This week is the Republican National Convention. As it presses on, The Information reports that the event is hosting more than 100 content creators. Reportedly, they’ve been granted access to Trump campaign officers and other Republicans and delegates.
According to the Washington Post, these creators, like the mainstream media, have full convention credentials. To sweeten the deal, the Post also reports that creators have a designated workspace to film social media videos.
It’s also been reported that creators will not be paid for attending. Nor have they been given any directive on how to cover the event.
Right-wing creators like the Hodge Twins are making an appearance. However, creators whose content doesn’t necessarily revolve around politics have been invited to the event, too, like the YouTube gaming account Geeks + Gamers.
18-year-old Brilyn Hollyhand, chair of the RNC Youth Advisory Council, spearheaded all these changes. He told the Post, “We have the first convention. We want to make sure that the youth vote has a presence.”
Targeting the youth vote
Indeed, the youth vote was instrumental to Biden’s win in 2020. Data shows that 61% of 18 to 29-year-olds voted for Biden compared to the 36% who voted for Trump.
Coupled with the fact that a third of 18 to 29-year-olds get their news from TikTok, the RNC’s emphasis on the creator economy sounds like a good tactical move. After all, as Hollyhand said to The Information, “The days of being able to take out an ad in the Sunday paper are over.”
As previously reported, the Democratic National Convention will also be rolling out the red (or blue) carpet for creators from Aug. 19 to 22.
With both presidential candidates making their presence known on TikTok, it looks like the social media platform will become instrumental in their quest to capture the youth vote. But with TikTok being at risk of a nationwide ban, it’s arguable that both parties shouldn’t really be biting the hand that feeds them.
