In today’s social media landscape, influencers often get a bad rap. The Democratic National Convention hoped to prove otherwise.
From day one of the 2024 planning process to the rollout of the blue convention carpet, inviting influencers (or content creators) to provide social media coverage of the DNC was always a plan.
“Bringing creators to our convention will multiply our reach and ensure that everyone can witness democracy in action,” said Cayana Mackey-Nance, Director of Digital Strategy for the DNC in a news release.
While the DNC knows how to pack a program full of well-known Democrats and A-list speakers, for the first time in its history, the DNC added the voices of 200 credentialed content creators to the mix.
But what do content creators have to do with politics?
As of 2023, 62% of young adults say they use TikTok, and research suggests that many young adults use TikTok as a source of news or to keep up with politics.
TikTok’s popularity is something political campaigns are using to their advantage. While politicians move to TikTok to reach young voters, the creators they follow are being presented with a new opportunity to inform.
Of the 200 credentialed creators, neither Beth Gaskill (@bigcityreaders), Anna Przybylski (@akprzy), nor Natasha Caudill (@natashacaudill) deliver political content.
With a combined reach of nearly 1.5 million followers across social media platforms, they were invited to the DNC on behalf of the Harris-Walz campaign.
“I think people have a narrative that content creators were paid to be here and that we’re getting the royal treatment,” said Gaskill, an educator who makes content relating to literacy advocacy. “I’m not here for that. I’m here to connect with people who can make changes for our country.”
“Existence is political, my day-to-day life is going to be affected by politics,” Przybylski said. Online, Przybylski shares content detailing her mental health journey. “I have a community of people who trust what I say and do, and to have them see that I’m here – it might just open the door to them caring more about what’s going on in the world.”
During the convention, creators had the opportunity to interview delegates, elected officials and Democratic leaders, much like any other press member; aside from the privatized lounges, workspaces and networking experiences – access to which many journalists at the convention battled for.
“There’s a lot of mistrust in the traditional press today,” said Natasha Caudill, a blind content creator whose platform is used to share information about her disability and to raise awareness for various accessibility needs. “Many content creators build relationships with their followers, and their followers trust them to deliver the news in a way that we’ve never seen before.”
For these creators, the responsibility of bringing convention coverage to new audiences didn’t come with terms and conditions.
“We’re not being asked to present material in any one way, I can authentically deliver it to my audience,” Caudill said. Because creators were free to tailor their coverage to their platform, many took the DNC as an opportunity to go beyond delivering the news.
“I’ve had a couple dozen people say they’ve been inspired by me to vote,” said Gaskill. “I’m not pushing a Democratic or Republican agenda, but I think it’s awesome that people are now going to vote because I’m posting about being here.”
“When you have a platform, you have a responsibility,” Przybylski said. “I have to speak up about the things I care about.”
Now that the convention excitement has died down, harnessing the power of likes might be in the lingering interest of political leaders heading into September’s debate and the November election.
“Content creators being invited [to the DNC] shows that those we vote into office are listening,” Gaskill said. “Content creators aren’t just people pushing products; we’re people telling stories, and people need to see themselves in these moments and these stories.”
