The World of Right-Wing Influencers
There has been a lot of media attention on liberal content creators' impact and influence on politics, as news outlets are eager to see how the next generation's seemingly liberal ideologies will manifest. However, little attention has been placed on right-wing influencers striving to achieve the same notoriety as their left-wing counterparts. Nonetheless, former President Donald Trump has not failed to recognize these influencers and has resorted to recruiting others to endorse his campaign and offer him a platform to share his plans. Trump has been successful in the venture, appearing alongside notable figures such as Logan Paul, Adin Ross, and Bryce Hall. While these influencers' content is not politically-centered, it follows a similar trend of being catered to young men and boys. As Matt Brown of AP notes, having the support of notable influencers is crucial as more people, especially younger people, get their news from non-traditional sources. In attracting young men receptive to these male-catering content creators, Trump hopes to recreate the social media success that Vice President Kamala Harris has created around her campaign.
Many right-wing content creators have amassed large audiences, building their careers off covering and commentating on partisan and contemporary news. Aside from being noticed by Donald Trump and other notable conservative figures, the success of right-wing influencers has also been noted and used by Russian operatives hoping to spread "Russian friendly content." On September 4, 2024, several right-wing influencers were part of an indictment against two Russian nationals who sponsored their content to have these creators spread misguiding, exclusionary content. Of the affected influencers, all denied having any connection to Russia, citing that the ordeal blindsided them. American political players and enemies are recognizing the power of social media influencers, making vetting sources and sponsors crucial for stopping the spread of misinformation. However, these influencers lack the proper training and hindsight to do so, leaving an environment ripe for misinformation and propaganda.
References:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-courts-younger-male-vote-by-talking-with-conservative-influencers
https://apnews.com/article/russian-interference-presidential-election-influencers-trump-999435273dd39edf7468c6aa34fad5dd
At the end of the day we can’t rely on influencers to give the facts we want when it comes those who are campaigning for they are entertainers but I also wouldn’t knock certain things they say for it can have value but that’s mostly up to the viewer to determine.
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