The DNC was the first time that creatives were accredited to cover the convention. This is part of the Democratic Party’s overall strategy to reach young voters. Two hundred creatives received accreditations, and the “Hotties for Harris” event was just one of many happy hours and after-parties where creatives could hang out and, most importantly, create content.
“This is the future. And not just the future, because that’s how you reach a lot of young voters. It’s the future because they’re fresh and more interesting, and they don’t just want to talk about the horse race, and they don’t just want to talk about who insulted who,” says Representative Ro Khanna, who spoke to me about his interviews with creators. “They want to talk about real issues and real visions.”
Khanna is all about the creators. On Tuesday afternoon, I followed the congressman as he spoke with some of them. First, Khanna went to “Video 24,” the broadcast studio dedicated to the creators, similar to those of CNN or Fox News. There, he was greeted by Phillip DeFranco, an OG News YouTuber who was filming videos and interviews to air on his channel later this week. Then he spoke with Hasan Piker, both in the studio and during a “walk and talk” as the congressman made his way to Congress.
After the interview, I spoke with Piker about his experience covering the convention so far. Although I reported earlier this week on how some journalists were upset about access and amenities for creatives, some influencers also faced their own logistical challenges earlier in the week.
“They were very accommodating once I was able to explain what I was doing. This morning we literally had to run a direct line of Ethernet cables to the Creator Lounge upstairs,” Piker says. “I’ve basically taken over everything. I’m manning the Creator Lounge right now and doing an eight- to 10-hour livestream from there.”
But while a handful of producers are securing interviews with political leaders, some members of the press fear they will be replaced – especially as Harris has been criticized by critics for not yet making herself available for an in-depth media interview.
“I think you need both. I think there’s very intelligent, responsible journalism on TV and in print that has deep knowledge and challenges people,” Khanna says. “That’s important. And I think there are people on podcasts and content creators who are also challenging people in different ways, and that’s important.”
As Harris’ campaign team currently makes its victory lap through Chicago under pressure from the DNC, it is clear that while this was only the first convention where creatives got involved, it will likely not be the last.
The chatroom
I’m Dhruv Mehrotra, WIRED’s senior editor covering security. This week I’m at the DNC, using my phone and additional equipment to track and analyze wireless signals to determine whether police are using invasive surveillance technologies against protesters.
On Monday afternoon, thousands of demonstrators prepared to march to the Democratic National Convention to protest Israel’s deadly siege of Gaza. Hundreds of federal, state and local law enforcement officers were already waiting. Chicago police lined the approved route on their bicycles while a Chicago Police Department (CPD) helicopter hovered over the crowd, watching from above. Further down the planned route, I saw Secret Service agents as well as other Department of Homeland Security officials monitoring the situation.
