletters, podcasts, and video series—to build trust and directly engage audiences, driven by declining faith in traditional media and institutions and a preference for authentic founder voices.
- What are the long-term implications of this shift for public relations and the broader media landscape?
- Future success hinges on a two-pronged PR strategy integrating both earned and owned media. Leaders who build their platforms, directly connecting with their audience, will hold a significant advantage in shaping narratives and building trust. This will likely lead to a more decentralized and democratized media landscape.
- How is the decreasing public trust in traditional media and institutions impacting the strategies of business leaders in 2025?
- The rise of people-led media, driven by declining trust in institutions and traditional media, empowers business leaders to directly engage audiences via owned channels like newsletters, podcasts, and video content.
- What specific methods are business leaders employing to establish their own media platforms and directly engage their audiences?
- This shift transforms content from a marketing tactic into a strategic asset, generating leads, establishing thought leadership, and attracting talent and partnerships. It's fueled by audience preference for authentic founder voices over corporate messaging, as seen in Edelman's 2024 Trust Barometer.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The article's framing consistently emphasizes the benefits and opportunities presented by the shift towards people-led media, painting a largely positive picture. While acknowledging the need for a shift in PR strategy, the potential drawbacks or complexities of this transition are underplayed. The headline and introduction set a strongly positive tone, focusing on the empowerment of individuals and businesses, which might influence reader perception and lead to an overly optimistic view.
Language Bias
The language used is generally positive and enthusiastic, reflecting the overall optimistic tone. While this helps to engage the reader, certain phrases like "powerful shift" and "massive audiences" could be considered somewhat loaded. More neutral alternatives might include significant change" and "substantial audiences." The repeated use of positive adjectives might subtly influence the reader's perception, making the shift appear more beneficial than it might be in all cases.
Bias by Omission
The article focuses heavily on the shift towards people-led media and the reasons behind it, but it omits a discussion of potential downsides or challenges associated with this shift. For example, it doesn't address the issue of misinformation or the potential for biased or inaccurate information to spread more easily through these channels. Additionally, it doesn't explore the challenges smaller businesses might face in competing with larger entities with more resources to invest in content creation. The lack of discussion on these points presents an incomplete picture.
False Dichotomy
The article presents a somewhat false dichotomy between "earned media" (borrowed trust) and "owned media" (built trust), implying that one is superior to the other. In reality, a successful strategy often involves a combination of both, leveraging the strengths of each. The article could benefit from acknowledging this nuanced reality and avoiding this simplistic eitheor framing.
Gender Bias
While the article uses gender-neutral language ("business man (or woman)", "modern business leader"), it could be strengthened by providing specific examples of both men and women successfully utilizing these new media channels to build their platforms. The current lack of specific examples might unintentionally reinforce existing gender biases in the field.
Sustainable Development Goals
The shift towards people-led media channels can empower individuals and smaller businesses, potentially reducing the dominance of large corporations in information dissemination and access to audiences. This could lead to a more equitable distribution of information and opportunities.