‘Creator Credentials’ And The Rising Legitimacy Of Content Creators

Around 200 content creators have been given "creator credentials" to this year's Democratic National Convention in Chicago. It's a first for any major political party, and it's a good example of how established organizations are working with new paradigms in the information economy. 

What Creator Credentials Entail 

Similar to journalists covering the convention, these creator credentials provide special access to events and attendees, as well as a dedicated spot on the floor to better engage with the convention. But also like journalist credentials, creator credentials don't come with any compensation, even for housing and transportation.

So it's not that the Democratic party is paying content creators to make content around the event, but they are providing them with the type of accommodating circumstances typically reserved for established news outlets.

In other words, content creators either incur the costs to attend the event by themselves or they seek third party sponsorship. On the DNCC website, the organization says it's all about access. "Similar to traditional media, the DNCC will provide credentialed creators with logistical assistance tailored to their needs, allowing them to cover the convention, connect with surrogates and VIPs, and share the convention experience with their audiences in a way that suits their media consumption and sharing styles. The DNCC will also provide access to convention video clips and content to creators and traditional media alike who will cover the event remotely."

There's no word on how many creators applied or what the DNCC was specifically looking for when determining whether to give the creator credentials out. But if it's anything similar to journalist credentials, these creators likely needed to prove a dedication to the craft, demonstrate an audience, and show that they had a relevant need to be there.

Of note, and in line with the DNCC's claim that this new outreach campaign is about access, they also created an opportunity for "remote" access to creators who couldn't make it to Chicago but still seemed like a good fit. "We are committed to engaging Americans across the country and making our convention accessible to creators like you. In additional to on-location opportunities, we will also invite content creators to cover the convention remotely and gain access to our Digital Creators Lounge (online) featuring program highlights, clips, and curated content," the site says.

How Creator Credentials Reinforce The Diversification Of The Information Economy

If the above heading sounds like a mouthful of jargon, well, welcome to 2024. But it's true — there's an entire business apparatus around the creation and dissemination of information. Unfortunately, in the past 10 years that industry has also increasingly included the creation and spread of misinformation, often for nothing more than financial gain. 

Whether it's objective journalism, echo chamber feel-good fluff, or rage-baiting misinformation, the Internet is full of it. And it's building careers. As we've talked about before, more people than ever are getting their news primarily from social media. This is both an exciting and a precarious development. 

On the one hand, reaching people where they already are is always going to be a better path to creating an engaged populace. And typically, when people engage with their local and national governments, positive developments happen (even if over a long period of time). On the other hand, well, it's easier more than ever to be misleading or lie to the point that full grown adults who should know better can't even agree on fundamentals of reality. 

But ultimately, when content creators are given access to resources typically reserved for journalists, it means they're being taken seriously as not just a source of influence, but a source of information.

So Are Political Parties Hiring Influencers Now Or What?

We certainly wouldn't go so far as to say they are "hiring" anybody, but they clearly recognize the value of trying to reach an audience that probably has less interest in the traditional outlets politicians usually appear on. While the Democratic Party went to great steps to legitimize content creators at their convention, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has been spending an increasing amount of time appearing alongside high profile (and often controversial) content creators.

Trump has made appearances alongside people like Jake Paul and Adin Ross and he's re-engaged with Twitter. Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump also both joined TikTok only a few months ago. 

Of course, politicians have always gone to different lengths to court younger voters. As many content creators skew younger, it's easy to see some of this as just another ploy to get votes. But even in the most cynical interpretation, these developments still show the rapidly increasing value of the creator economy. Even 10 years ago, the idea of creating content for a living, or at the very least a sizable component of building a brand, was seen as a long-shot strategy with not much viability in the "traditional" world. 

But now, creators of all backgrounds and influences are building legitimate careers out of seemingly endless opportunities that intersect with established, legacy institutions. And yeah, some of them are still just doing really fun dances.