What They Get Wrong About Political Content Creators

After seeing the fifth article from a journalist about political influencers come across my feed today, I opened my Substack and decided to write something. I have so many thoughts. How each and every article about the “infestation” or “propaganda” (their words not mine) of content creators has gotten a key piece wrong. OR how the writers rarely look like me or the content creators they punch down at. No one seems to mention the inherent conflict involved when journalists write about content creators, the people that some claim are “taking their jobs” (we aren’t). Here are a few things they continue to get wrong about us.

We Are Not Their Enemy

A few weeks ago I met with members of the Black Press and talked about how I have been able to utilize social media. As a content creator who talks about news, I started with the premise of “traditional media and content creators work well together.” I am more likely to highlight a news story that has been vetted by a well respected mainstream media source. Citing to the article and encouraging people to read the article in full. My approach would be more like a pundit sharing my thoughts on the article and the impact that it could have on the Black community for example. Whereas a reporter would be sharing the facts, and would likely not opine.

I am a one woman show and recognize that mainstream media has resources that my operation could never afford. Databases like Lexis Nexis that allow you to complete background check information. Research assistants that can spend time digging for additional information. Mainstream media is not perfect, but it is still needed!

Woman Dominated Space

I started blogging eleven years ago, as a food blogger in Houston. There was no clout to get, no six figure incomes at the time. You were weird if you took pictures of your food, but today people understand it more. Even still, blogging, content creation or influencing, has always been dominated by women. What we know about women dominated fields?? They rarely get any respect.

My page has shifted over the years to cover a lot more than food, but things I learned then still hold true now. Women are still overrepresented in these spaces (GOOD). Our society still does not value the work that women do, so this contributes to the negative biases that are associated with content creation. I hear people talk about content creation similarly to how they discuss stay at home moms. “That’s not real work.” or “Anyone could do that.” If it was so easy… you would all do it.

Democratization of Political News

And here is the piece that reporters do not want to be honest about. This diverse army of content creators, many of whom are women and also people of color, are busting down doors and gaining access to spaces that were generally occupied by the old boys club.

A fellow content creator friend talks about what it takes to get into the political consulting class. A few years of unpaid internships in Washington DC to build your resume and connections. Who can afford an unpaid internship and housing in a pricy city like Washington DC? I can tell you these barriers do not often yield a class of consultants as diverse as America. Political consultants drive so much of politics including the stories we hear in our media and the candidates on our ballots. If the top is not diverse, what is filtering out to us in the general public?

With content creation so many of those barriers are removed. It allows people from non-traditional backgrounds to talk about politics and share their unique perspectives directly to the public. No one in a corner office gets to decide if our voices are important. We see people of color amplify the experiences of their communities since their stories are often left out of newsrooms. For the general public, they are clamoring to content creators that look like them and are from their city/state/neighborhood. This is something that mainstream media has never completely gotten right and under the Anti-DEI movement, they are no longer investing in this. So of course people are looking for other options.

Accessibility of Content Creators

While watching the Eric Swalwell story unfold people seemed very confused on how Mrs. Frazzled received all of this information. That was the least bit surprising to me. People drop insights into my inbox daily. Some of it is unlikely rumors, some of it is things I would never share (doxxing information) and every so often it is really important information to pass on to my wider audience.

This is because content creators are arguably more accessible than traditional media. The approach to telling these political stories is generally face to camera, much like a facetime with a friend. Followers often see their favorite creator as “their friend in their head.” These parasocial relationships create a level of trust with these creators where people will share things as casually as their share things with their own friends.

I actually asked my audience, who would you go to with a major news story? Many said independent media, local on-air reporters that they trust to break stories and content creators. Another creator friend noted that the demise of Twitter hurt the accessibility of traditional journalists to every day people. In short, people seek out media they know, trust and can easily contact.

This is for Clout

Now I can’t speak for everyone and will note that there are some creators in the political space that seem motivated by dollars and access, but for the vast majority that is not the case.

I shifted to more political content because I saw the need within my own community. I built a platform where most of my audience were Black women professionals like myself. When Trump got in office, I slipped in some political commentary and slowly but surely people asked for more. I found that many people did not have the capacity to follow the news how I did and for some the legal breakdowns of things like impeachment were helpful.

As a food blogger, I was more brand safe and received invites to a more wide range of stuff. I got to be media at top food festivals or travel to places like Lake Tahoe with the tourism bureau. Today, I guess I may get invited to the DNC?? If clout and dollars were my only motivation, I would have stuck with food blogging. I do this work because it is valuable and I have a commitment to helping my community.

The Switch Up

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not note this. EVERY campaign that has disparaged creators first reached out to those same creators at the start of their campaigns. So when people challenge content creators’ purpose or influence at the behest of these politicians I must remind you that these same politicians see the value of our platforms and want to USE our platforms to push their campaigns.

This also shows the integrity of these creators! Despite initial connections with the campaign, we have still continued to be honest and open with our audiences. Some will say well the campaigns cannot trust us, and to that I say, if we were some shady operators and the campaigns willingly gave us access you should question their discernment. But the reality is we are not. We are REAL people that have built audiences based on trust and accuracy. We are busting down doors that were often closed to people who look like us and dem haters don’t like that (sing the song if you know it!)

Final Thoughts

My “favorite” part of all of this, they post their articles on social media hoping to rage bait us into reposting and upping their clicks. So you see, they too understand the symbiotic relationship between content creators and traditional media.

Also, shout out to the Black Press, because where traditional media seems threatened by content creators, the Black Press continues to embrace us. I think because if anyone gets the need to have unique diverse voices AND bust down the old boys club, it is the Black press. Check out this article from the Forward Times about the work, me and my friend Courtney of Courthouse Couture do as political content creators.