Democratic National Convention will credential social media influencers as it courts youth vote

WASHINGTON — Gen Z'ers, start your filters.

The Democratic National Committee is giving content creators who are active on various apps a chance to showcase their online personas at its August convention in Chicago.

Social media influencers can receive media credentials similar to traditional news outlets, the party announced. The credentials will give them access to key spaces at the United Center, where the convention is being held.

They will also be allowed to connect with surrogates and VIPs.

The new initiative is one of the many ways the Biden campaign, which has been dogged by concerns about the president's age, is trying to reach younger voters amid the changing and fractured media landscape. In February, for instance, the campaign has debuted its official TikTok account.

“Creators have revolutionized the way Americans consume information and content, and their innovations will continue to play a critical role in how the American people view not only this election cycle, but every election cycle moving forward,” said Cayana Mackey-Nance, the committee’s digital strategy director, in the press release.

“We are leveling the playing field between content creators and traditional media, and ensuring that more Americans than ever before are able to experience and engage with this critical part of our Democratic process,” she added.

Matt Hill, the committee’s senior director of communications, said in the release that when the convention plays out, “Biden’s record of progress and hopeful vision for the future will stand in stark contrast to Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans’ chaos and division.”

“We are meeting Americans where they are and making sure they know what’s on the line in November, no matter how or where they see their content,” he said.

Numerous polls show Biden losing the support of younger voters for his handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, the economy and other issues. For instance, a Harvard Youth Poll, conducted among 2,010 18-29-year-olds, found that Biden would outperform Trump 50% to 37% among registered young voters and 56% to 37% among likely young voters.

By contrast, the president had a much higher lead at this stage during the 2020 election, according to the poll. 60% of likely young voters under 30 supported Biden while only 30% supported Trump.

Staff writer Phillip M. Bailey contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: DNC to credential social media influencers in bid to win over Gen Z