Why isn’t Kamala Harris talking to the media?

Is Kamala Harris shunning the media? It depends on who you ask — and, perhaps more broadly, what you define as “media.”
In the four weeks since President Joe Biden suspended his reelection bid and endorsed Harris, the vice president has not done a single sit-down interview and has limited her media appearances to occasional gaggles between events. It’s been enough to send much of the media into a frenzy: The industry’s intellectual gatekeepers have each produced pieces questioning the campaign’s decision. Reporters are pestering the Harris campaign, asking for answers. The Washington Post editorial board published a list of questions it would ask the Democratic nominee, if ever given the chance.
At this week’s Democratic National Convention, an already aggrieved media class feels shafted by logistical headaches. The number of assigned workspaces inside the arena is much smaller than at last months’ Republican National Convention. The internet connection is spotty, at best. And some media members waited hours to get into the arena due to long lines both days.
The circumstances are so poor, Semafor reported, that the Standing Committee of Correspondents — Washington journalists’ apolitical representative — held a “tense call” with Democrats to plead for more access, to no avail. “We are concerned that the decision to reduce dedicated and accessible workspace by hundreds compared to prior conventions will hinder journalists’ ability to cover the historic nature of this convention,” the SCC said in a statement.
There is one media group, however, getting the red-carpet treatment at the convention: content creators.
The DNC offered credentials to 200 social media influencers and online celebrities to cover the convention. While print, periodical and radio journalists are seated high above in the arena’s upper concourse, influencers are seated in a private box on the convention floor, in front of some delegates. They have access to a private workstation, dubbed the “creator lounge,” for mingling and recording podcasts.
The move is part of a larger strategy to reach a younger, more diverse audience — and a recognition that the way Americans access news is changing.
“We are leveling the playing field between content creators and traditional media, and ensuring that more Americans than ever before are able to experience and engage with this critical part of our Democratic process,” said Cayana Mackey-Nance, the Democratic National Convention Committee director of digital strategy, in a statement in June.
While the push to credential content creators began long before Harris sat atop the Democratic ticket, Harris’ rise — and her popularity among young, progressive social media users — has folded into the strategy seamlessly. In May, according to an analysis by the New York Times, pro-Trump posts on TikTok nearly doubled pro-Biden ones in number; shortly after Biden dropped out and endorsed Harris in late July, the social media giant was flooded with pro-Harris content almost overnight.
In the meantime, Harris has enjoyed a rise in the polls and an uptick in her favorability, a trend some credit to the onslaught of positive social media content. Without having to engage with the traditional press, Harris can reach a swath of voters — many of them young — while avoiding answering tough questions. And much of the content can be manufactured in-house by her campaign’s content team.
“You have to go to social media to reach these young people, because they’re not going to see you on a nighttime news show,” Link Lauren, a TikToker and former senior adviser on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign, told me.
Lauren, whose political punditry account on TikTok has amassed over 500,000 followers, noted that a majority of young people get their news from social media. Engaging with traditional media, he reasoned, wouldn’t move the needle with young voters. “In fact, a lot of young people don’t know who a lot of these mainstream pundits are,” he said.
It’s hard to know if it matters to other Democratic voters, either. Kevin Morrison, a Cook County, Illinois commissioner, said that Harris has had “a lot to do” since becoming the nominee, and engaging with traditional media doesn’t seem to be a priority. “I think she’s doing exactly what she needs to do,” Morrison, a delegate at the DNC, said. “It’s working pretty well.”
Gary Warren, a delegate from Louisiana, agreed. “If you look at the results of what she’s achieved in such a short period, from improving her polling numbers to historic fundraising to bringing women into the fold, her campaign so far is successful,” he said. “She doesn’t need to change much.”
But young voters aren’t known for turning out, and older voters — who more reliably show up on election day — still expect candidates to answer tough questions posed by journalists. Is Harris ignoring these voters?
Even Lauren, the TikToker, acknowledges Harris’ current strategy lacks depth. He thinks her social media content could be more informative. “I think they’re undervaluing the intelligence of young people in this country by just putting out these silly memes and funny videos on TikTok,” he said. “They should be using this audience to portray substance and how she’s going to get things done.”
Lauren suggested creating brief, punchy videos summarizing Harris’ policies to address issues that matter to young people, like the housing market or affordable education.
“What I’ve learned in politics is young people will share substantive content, if you have a great video speaking to their issues and how you’re going to help them,” he said.