Did you know the influencer industry is worth a staggering $250 billion? In this episode of Know-It-All, host Meg Hamilton breaks down the booming world of influencer marketing. Learn what it really means to be an influencer, the key differences between micro-, macro-, and mega-influencers, and why brands are investing big in social media personalities. Plus, we uncover how much influencers are actually making—from thousands per post to surprising monthly earnings. Whether you're an aspiring influencer or just curious about the hype, this quick episode gives you the inside scoop.

About the Host:

Meg Hamilton is a Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) freshman majoring in Communications. Passionate about creativity and media, Meg aspires to build a career where storytelling, content creation, and marketing intersect. This episode was produced as part of a project for her Digital and Social Media Marketing class, taught by Professor Beth Baunoch. Meg chose to explore the world of influencer marketing because of its rapidly growing impact and the fascinating dynamics behind how influencers operate and earn.

Sources Featured in This Episode:

• Essentials of Social Media Marketing by Michelle Charello (Stukent Publishing, 2020)
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• “How Much Do Influencers Make?” by Emma Kumer and Rachel Lerman, The Washington Post (Dec. 22, 2023)
• Read the full article
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• EdifyApp: Essentials of Social Media Marketing

When an Iranian cleric suggested the U.S. had no real heroes outside of Spiderman and SpongeBob, it raised a provocative question: what happens when a nation’s identity is built on fictional media? In this episode, Ross Briese dives into cultivation theory—a concept that explores how the media we consume subtly (and not so subtly) shapes how we see the world. From TikTok to prestige TV, we unpack how characters, platforms, and advertisers blend into a “synthetic reality” that blurs the line between truth and fiction. Whether you're watching reality TV or doom-scrolling on your phone, this 5-minute-deep dive will change the way you think about media—because it might already be changing the way you think.

Listen now to learn how George Gerbner’s theory still applies in the TikTok era.

About the Host:

Ross Briese is a Communications and Media Studies major at the Community College of Baltimore County with aspirations of becoming an investigative journalist. This episode of Know-It-All was created as part of the MCOM 111: Introduction to Mass Media course, taught by Professor Beth Baunoch. Ross explores cultivation theory to examine how the media we consume not only reflects life but also transforms it. He was particularly inspired by Raziye Nevzat’s article, Reviving Cultivation Theory for Social Media (2018), which reimagines George Gerbner’s theory in the context of today’s internet-driven culture.

References

Bansinath, B. (2024 March 25). What We Know About the Mommy Vlogger Accused of Child Abuse. The Cut. https://www.thecut.com/article/ruby-franke-utah-mommy-vlogger-pleads-guilty-to-child-abuse.html

Contreras, R. (2023 May 1). Nearly 75% of Chinese Americans Reported Discrimination in Past Year. Axios. https://www.axios.com/2023/05/01/chinese-americans-report-racial-discrimination-asian-hate#

Gerbner, G. (1987). Television’s Populist Brew: The Three Bs. Institute of General Semantics, 44(1). https://web.asc.upenn.edu/gerbner/Asset.aspx?assetID=1636

Givebutter. (2024 January). #HoistTheAds. https://givebutter.com/c/hoisttheads

Marat, E. (2020 January 6). Iran Cleric: We Have No Good Revenge Targets, Only US Heroes Are SpongeBob and Spider-Man. The Mind Unleashed. https://themindunleashed.com/2020/01/iran-cleric-we-have-no-good-revenge-targets-only-us-heroes-are-spongebob-and-spider-man.html

Morgan, M. (1995). The Critical Contribution of George Gerbner, in John Lent (Ed.), A Different Road Taken (1st ed., pp. 99-117). Westview Press. https://web.asc.upenn.edu/gerbner/Asset.aspx?assetID=2765

Nevzat, R. (2018). Reviving Cultivation Theory for Social Media. The Asian Conference on Media, Communication, and Film. https://papers.iafor.org/wp-content/uploads/papers/mediasia2018/MediAsia2018_42554.pdf