Local media outlets have always had authority in their markets. With the advent of social media, this authority can now be quantified with tools like Klout. Klout measures influence with data like the number of Twitter followers and the number of times those followers pass-along (re-tweet) a message.

Social influence scores will not replace the traditional currency of Nielsen audience data, but it is an interesting supplement to inform advertisers about the influence that each station has with viewers. This example shows the social influence of the major network affiliate stations in Chicago. WMAQ has taken a clear lead in the market through a larger number of active Twitter followers.