During the inaugural White House Creator Economy Conference, the guest who garnered the most attention was none other than President Joe Biden himself, highlighting the significant influence of social media influencers in shaping societal views.
“It was only a few months back that I started really paying attention to your work,” confessed President Biden to the assembled content creators. He shared an anecdote about his granddaughter urging him to understand the immense opportunity social media presents for widespread communication.
“She phoned me up and said, ‘Pop, you need to listen to these folks,’ meaning all of you. And that’s the main reason I wanted to bring you here to the White House.”
The president, echoing his granddaughter’s sentiments, validated their viewpoint with data from the Pew Research Center revealing that nearly half of U.S. adults get their news from social media at least occasionally, which significantly includes contributions from creators.
“There aren’t editors in the way there used to be,” Biden remarked on the contemporary media landscape. He acknowledged the challenge of making a newsworthy impact, which often doesn’t come from positive actions.
The groundbreaking nature of hosting a creator economy event within the White House cannot be overstated, showcasing a time when the distinction between digital platforms like Roku and YouTube confuses some lawmakers. Nonetheless, the Biden administration has made several gestures towards understanding and integrating creators into its political discourse. For instance, Christian Tom, the director of Digital Strategy at the White House, has become a regular at VidCon, and Biden’s campaign initiative, now part of Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign, even included a meme manager to engage with younger, digitally savvy voters.
Biden has also proactively engaged creators, briefing them on critical issues like the conflict in Ukraine and the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, demonstrating an appreciation for their influential role.
At the conference, certain creators voiced support for legislative efforts like the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which seeks to impose responsibilities on social media platforms but raises concerns about impacting digital privacy and anonymity. Neera Tanden, White House domestic policy advisor, along with creators Lexi Hidalgo and Jackie Aina, stressed the potential drawbacks of allowing anonymity on social platforms.
Biden underscored the importance of mental health in his message to creators, but focused primarily on the necessity of maintaining their audience’s trust.
“The challenge is becoming the sheer volume of falsehoods casting doubt on what to trust,” noted President Biden. He commended the creators for breaking through communication barriers in influential ways, humorously adding, “That’s why you’re here at the White House. I’m considering a career change,” he joked.
He highlighted the stark difference between mainstream press and new media, with around 100 innovators, stakeholders, and creators, including those who author independent newsletters, gathered in the Indian Treaty Room. In contrast, the traditional media observed from a designated press area.
“Is that the genuine press or not?” he queried humorously, ensuring everyone knew it was in jest.
Biden offered the floor to audience questions but limited this to non-press members.
“Should any non-press individuals have a query for me, feel free to ask. Keeping on topic, I might not delve into foreign policy concerns at this moment,” he remarked.
When a press member intruded with a question about Venezuelan politics, it led to the press pool being promptly escorted away, a move that further distinguished new media from traditional in Biden’s perspective.
“The greatest strength you possess, which I hope you retain, is trustworthiness,” Biden concluded, underscoring the unique influence creators have.
Compiled by Techarena.au.
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