Last week, the Democratic National Convention officially nominated Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, as the Democratic nominees for President and Vice President of the United States. In a lively presentation, people from all over the nation, including many social media influencers who quickly made their presence widely known, joined to support Harris and Walz. The Harris team and several supporting political organizations invited approximately 200 content creators to create positive content around the event to present Harris, Walz, and the democratic party in a good light. While the Harris team openly rejected claims that directly paid influencers to make specific statements, Harris and several groups covered many content creators' airfares and hotel costs. Content creators also enjoyed access to private lounges, free food and drink, and interviews with prominent party leaders.
Hasan Piker livestreams interview with Senator Ed Markey on Twitch
Politico correspondent Calder McHugh attended the DNC and recounted how many of his fellow journalists felt "disrespected by the convention's VIP treatment of influencers." These journalists saw these influencers taking up resources and space reporters could have used to develop quality media content. Regardless, to the Harris team, these influencers brought valuable support from the younger demographic they hope to count on during election season. Social media influencers, big and small, political and non-political, were all invited to attend for this strategic purpose. This internet-famous crowd effectively flooded social media with content about their experiences at the convention, giving Harris a platform for her to reach their massive audiences. As these content creators build their followings from being likable and producing enjoyable, easily digestible content, it is clear how a substantial portion of the population enjoys receiving political news/insights from influencers rather than traditional reporters. The amount of energy the Harris team has put into reaching these influencers and their audiences proves how much influence social media has in mobilizing support, especially among young Gen Z voters.
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The Harris campaign is going all out on young voter turn out. I think they have realized that people will vote when you give them a specific reason to want to. All of those advertisements you see asking people to vote, or those people that come up to you on campus trying to get you to register to vote are not as effective. I will say I do not agree with how the "influencers" were given preferential treatment as compared to the journalists who were there to report the news. They are more openly bias than any journalists I have seen as of late, most definitely Hasan. I wonder how big of a push this will give Harris as time goes on?
ReplyDeleteI think this was a very smart move on the Harris campaign's part. Voter engagement is one of the most important aspects of a good campaign, especially when dealing with the younger generation. Though "serious" journalists appeared annoyed, they fail to realize that social media personalities are becoming journalists in themselves as they become the link that connects young people. It is important that they are there, as they have now earned the right to be there. Social media personalities also provide a sense of entertainment, making not only the Democratic Convention more exciting but the campaign as well. This is an unprecedented election, and the new energy Kamala Harris brings is something that most folks find refreshing. I cannot wait to see what else they do to bring voters to the polls!
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