Q5’s Graham Page joins industry leaders to explore how established media can embrace the creator economy while protecting trust and credibility
At Press Gazette’s Future of Media Technology Conference, Q5’s Graham Page joined leaders from The Guardian, BBC Studios and The Economist to explore how established media can embrace the creator economy. From audience relationships and talent to commercial models, the discussion highlighted opportunities for publishers to adapt without compromising trust.
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On 10 September 2026, Q5 partnered with the Press Gazette Future of Media Technology Conference, bringing together industry leaders to explore the trends, technologies and challenges shaping the future of media.
As part of the event, Graham Page, Head of Media & Creative Industries at Q5, joined a panel discussion exploring how legacy media can harness the growth mindset and agility of the creator economy while protecting the trust and authority built up over decades.
Chaired by Charlotte Tobitt, UK Editor at Press Gazette, the discussion also featured Andrew Palmer, Executive Editor at The Economist; Leah Green, Head of Guardian Studios at Guardian News & Media; and Jasmine Dawson, SVP, Digital at BBC Studios.
Together, they explored how established media organisations can learn from creators, build stronger audience relationships and develop sustainable commercial models without losing what makes their brands distinctive.
Watch the full panel discussion below, or read on for three key takeaways.
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1.Embrace the creator economy, but don’t lose your identity
As creators reshape audience expectations, established publishers face growing pressure to adopt personality-led content, experiment with new formats and respond more quickly to emerging trends.
However, the panel agreed that simply replicating the creator economy isn’t the answer.
Graham highlighted several strategic options available to publishers, from investing in internal talent and developing new brands to partnering with or acquiring creator businesses.
Importantly, he emphasised the need to consider what organisations should stop doing when investing in new formats, avoiding the additional cost and complexity that comes from continually expanding content offerings.
This reflects the findings of our latest report, Disrupting the Newsroom: How news creators are redefining media, which explores the strategic choices facing publishers and broadcasters as the creator economy continues to grow.
2. Build stronger audience relationships through talent and trust
A recurring theme was the importance of understanding audiences rather than chasing platforms or demographics.
Jasmine Dawson highlighted how BBC Studios has shifted its focus beyond views towards deeper engagement, including watch time and audience affinity.
Meanwhile, Leah Green and Andrew Palmer shared how The Guardian and The Economist are developing personality-led formats that bring audiences closer to their journalists and presenters.
Graham reinforced the importance of connection, highlighting how creators have successfully built personal relationships with their followers.
For established publishers, the opportunity lies in combining this sense of connection with something creators cannot easily replicate: the editorial expertise, credibility and trust built over decades.
This builds on themes explored in our 2025 report, The New Newsroom, which examined how changing audience behaviours and the rise of video are reshaping newsrooms.
3. Sustainable growth requires commercial diversification
Beyond audience engagement, the panel explored how publishers can build sustainable revenue streams around creator-led content.
From sponsorships and branded content to subscriptions and advertising, the discussion highlighted the importance of diversifying income rather than relying entirely on individual platforms.
Graham emphasised diversification and control as two important considerations, warning against becoming too dependent on platforms that publishers do not own.
The discussion also raised broader questions about talent, investment and how commercial and editorial models must evolve together to support long-term growth.
For media organisations, the challenge is not simply deciding whether to embrace the creator economy, but understanding where to invest, how to adapt and what value they want to create.
Navigating the future of media
The creator economy presents significant opportunities for established media organisations, but success will require more than adopting new formats or platforms.
At Q5, we work with publishers and broadcasters to navigate these challenges, helping organisations rethink their strategies, operating models and ways of working to support sustainable growth.
Explore our media sector expertise and latest insights to discover how we’re helping organisations respond to the changing media landscape.
Interested in discussing what the creator economy means for your organisation?
Get in touch with Graham Page, Head of Media & Creative Industries at Q5, to explore how we can help.
Head of Media & Creative Industries
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