A TikToker and a world-famous TV anchor walked into an elevator together at the Democratic National Convention — and Wolf Blitzer wasn’t the one who got recognized.
“Hey, I know you,” the woman operating the elevator said. Vitus Spehar, who goes by @UnderTheDeskNews on TikTok, looked to Blitzer, the CNN anchor, before realizing the woman was talking to them.
“I thought that was pretty great,” said Spehar, who has 3.1 million followers on TikTok. “I’ll be with an anchor or politician or something and people are like, ‘UnderTheDeskNews!’ I think that’s so fun.”
The moment was indicative of an ongoing generational change in the media landscape. This year’s Democratic convention in Chicago was the first to open its doors to social media content creators, credentialing 200 of them for the four-day event in an effort to connect with younger audiences.
Creators were granted full access to the United Center, giving them the creative freedom to organically share their convention experiences with their audiences while also interacting with surrogates and VIP attendees. All week, creators have been uploading videos and livestreaming their behind-the-scenes experiences. Some, like Spehar, focused on daily, digestible news updates. Others shared more humorous videos of themselves lip-syncing or dancing.
The convention gave the content creators no rules about what kind of content they could make, and many of the social media personalities have used the opportunity to have fun while they educated their audiences about whom they can expect to see on the ballot in November. Convention organizers also tapped several creators to speak, including Gen Z activist Olivia Julianna.
Quentin Jiles, creator and host of the breaking news podcast “The Queue With Que,” said that indicates a shift in how creators are being perceived.
“To me, this says something that the Democratic Party is holding space for people that want to do this as a profession, and they also respect it as a profession,” he said. “We are a part of this movement, and we are driving the movement.”
Some, like Indian American lifestyle creator Vidya Gopalan (or @QueenCityTrends), were even given interview access to Vice President Kamala Harris herself. Gopalan asked about her fondest memories from her trips to India and what she is most excited about at the convention.
Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, hasn’t yet given an in-depth interview to any mainstream media outlet, which some have criticized her for.
Content creators were side by side with many journalists at the convention — but they aren’t considered news media, which caused some tension.
Some content creators were seen clapping during speeches, which breaks the nonpartisan decorum of traditional journalism. Some reporters said there weren’t enough electrical outlets for the journalists and the influencers.
There was also a designated creator lounge that included a “Harris-Walz” backdrop with ring lights. The space, a restaurant in the arena, had plenty of people and free food, including chicken tenders and fries, fruit platters, cheese and crackers, nuts, potato chips and beer on tap.
Creators also had a special area on the convention floor close to the stage to conduct interviews and record content.
Creators who spoke with NBC News said they thought it was smart for convention organizers to include nontraditional personalities. Many expressed excitement that they were able to take part in a historic moment.
A recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that about half of TikTok users under age 30 say they use it to keep up with politics and news. About 45% of TikTok users “say they see at least some content about politics or political issues on the platform,” according to Pew.
“People are on their phones 24 hours a day, you know, the minute they wake up to the minute before falling asleep,” said Sulhee Jessica Woo, a TikTok creator who grew her following of over 5 million with videos of her making bento boxes. “So, you know, people get a lot of information from creators.”
Woo has shared a few videos on TikTok and Instagram, where she also collaborated with the Harris campaign’s “Creators for Kamala” account.
Content creator Jamel Franklin at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Wednesday. Brandon Bell / Getty Images
Even creators who don’t specialize in political content said they believe their videos could help generate excitement for Harris and the vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
“If we’re the entryway for someone to learn more or want to vote, then that’s iconic,” said Grant Gibbs, who makes content with Ashley Gill.
The duo, known for their viral TikTok song “Twink and a Redhead,” have primarily made raunchier content at the convention. While they said they don’t anticipate that their convention content will sway anyone who was already planning to vote for former President Donald Trump, they hope they can persuade some people who are on the fence to turn out for Harris.
“Maybe someone who doesn’t know if they’re going to vote, I feel like we’re targeting maybe those people,” Gill said. “Like young Gen Z people, if this is their first time voting — we want to make voting fierce.”
Elleiana Green reported from Omaha, Nebraska, Kalhan Rosenblatt from New York City and Alex Seitz-Wald from Chicago.
