Democrats’ attempts to woo content creators and their fans reached a natural conclusion on Friday, when the Democratic National Convention Committee opened up media credentials to influencers for its big convention this summer.
An ancient tradition relative to social media and especially TikTok, which launched in 2017, the 50th Democratic National Convention will again see the party formally nominate its presidential and vice presidential candidates. This time, however, DNC organizers say they’ll give content creators logistical assistance and access to “surrogates and VIPs” at the convention, which will take place at Chicago’s United Center. The organization says it will also offer “convention video clips and content to creators and traditional media alike who will cover the event remotely.”
While the DNCC cast the decision as “leveling the playing field between creators and traditional media,” the group’s primary motivation seems to be reaching the roughly 33% percent of young people who regularly get their news on TikTok, per a November Pew Research study. President Joe Biden’s campaign debuted on the widely popular social network in February, while efforts to force a sale of the Chinese-owned service were ramping up. Former President Donald Trump joined TikTok in June.
“When Americans tune in to our convention this summer, whether they’re watching on television or they’re anywhere — scrolling on their phones, they’re going to see President Biden lay out his historic record of progress and bold vision for the future,” the DNCC said in an ad inviting creators to email them for credentials.
The invite itself is new, but it mirrors a lot of what the Biden campaign was doing back in 2020, as pandemic lockdowns forced campaigns to embrace the internet and influencers as primary outreach mechanisms.