Cheek Media, Lobbying Money and the New Influencer Politics | The West Report

Influencers are now a major force in Australian politics, but when online creators promote policies, campaigns or advocacy groups, how much does the audience actually know about who is behind the message? Josh sat down with Hannah Ferguson, founder of Cheek Media, to ask directly about lobbying, advocacy groups, political outreach, paid partnerships, disclosure, and where the line sits between education, sponsorship and political influence. As more Australians get their news and politics through Instagram, TikTok, Substack and podcasts, the question is no longer whether influencers matter. They do. The question is whether the same transparency expected of media, lobbyists and political campaigns should apply to the people shaping politics in your feed. This is the second in our new media series. Support us ❤️ https://www.patreon.com/thewestreport Our Journalism 📰 https://michaelwest.com.au Merch 👕 https://lonelykidsclub.com/collections/michael-west Linktree 🌐 https://linktr.ee/michaelwestmedia.com.au Disclaimer: AI has been used in elements of the thumbnail production. 00:00 Lobbying and social media 00:14 Cheek Media’s reach and ethical responsibility 01:18 Political outreach requests 03:31 Paid partnerships and transparency 05:27 Authentic content or lobbying influence? 07:35 Final thoughts