The DNC marked the first time that creators were given credentials for convention coverage as part of the Democratic Party's overall strategy to reach young voters. 200 creators were given credentials, and the Hotties for Harris event was just one of many happy hours and after-parties arranged for creators to network and, most importantly, create content.
“This is the future, and not just because this is how it appeals to a lot of younger voters. They're fresh, they're more interesting, they don't just want to talk about horse races, they don't just want to talk about who insulted who. They want to talk about real issues and real visions,” says Rep. Ro Khanna, who spoke to me about his interview with the creators.
Congressman Khanna is all about creators. I followed him around Tuesday afternoon as he spoke with some of them. First, he headed to Video 24, a broadcast studio dedicated to creators, similar to the studios at CNN and Fox News, where he was greeted by news YouTuber Philip DeFranco to film videos and interviews that will be published on his channel later this week. Afterwards, Congressman Khanna spoke with Hasan Pikar both in the studio and during a “walk and talk” as the Congressman made his way to the convention site.
After our interview, I spoke to Pikar about his experiences covering conventions so far. While we reported earlier this week that some journalists were upset about the access and amenities being offered to creators, some influencers were also facing their own logistical challenges earlier in the week.
“I told them what I was trying to do and they were super accommodating. This morning I literally had to run an ethernet cable directly up to the creator lounge on the second floor,” Piker says. “I basically took over. Now I've taken over the creator lounge and do eight to 10 hour live streams from there.”
But while a handful of creators have secured interviews with political leaders, some media figures worry they could be replaced as Harris' critics accuse her of still not granting full interviews to the media.
“I think we need both. I think there's really smart, responsible journalism in TV and print that's deeply informed and challenges people,” Khanna said. “That's important. And I think there are podcasters and content creators out there who are challenging people in different ways, and that's important.”
But for now, as the Harris campaign rides the momentum of the Democratic National Convention and scores a victory in Chicago, what's clear is that while this is only the first convention focused on creators, it likely won't be the last.
Chat Rooms
I'm Dhruv Mehrotra, senior security writer at WIRED, and this week at the Democratic National Convention, we're using cellphones and some additional equipment to track and analyze radio signals to see whether police are deploying intrusive surveillance technology against protesters.
As thousands of demonstrators protesting the Israeli blockade of Gaza prepared to march to the Democratic National Convention on Monday afternoon, hundreds of law enforcement officers from federal, state and local agencies were on standby. Chicago police officers lined the approved route on bicycles, and a Chicago Police Department (CPD) helicopter monitored the crowds from the air. Further along the planned route, Secret Service agents and other Department of Homeland Security personnel could be seen monitoring the situation.
