Media MVPs This Election Season
By Kristina Bannan, Caitlin Berger, Kylie Harrington, Cameron Turner, and Randall Woods
With all the distractions of a campaign season — the rallies, conventions, debate(s), TV ads, phone calls (real and AI-generated) and more — it’s easy to forget the hardest lesson for the losing side: The success of any campaign comes down to messaging. It was true in Nixon v. Kennedy, Bush v. Gore and remains the case in Trump v. Harris: The candidate who develops messaging that resonates and sticks wins.
That’s why election season is a critical time for the news media, as outlets vie to become the most important source for campaigns to convey and amplify their messages. In fact, the stakes have grown increasingly high for the press; the financial pressure this election season is unprecedented, and gone are the days where outlets could take their relevance for granted. Now there are a growing number of mediums that are competing to become the critical microphone for candidates, as they vye for eyeballs and dollars.
It can be confusing to gauge which outlets are winning the battle for relevance in 2024, particularly as the U.S. presidential election enters its home stretch. Here’s a quick look at the media landscape’s success and failures in 2024, as told by members of the SBS Comms team:
Broadcast Interviews: Broadcast got off to a rough start this election season, with a dearth of hard-hitting interviews, and the conspicuous absence of the president’s annual Super Bowl sitdown. That of course changed after the June debate, when President Biden took to ABC and NBC news to demonstrate his acumen, and his successor – after a much-criticized gap to settle into the job – fielded questions on CNN. And while former President Trump prefers Republican-leaning outlets, his VP pick has gone toe-to-toe on tougher venues, including CNN and Face the Nation. Overall, broadcast’s appeal is a mixed bag: It’s a perfect venue to face tough questions and show off policy chops, although cautious candidates often opt for friendlier, easier venues. (Randy Woods)
TikTok: Brat Summer never would have made it to the Kamala-verse without its stronghold on TikTok. First-time voters grew up with the platform as their source of news and content – a platform we predicted earlier this year that presidential campaigns would double down on this election season. The Harris-Walz campaign continues to use viral TikTok memes to its advantage, something that I expect young voters will eat up and reference as a badge of honor alongside their “I Voted” stickers. And while we refuse to forget the context of all in which we live and what came before us (I miss you, Vine <3), some of these campaigns seem to think they just fell out of the media Coconut Tree. (Cameron Turner)
Local News: Arguably, the oldest form of media and journalism is local news. It offers an irreplaceable perspective that other outlets can’t match: the deep-rooted context of community and culture. This election season, local news outlets in the Bay Area will cling to this advantage – capturing the stories within Kamala Harris’ journey, from her Berkeley upbringing to San Francisco’s political arena. The same goes for stories on JD Vance and Tim Walz. This intimate knowledge grants local media an influential edge: their stories often serve as the foundation for broader network news coverage. As these stories gain traction beyond local boundaries, they help shape the perspectives of voters across the country, showing that local media has the power to influence the national dialogue. (Caitlin Berger)
Podcasts: Millennial and Gen Z voters get their news from a wide variety of sources, and many rely on podcasts to anchor their understanding of current events. At least 45 percent of Americans under age 49 listen to multiple podcasts per week, and a recent survey found that more than half of Gen Z listeners view podcasts as their primary connection to culture and news. The longform nature of audio content makes it a particularly sticky arena for messaging and storytelling, which can push both voters and political operatives toward action. This is a double-edged sword; while shows like Pod Save America flexed their influence in encouraging Biden to step down earlier this summer, the parasocial bond that listeners tend to create with their favorite podcast hosts can also create fertile ground for polarized opinions, misinformation and conspiracy theories. The Trump campaign has recently leaned into this parasocial aspect with wide-ranging appearances on Lex Fridman and Theo Von's shows, neither of which bill themselves as news-focused or political. This seems like a play to win over young, apolitical voters (especially young men) by showing a less-manicured side of the candidate and aligning the campaign with media figures who proudly tout their non-mainstream status. The Harris campaign has yet to book a podcast appearance, but it wouldn't be surprising to see it leverage the medium more directly to corner that young, possibly undecided demographic. I’m sure Tim Walz’s appearance on Call Her Daddy is in production as we speak. (Kylie Harrington)
Opinion Columns: Columnists started out on shaky ground, facing accusations of going soft on their picks and ignoring voter concerns about candidate readiness. But after the first presidential debate in late June, left-leaning publications – particularly the New York Times – reversed course and spoke out long before political leadership. This reminded readers of their power and relevance as independent voices willing to speak truth to power. (Kristy Bannan)
X: The platform formerly known as Twitter has hit some home runs and foul balls this election season. It justifiably bragged about beating mainstream outlets by minutes when President Biden tweeted that he was withdrawing from the race – a major scoop that moved markets and changed the course of the U.S. election. But Elon Musk’s sitdown with former President Trump suffered technical delays that were reminiscent of Ron DeSantis’ flawed launch on the platform months before. That said, X is still a major gathering place for voters, pundits and politicians, even as Musk’s endorsement of Trump and attempted takedowns of Harris tend to alienate many users. (Randy Woods)
As you can tell, there's no single medium that will dominate this election season; it’s an important lesson that campaign managers have taken to heart, and PR professionals should as well. Just like a political campaign, a product launch, funding announcement, or thought leadership push cannot rely on one medium, and must have a multi-faceted strategy to leverage the strength of each type of outlet, and mitigate the risks of others. If you land that high-tier broadcast interview, your work isn’t done, as op-eds, podcast hits, and social media strategies can amplify the all-important messaging to multiple audiences. PR teams need to stay nimble and sharp as they assess and leverage the changing media landscape.