Democratic Party leans into social media by granting 200 influencers access to convention

The Democratic Party is leaning into the role that social media plays in presidential elections this week, by granting 200 influencers special access to the party’s convention.

Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign has also embraced the role of social media in reaching young voters this year, by expanding the campaign's social media repertoire to include accounts on the influencer-heavy platforms of TikTok and Instagram. 

The digital content creators have been given “creator credentials," and some of the convention's staff will be working full-time to help facilitate the influencers' coverage and engagement with party officials and the Harris-Walz presidential campaign.

“Bringing creators to our convention will multiply our reach and ensure that everyone can witness democracy in action,” Cayana Mackey-Nance, director of digital strategy for the Democratic National Convention Committee, told CNBC.

The convention will have a raised platform that is specifically designated for the influencers, to help them engage with the event. The influencers are not being paid for their coverage, and they are required to cover their own transportation and lodging.

“We are just being given a separate opportunity, that respects the professionalism and the skills of journalists, while also acknowledging that content creators do have something to bring to the table, and have their own unique, special skill set,” Elizabeth Booker Houston, a content creator who is attending the convention, said.

The Republican convention in Milwaukee last month touted 70 influencers in attendance, and President Joe Biden hosted 100 content creators at the White House last week for a new event titled the "Creator Economy Conference."

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.