They Did This To Themselves
Our media's pearl-clutching reached new levels last week.
We should not be surprised. After all, legacy media was hoping, nay praying, for a 1968 Chicago redux. They wanted nothing more than for tens of thousands of disgruntled pro-Palestine supporters to break the barricades and storm the United Center for the entire world to see. With no hope of having a brokered convention, this was their last chance to paint Democrats in disarray, a viewpoint that they continue to put forth as much as is humanly possible. They wanted drama, not a party united behind its nominee. For four days our legacy media sat disgruntled, relegated to the nosebleeds while new content creators took their seats and their thunder. With a new generation utilizing a new medium, legacy media was on the outside looking in with no hope of covering the chaos that they so desperately wanted to see. After four drama-free days the Democratic Party was united behind a historic candidate and our media was left having one giant sadz. They would have preferred something, anything really, to upset the convention and to create some sort of sensationalized story. When it didn't happen, they were left feeling distraught while Democrats were left in utter excitement and joy.
Here's the thing: legacy media has nobody to blame but themselves. For the past 8 years, we've seen even the most "liberal" of news outlets skew its coverage in favor of Donald Trump. They've normalized his criminality while simultaneously holding Democrats to an impossible standard. Positive economic news has time and time again been downplayed while any story that fits the "Democrats in disarray" narrative has been needlessly elevated. They've ignored strong polls for Joe Biden and now Kamala Harris while featuring historically unreliable polls that favor Donald Trump. They've become a parody of themselves with Twitter users like DougJBalloon now pitching fictitious headlines that have become real. While legacy media begs and pleads for Kamala Harris to grant them interviews they ignore the fact that Donald Trump hasn't conducted a single press conference in 8 years when he actually answers questions instead of lying and falling back on his boilerplate talking points that have nothing to do with what was asked. Time and time again they have put their thumb on the scale with the hope that at the very least, the race will be close which for them is all they need in their ratings- and advertisement-driven business model.
They made their choice. Willingly. And while they did this, they alienated a generation of up-and-coming Democratic Party supporters who saw firsthand what the media did to Hillary Clinton in 2016. These supporters saw the misogyny and sexism that seeped into the coverage of Clinton's campaign. They saw the impossible standard she was held to. They saw how her detailed policy knowledge was painted in a negative light rather than an obvious strength. They saw the media's monomaniacal obsession with Clinton's emails while simultaneously ignoring the fact that Donald Trump was an obvious national security risk. These supporters knew that if given the chance, the media would intentionally derail any woman seeking the nomination in 2020. They knew they would have to organize before it was too late.
That's why when the strong, intelligent, biracial Kamala Harris arrived on the scene, a group of Harris supporters emerged to protect her at all costs. Known as the KHive, this group led predominantly by Black women came forth on Twitter and social media to combat misinformation about then-Senator Harris. This group was fiercely loyal and would provide instant pushback to any media figure or news outlet that was intentionally distorting Kamala Harris' record. When Harris withdrew from the race, they continued to support her from behind the scenes. When she was rumored to be among the finalists for the VP position, they reemerged and again fought off misinformation from the whole "Kamala is a cop" trope to those insinuating that Harris somehow slept her way to the top. When Harris was named VP, the KHive rightfully celebrated but knew that the misogynoir they witnessed was only the beginning. They would have to remain vigilant, knowing that both the GOP and the media would continue their assault on Harris' character in the years to come.
As someone who is KHive adjacent, I can say that these individuals are some of the best and brightest minds that exist today in the Democratic Party. Not only are they successfully using Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok to produce content, but they are policy savvy and can dispel information practically in real-time. They are more than online Harris cheerleaders; they are supporters who understand how both Republicans and the media have weaponized their misogynoir in a way that attempts to derail Harris' political career. They are the kind of fact-checkers that many of us wish the media actually employed. They are needed simply because our media would rather be the ones doing the attacking than the ones fending off the attacks. Legacy media needs its drama and that drama is largely a product of rich White men wanting to tear down strong Black women. The KHive knows this and knows its role is to protect these Black women at all costs.
Last week, many of these KHive members were the content creators who "stole" the seats of legacy media at the Democratic Convention. I, for one, could not be happier. Because they have earned their seat at the table. Not simply for being Harris fangirls and fanboys but for doing the job that the media failed to do: actually investing in candidates and asking questions that advance the conversation. Many of these KHive members were seen on the blue carpet last week, interviewing attendees and asking them poignant questions such as when they first met Kamala Harris and what was their initial impression of her. These simple, to-the-point questions could not be done by legacy media because that would require them to go into the convention with an open mind instead of having their story already written. Whenever a candidate emerges onto the national scene, people want to know what she or he is like when the cameras aren't running. It was KHive members, social media influencers, and content creators who understood this assignment and not legacy media.
This is to be expected. Legacy media no longer understands how to be impartial in its political coverage. While they bitch and moan about seating assignments and a lack of direct access to Vice-President Harris, the fact is that they have done absolutely nothing to get in the good graces of today's Democratic Party. Their skewed coverage of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and their incessant demand that they take priority has proven them to be unserious people. In 2024, no candidate needs to sit down for a The New York Times interview to win the presidency. That irrelevance irks them. It hurts their soul. It pains them to know that they are no longer the only game in town. New content creators and influencers have arrived on the scene because, unlike legacy media, they understand that viewers don't want consistently skewed coverage. Viewers don't want media to both sides and horserace every single national election. They want news coverage that is fair and just and actually provides information as a public service. In 2024, it is content creators and social media influencers that are providing this and not legacy media. Legacy media has failed to keep up with the times and the Democratic Party fully understands this.
The 2024 Democratic National Convention will long be remembered. It may very well change the face of what conventions look like moving forward. With its concert-like feel and atmosphere, the convention radiated a sense of joy that has become the central theme of the Harris/Walz campaign. While legacy media pouted in their corner, a new generation of content creators were finally given the chance to prove what they could do and they did so with flying colors. At a time when traditional media is struggling to attract new readers, the Harris/Walz campaign is reaching voters where they get their news: Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, among others. They understand where the country is headed. They understand where and how Gen-Z gets its news. And they understand that by and large, the American people are tired of the way legacy media has completely downplayed the threat to democracy that Donald Trump and the Republican Party represent.
Giving them the cheap seats at the convention was honestly more than they deserved.
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