The State of Content in Financial Markets: New Media, Social Platforms, and Creators
The financial media ecosystem is evolving rapidly and its only the beginning.
The Evolution of Financial Media
For decades, financial news was controlled by legacy outlets like CNBC, Bloomberg, and The Wall Street Journal. These institutions set the agenda, dictated market narratives, and operated within a formal, top-down structure. But the rise of new financial media—including Morning Brew, Sherwood Media, Finimize, and fintech platforms launching media arms like Robinhood, Public.com, and eToro—has upended this model. These digital-first players prioritize bite-sized, engaging content tailored for a younger, mobile-first audience.
Meanwhile, financial discourse is becoming more decentralized through platforms like Reddit, X (formerly Twitter), Stocktwits, Urvin, and AfterHour. Rather than relying solely on polished institutional reports, retail investors now turn to real-time market discussions and user-generated insights. Content creators like Kyla Scanlon and Austin Hankwitz are further reshaping financial content by blending analysis with entertainment, making complex topics more digestible. Even traditional institutions like NYSE and Nasdaq are adapting, integrating content into their market engagement strategies.
The result? A fragmented yet dynamic media landscape where financial authority is no longer confined to legacy institutions. Today’s investors pull insights from an evolving mix of journalists, fintech platforms, online communities, and independent creators, reflecting the demand for more accessible, real-time, and interactive financial content.
Exchanges Are Becoming Content and Community Hubs
Stock exchanges like NYSE are no longer just market infrastructure providers—they are evolving into financial content distributors. The NYSE Partnership Day highlights this shift, bringing together media outlets, research firms, and fintech companies to distribute market insights more broadly. By becoming the nexus of financial media, social platforms, investor newsletters, content creators, and educational resources, exchanges are positioning themselves as thought leaders and direct engagement platforms for both retail and institutional investors.
Product Partnerships and Integrations
Investing platforms are partnering new distribution products to blend community-driven discussions with structured financial content. A great example is Stocktwits' partnership with Beehiiv, where finance-focused newsletters expand the reach of trading conversations, creating new monetization opportunities through subscriptions and sponsorships.
Who’s Paying Attention? Understanding the Players and Their Motivations
Everyone in the financial content space is competing for investor and/or market attention—but their motivations vary. Identifying the incentives behind each player can help paint a fuller picture of the dynamics across the ecosystem.
Fintech Platforms (Robinhood, Public.com, eToro): Content is a user acquisition and engagement tool. Educational resources, social-driven insights, and interactive features help attract and retain retail investors, keeping them engaged and trading.
Traditional Publishers (CNBC, Bloomberg, WSJ): Their focus remains on influencing institutional investors and market sentiment. With deep analysis and credibility, they cater to analysts, executives, and policymakers who rely on expert insights.
New Financial Media (Morning Brew, Sherwood Media, Finimize): These digital-first publishers focus on digestible, engaging, and mobile-friendly finance content, catering to younger investors through newsletters, podcasts, and social media-driven insights.
Content Creators: Their primary goal is monetizing attention via sponsorships, premium content, and community-driven initiatives. By making finance more relatable, they compete directly with legacy institutions for audience trust.
Despite differing incentives, these players are increasingly overlapping—blending traditional journalism, social media influence, and fintech-driven engagement into a new, interconnected financial content ecosystem.
Bringing Executives Closer to Investors: Stakeholder Labs’ Financial Media Properties
As Stakeholder Labs continues to expand its software business, enabling public companies to connect directly with investors and markets, we’ve recognized that the mechanics of engagement and analytics are only part of the equation. Equally important is the message itself. To help clients craft and deliver impactful messaging, we launched two content properties in partnership with leading financial platforms. These shows provide executives with direct access to investors, creating both long-form and short-form video content.
Last year, we partnered with Morning Brew to launch After Earnings, now a top destination for CEOs, CFOs, and investors seeking engaging, executive-level insights. By combining Morning Brew’s storytelling expertise with our investor engagement focus, After Earnings is reshaping how companies connect with modern investors—moving beyond earnings reports to real-time, interactive conversations (see article).
Building on our success with After Earnings, Stakeholder Labs is launching a new show in partnership with Stocktwits. Hosted by Katie Perry, the series will feature CEOs and CFOs answering investor questions sourced directly from X, Reddit, YouTube, Stocktwits, and other online financial communities. This format leans into the growing demand for direct access, giving investors a front-row seat to executive insights while showcasing how companies engage with retail audiences. The first episode, featuring Affirm’s CFO, drops next week (press release)!
The Future: From Passive Consumption to Interactive Market Engagement
So, where is all of this heading? One thing is clear. Passive financial media is dying. Investors aren’t just looking for news. They want real-time insights, interactive discussions, and community-driven narratives.
Platforms like Stocktwits, Public, and eToro aren’t just offering tools to trade. They are shaping the conversations that drive those trades. Retail investors now hold more influence than ever, and companies that fail to engage with them risk falling behind.
The takeaway? Content is no longer a side strategy. It is the foundation of investor engagement. Companies need to rethink how they communicate, shifting from top-down messaging to a more interactive, multi-platform approach. Whether through social media, live events, or direct Q&As, the future belongs to those who can make investing feel less like a transaction and more like a conversation.
Stakeholder Labs builds software for public companies that want to up level their shareholder analytics and engagement to support long-term growth. Contact us to learn more.
