Journalist? Influencer? Both—And Neither: How Wanghong Journalists Negotiate Professional Identity on Chinese Social Media

As journalism intersects with influencer culture, how journalists negotiate their professional identity becomes crucial. This study examines how Chinese “Wanghong” (influencer) journalists—licensed journalists with large social media followings—navigate the tension between journalistic and influencer roles, focusing on their perceived professional identity and self-presentation on Weibo and TikTok. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with four Wanghong journalists (each with one million followers) and textual-visual thematic analysis of 351 social media posts, the study finds that, participants reconfigure their professional identity as “digital media journalists,” preserving journalistic legitimacy while distancing themselves from influencer commercialism. To manage the tension between professionalism—often downplays commercialization—and their platform practices, journalists use moral flexibility to justify commercial engagement as compatible with journalism. Building on Raemy’s conceptualization of professional identity, this study refines the framework by showing how platform logics and moral negotiation reshape journalistic professionalism in a hybrid, commercialized media environment.