PP4: Wild Card

 The Rise of Political Influencers

A cartoon of a variety of different political influencers from WIRED. 

As social media has emerged as a platform for political opinions to thrive, so has the rise of political influencers. These influencers utilize their online presence to sway public opinion and expand political ideologies. Unlike traditional political pundits or journalists, political influencers connect with their audiences through more natural and entertaining means. The influx of these political influencers on platforms such as X, YouTube, and TikTok has transformed the way that we engage in political discourse in the digital age. 

Political influencers come from all sides of the political spectrum. Individuals such as Steven Crowder, who appeals to the right, Hasan Piker, who appeals to the left, and the collaborative podcast hosts Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti, who appeal to the middle, create various forms of content on social media platforms in an attempt to resonate with their respective demographics. 

Social media has allowed political influencers to share their thoughts freely without the need for traditional broadcasting networks or rules. These figures solidify their online presence most often by going viral, which leads them to grow an audience of like-minded viewers, as well as set them as a target or an ally for other political influencers. Viewers find political influencers more relatable and understandable than professional political pundits or journalists, aiding in creating a sort of fanbase for the influencer. 

Steven Crowder, a conservative influencer, started his career out in comedy and eventually moved on to become a successful YouTuber in 2006. On the platform, he began creating short, humorous videos on various political issues around the world, with his first ever published video being over the Israel-Hamas conflict (GO TEAM ISRAEL! (featuring Obama's moobs) from StevenCrowder). 

Later on, in 2016, Crowder gained even more success when he launched his podcast, Louder with Crowder, which is available on multiple streaming platforms. On this podcast, Crowder gives his input on various political topics and features a range of guests such as Kevin Hodge, Dan Crenshaw, and Dave Rubin, to name a few. His YouTube has amassed over 5 million subscribers over the years, and his podcast is extremely popular. He is also active on the X platform, with over 2 million followers. 

One of his most recent episodes on the fall of Syria (Video Link in Photo).

Hasan Piker is a leftist influencer who supports socialist strategies. He began his career working in various progressive news media and eventually started his own video series called The Breakdown, which streamed on Facebook and YouTube. Piker really established traction when clips of his Twitch streams started going viral on TikTok in 2020, and, in that year, he had the opportunity to stream with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez before the election. 

On his Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok, Piker debates a plethora of different political issues around the world. He has amassed over 2 million followers on Twitch, over 1 million subscribers on YouTube, and over 1 million followers on TikTok. His main demographic is young, progressive audiences. 

One of his most recent videos over the apparent drone sightings in New Jersey (Video Link in Photo). 

Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti host the podcast Breaking Points, which serves as a middle-ground for seeing political issues from all angles. Both of the hosts have a history in political media, with Ball being a commentator and Enjeti being a journalist and commentator. Ball harbors a more leftist perspective, while Enjeti has a more conservative perspective, which aids them in finding a more moderate position on various issues. 

They stream this podcast from multiple platforms, including YouTube, where they have over 1 million subscribers. Their podcast has featured guests such as Andrew Yang, Dr. Jill Stein, and Cenk Uygur, to name a few. Breaking Points features episodes multiple times a week, providing reporting and commentary on current news around the world. 

One of their most recent videos on online gambling (Video Link in Photo). 

One of the main issues with the rise of political influencers is that their content is not subject to the same standards as professionally broadcasted commentators. A lack of regulation can lead to the spreading of misinformation, leaving viewers with an unclear view on a variety of issues. A TEDx Talks video featuring public figure Dominick Delpech analyzes the misleading information that influencers create on social media:

Video Link in Photo. 

All of these political influencers and commentators utilize social media strategies to popularize their content. Their platforms have a major impact on how the public forms opinions over various political concerns and represent how digital media has changed the way that people consume political ideologies. As political influencers continue to grow over the next few years, it is essential to understand how their influence can impact political discourse.