Live from the DNC, he just might be one of your favorite online influencers

CHICAGO – Throughout this week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago, more than 200 online influencers, streamers and other social media personalities captured and live-streamed their impressions of what was happening.

There’s the 12-year-old nicknamed “Knowa,” who posted with a group of prominent Democrats and went head-to-head with Republican figures like MyPillow founder Mike Lindell on the convention floor.

A veteran from rural North Carolina with more than 5 million TikTok followers, he’s a self-proclaimed “Hillbilly for Harris.” Other influencers and social media personalities share everything from the food available at food trucks outside the United Center to attendees’ thoughts on more serious issues like the war in Gaza.

The creators were invited to the DNC by convention organizers, a new but significant part of a digital strategy that aims to tap into creators’ sizable followings on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Discord and Twitch, according to officials with Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris . campaign. They hope it will help Harris and fellow candidate Tim Walz reach new voters who might not follow political news through traditional media.

Creators span a wide range of ages, backgrounds and content specialties, often reflecting the diversity of the audiences they serve. They can be spotted throughout the United Center with tripod phones and selfie sticks.

The DNC rolled out perks like “Creators for Kamala” lounges stocked with food and drinks alongside the workspace. Inside the convention hall, there is the first Creator Platform, a slightly elevated space that gives creators a place to pose and post from.

“It’s kind of surreal to sit here and be surrounded by so many politicians and influential people that I’ve admired for so long, and then to be surrounded by other creators. It’s a testament to how the media landscape has changed and the influence we have as creators,” said AustinShow, an American YouTuber and Twitch streamer with millions of followers across the platforms.

Russell Ellis, also known as “jolly_good_ginger” to his TikTok followers, also noted the turn of events that led him to the convention.

“I’m really a hillbilly, a Hillbilly for Harris, actually,” Ellis said. “In 2020, I was fired from my job and with nothing else to do, I made a TikTok video to vent. And you know, 5 million people later, here I am.”

Some of the content already produced is on the lighter side of what’s happening as the thousands of Democratic delegates gather in Chicago, such as the daily convention outfit checks. Other accounts, such as UnderTheDeskNews, pull back the curtain on the convention process, sharing with followers information about delegate duties and what it would be like to be in the convention hall they might have seen on TV.

Hasan Piker, who has 2.7 million followers on Twitch and has been outspoken about Israel and the Gaza war — a key issue that divides Democrats — streamed his experience around the DNC footprint, showing viewers around the area food truck and, Wednesday night, interviewing U.S. Rep. Greg Casar of Texas as convention speakers spoke behind them.

Former President Donald Trump and his GOP allies have also sought to reach online audiences, particularly men, through outreach and personality appearances on YouTube and other streaming platforms. Trump participated in interviews with YouTuber and actor Jake Paul, as well as streamer Adin Ross — who pushed Trump to dance with him, which immediately went on TikTok.

However, Republicans have derided Democrats’ embrace of influencers and questioned whether the DNC is paying people to post positive content.

Matt Hill, a convention spokesman, denied that content creators at the DNC are being paid or getting special treatment.

“As part of our work to reach more Americans than ever before, we’re accrediting content creators the same way we accredit media, and we’re also not paying to cover our event,” Hill said.

In addition to the content they create and distribute through their own channels, influencers have been embedded into the program itself, with each night of the convention featuring appearances by creators like Carlos Eduardo Espina, a 25-year-old nonprofit executive, activist and attorney with over 10 million followers on social media. From the stage Wednesday night, Espina spoke about his immigrant parents’ decision to come to the U.S. and advocated for Harris’ election, describing Trump’s policies on immigration issues as “downright anti-American.”

Jennifer Welch, who co-hosts the “I’ve Had It” podcast, is among the accredited digital influencers for the DNC, along with her co-host, Angie Sullivan.

The women have been welcomed to major Democratic events in the past and hosted Harris on their show in March. Welch said she thinks it’s “refreshing for millennials and Gen Z to see white women with southern accents” speaking up for equality and advocating for them.

Influencers have traditionally dominated the world of retail and marketing, often partnering with brands to promote products to their audiences. A changing preference for authenticity and niche online communities has meant that Americans are increasingly likely to get their news from smaller but deeply engaged communities, like big brands and personalities.

The presence of both at the DNC shows how hard the Harris campaign is trying to welcome them in similar ways and energize hard-to-reach voters who tend to ignore traditional media outlets.

“We live in a hybrid media reality where uncredited and non-mainstream media voices are very important,” said John Wihbey, associate professor of media innovation and technology at Northeastern University.

While the DNC’s decision to invite influencers may put the party’s message in front of new voter audiences, Wihbey said it may also present some risks because content creators typically aren’t held to the same standards as traditional media outlets.

But for a campaign that has made “joy” its main theme, opening the doors to content creators may be a risk worth taking.

Blair Imani Ali, a former progressive activist who turned to content creation when she was unemployed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, said she found she could mobilize people around social justice issues. She explains how to vote and how to become a poll worker, as well as explore race, ethnicity, and nationality in America.

“If we’re going to build a big tent in terms of solidarity and different values ​​and beliefs, we have to do that in terms of how people consume content, how people find their way into politics,” Imani Ali said.

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Hadero reported from South Bend, Indiana.