Unless you live under a rock, your news feed has been dominated by the upcoming presidential election and opinions about the respective images and branding embodied by the candidates. What seems different this time is the extent of the celebrity endorsement/influencer attempts to impact voter decision-making. (While at the same time, certain newspapers are deciding not to endorse a specific candidate, which has resulted in significant backlash and even journalist resignations.) It seems like we’re entering a new political world.

As summarized by theSkimm in its morning newsletter:

“[S]ocial media creators (who prefer ring lights) have also weighed in and cashed in. They’ve posted red, white, and blue-clad convention selfies and shared messages paid for by political groups, but unlike their ads for bronzer and athleisure, they don’t always disclose who’s paying them to talk policy. And they are getting paid…sometimes up to $5,000 or $15,000 for a single TikTok, according to The Washington Post. That’s if they’re not getting paid for every person they get to register to vote. As political campaigns and PACs pour millions into the influencer economy, regulatory oversight is almost nonexistent. When political candidates or groups put an ad on TV, they’re required to say ‘I approve this message.’ That’s not the case when an influencer gets paid to share political content, even though they’d have to disclose a paid promotion for, say, a fancy advent calendar. And let’s face it: many trust their favorite influencers to tell them what to buy more than random billboard ads — even if they’re just buying into a message. Despite talk of the ‘era of de-influencing,’ many politicos view influencers as the ‘next frontier in political campaigning.’ Still, some states, like Texas, have started to crack down on influencer political ads, amid concerns that creators could spread misinformation and even propaganda.”

An article on Wired.com contains charts showing which influences are influencing voters politically and references a survey stating that “at least one in every four creators was approached by political campaigns and organizations to produce political content ahead of the 2024 election.” This is surely a brave new world (and either way, I think we’re all ready for the election to be over).