Have influencers on social media created a new career field worthy of formal education?

A growing number of universities are looking at classes and majors aimed at giving influencers the skills needed to spot misinformation, communicate effectively with audiences and understand business contracts they could enter.

“If people are serious about wanting to do a career in influencing or online content creation, they have to know that there is more to it," said Jessica Maddox, co-director for the Office of Politics, Communications and Media at the University of Alabama, who has started a class on the subject called Social Media Storytelling.

"And, yes, a lot of people have been incredibly successful, kind of figuring it out as they go, working hard, building a channel, paying attention to their analytics, buying the equipment and learning, but I think we, as college professors like myself, we would be remiss if we did not treat this as a skill our students need going out into the world," Maddox added.

Classes on influencing have been popping up around the country as more young people give a serious look to the $2.1 billion industry.

Summer Harlow, the associate director of the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas at the University of Texas in Austin, teamed up with UNCESCO, to create a class specifically to help influencers tackle misinformation.

"We kept seeing these different........

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