This research draws on the concept of attention economy to explore the particularities involved in discourse creation in Malawi and how such discourse influences the mainstream news construction. Empirical data based on Stanford Sinyangwe’s use of colloquial terms, endearing words, or expressions of unrequited love in his TikTok video posts was used to tease out the various ways through which his social media posts helped shape societal discourse in Malawi. The research synthesizes antecedents of content creation commonly employed in attention economy to establish the link between micro-influencers and the stuff they produce. The findings highlight that while micro-influencers may not necessarily replace traditional journalism, they certainly have the potential to complement and enhance it through provision of niche expertise, audience engagement, and creation of innovative content formats.