DNC influencers thrive as mainstream media grumbles

Influencer and digital strategist Deja Foxx, a former Kamala Harris campaign staffer who posts copyrighted content to her 140,000 TikTok followers, said creators are “uniquely positioned” to influence this election. That’s because they are able to access spaces that established media outlets may not be able to reach.

Influencers are increasingly taking on the responsibility of providing news to young people, but they’re not the same as traditional media despite being lumped in with them, Foxx, 24, told Business Insider.

“Journalists are attached to organizations and have very particular values ​​that they have to follow,” she said. “Influencers are often a personal brand.”

For the first time, the DNC held a lobby section at the United Center in Chicago to track programming. The creators were even invited to a yacht party with campaign themed cocktails, wired reported. Two sources familiar with the Harris campaign’s strategy also confirmed that their team is helping to arrange interviews with Democratic influencers and politicians. For example, influencer Nadya Okamoto interviewed Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer for TikTok, while Vidya Gopalan spoke with Vice President Harris at the convention.

The DNC also added five influencers, including Foxx, as podium speakers on the main stage.

Carlos Eduardo Espina, an influencer scheduled to speak Wednesday, said most of the social media personalities he met at the convention paid for their own travel, hotel and miscellaneous expenses, though a few had their costs covered by outside groups like PAC- the hours. . Espina’s content focuses on immigration rights, and almost all of her videos are in Spanish, which has grown her online audience to over 10 million followers on TikTok.

“I don’t consider myself a journalist, but my audience certainly does,” the 25-year-old said. “I give information, but it’s always my opinion, so it’s like we’re political commentators.”

Social media creators often don’t follow the same norms as traditional journalists. For example, many DNC attendees are comfortable being overtly partisan, an approach that would likely violate the policies of a mainstream media outlet.

“As creators, it’s an opportunity for advocacy and also for recognition,” Josh Helfgott, an LGBTQ+ advocate and creator with about 5.5 million TikTok followers, who is attending the DNC, told BI.

But as creators took center stage at this year’s convention, some traditional media reporters felt left out.

The established media are not too happy

Unlike their social media counterparts, several members of the traditional news media were frustrated by the treatment they received during this year’s convention. Some feel annoyed by long entry lines, while others have complained about limited resources, such as not enough press stands. Meanwhile, a journalist told Reuters that many of them are restricted from going anywhere near TV booths to interview people.

“We are concerned that the decision to reduce dedicated and accessible workspace by hundreds compared to previous conventions will hinder journalists’ ability to cover the historic nature of this convention,” a representative of the print news and media group told BI -media, Permanent Committee of Correspondents. .

The cost of attending has also caused some journalists without company sponsors to abandon their travel plans, a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of professional repercussions, told BI. To get an assigned seat at a table with a working electrical outlet, newsrooms must pay hundreds of dollars per head, which can stretch budgets for smaller outlets. When a publication isn’t willing to pay, bearing the cost of travel to high-profile events like the DNC is too much for a typical reporter’s salary, the NABJ member said.

The rise of influencers at this year’s Republican National Convention and DNC, which invited a group of nearly 100 internet stars in July, is a sign of the times. Many young people now get their news from social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram rather than traditional outlets like The New York Times or NBC News, mostly because many see influencers as more relatable sources of information. Presidential campaigns have noticed this shift and have expanded the work of creators this year as they strive to get their messages in front of young voters.

“It’s becoming increasingly important for influencers to gain access similar to that of traditional media so they are better equipped to educate these young people who turn to them for education,” said Victoria Hammett, CEO deputy of the non-profit organization Gen Z for Change. “The word journalism carries a lot of weight, so most people think they are more like commentators.”

The DNC did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.

Both campaigns are moving more towards influence strategy compared to last election season

Outside of this week’s convention, the Harris-Walz campaign has vetted more than 2,800 creatives to serve as general social media advocates for the campaign, according to a source familiar with the effort, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak publicly. about the work. The campaign tapped influencer marketing agency Village Marketing, which worked with the Biden campaign in 2020, to help coordinate its influence strategy.

Unlike the last presidential election, when Biden spoke to a smaller group of nationally known influencers as part of his social media push, Harris’ strategy is based on working with many more creators from different niches, such as beauty and fashion , to reach the strategic level. media markets. It’s not just about connecting with influencers who are advocating for a particular issue that’s related to this election, like climate change, immigration, or healthcare. This comes into focus at this year’s DNC, where creators who don’t usually post political content are also appearing.

“The DNC inviting 200 creators is a huge step toward integrating this new part of media into a legacy part of media,” Helfgott said. “Just being there is such a huge step.”

At first, the social media team for Harris and Walz gravitated toward what had momentum, like coconut memes and references to Charli XCX’s “Brat” album. Its influencer team similarly taps into social trends, though the campaign also hosts regular informational briefings with creators and responds to DMs via a dedicated Instagram account to ensure influencers accurately capture the position campaign on the issues, the source familiar with his lobbying strategy told BI.

“Our job as a campaign is to cut through the noise and make sure we’re talking to voters wherever they are — TikTok is one of those landscapes, and we’re leaving no stone unturned,” Rob Flaherty, deputy campaign director for Harris. , BI said in a statement.