Influencers Take Over the DNC

The Democratic National Convention organizers truly rolled retired the bluish carpet for influencers this year. Today connected the show, WIRED elder newsman Makena Kelly joins from Chicago to speech astir the Democrats’ strategy of favoring creators implicit journalists, and whether it volition assistance them triumph votes. Plus, down the scenes astatine the influencer after-parties.

Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. Makena Kelly is @kellymakena.  Write to america astatine politicslab@WIRED.com. Be definite to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here.

Mentioned this week:
The DNC Is Officially the Influencer Convention by Makena Kelly
A Visual Guide to the Influencers Shaping the 2024 Election by Makena Kelly

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Transcript

Note: This is an automated transcript, which whitethorn incorporate errors.

Leah Feiger: This is WIRED Politics Lab, a amusement astir however tech is changing politics. I'm Leah Feiger, the elder authorities exertion astatine WIRED. Today connected the show, the 2024 Democratic National Convention is astir over. Earlier this week, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama rallied Democrats astir their caller candidate.

Joe Biden [Archival audio]: Are you acceptable to ballot for freedom?

Audience: Yeah!

Joe Biden [Archival audio]: Are you acceptable to ballot for ideology and for America?

Audience: Yeah!

Joe Biden [Archival audio]And tonight, Kamala Harris volition adjacent retired the event. But dissimilar successful conventions past, each nighttime has besides featured influencers. People similar contented creator and termination rights activists, Deja Foxx.

Deja Foxx [Archival audio]: People my property are making large decisions astir our lives and we merit a president who has our back.

Leah Feiger: And Carlos Eduardo Espina, a TikToker and migration rights activist.

Carlos Eduardo Espina [Archival audio]: To beryllium pro migrant is to beryllium pro America.

Leah Feiger: 200 different contented creators are attending and posting, each invited by the DNC, to link with young voters and they anticipation assistance Kamala Harris bushed Donald Trump. Joining maine from Chicago to speech astir what's going connected astatine the DNC is WIRED elder reporter, Makena Kelly. Hey, Makena, how's it going?

Makena Kelly: I'm a small tired, but it's time 3 present astatine the normal and there's been a batch going on. A batch going on.

Leah Feiger: Fair enough. In summation to each of the DNC events during the day, you're besides going to each of the parties astatine night. How are they?

Makena Kelly: Yeah, truthful I was retired until 2:00 AM past night. The past happening connected my docket was from 10:00 to 2:00 AM and it was a enactment called Hotties for Harris, and it was thrown, it wasn't-