Vice President Kamala Harris has sat down for interviews with popular podcasters and gossip sites in recent weeks as part of her stepped-up efforts to reach black voters as she battles Donald Trump for the presidency.
His decision to appear on The Shade Room and other less traditional platforms left many scratching their heads. But it’s a strategy to reach young, Black voters who increasingly turn to social media for news.
The speeches are part of an effort by Harris and running mate Tim Walz to “reach black Americans where they are and connect with black communities across the country through a variety of mediums on the issues that matter most to them,” Jasmine Harris, director of Black Media, said. The Harris-Walz campaign said in an emailed statement.
After that, Harris was slow to reach out to traditional media He took over the Democratic presidential campaign from President Joe Biden in July.
He has appeared on night and day television, appearing on CBS News’ 60 Minutes and Fox News’ Bret Baier in interviews with Bill Whitaker, along with podcasts such as Alex Cooper’s Call. “Her Daddy” and “All the Smoke” hosted by former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. He recently attended an interview freelance journalist Roland Martinspoke with Charlamagne Tha God A one-hour radio town hall on iHeartRadio and He sat down with The Shade Room’s Justin Carter for a chat about his recently announced plan aims to support black men.
The images caused confusion among some social network users. One person He wrote in X“Please tell me Kamala Harris didn’t actually get an interview from the Shadow Room.” Another shared similar sentiments, writing“Why does Kamala’s team make her talk to Charlamagne and the Chamber of Shadows?”
“Both Trump and Harris’ campaigns relied on cultural podcasts, entertainment media and talk shows, all of which can play a key role in activating certain segments of the voting population,” Republican strategist Matthew Bartlett said. told NBC News this week.
A A report from Pew Research Wednesday found that young people trust social media for their news as much as national news outlets. 52 percent of respondents under the age of 30 said they trust information from social media a lot or to some extent. While black Americans report getting their news from a variety of sources, 35% say they turn to social media sites to stay informed. Pew reported last year.
in June, Onyx effectA nonprofit that fights misinformation within the black community has released what it calls the first deep dive. Combating disinformation targeting Black Americans Through black online spaces. He found popular Black influencers, podcasts and programs like The Breakfast Club (co-hosted by Charlamagne), The Shade Room, The Joe Budden Podcast, The Stephen A. Smith Show, and others. Reaching an estimated 41 million people in total can serve as a platform for malicious actors to spread disinformation.
Harris uses Black alternative media platforms that reach millions of young people in the weeks following the presidential election. The latest National NBC News survey It left Trump and Harris deadlocked, both with 48% support among registered voters. is a change from An NBC News poll in SeptemberIt found Harris ahead of Trump by 5 percentage points. While Trump has turned away from the mainstream media and toward conservative media, Harris has expanded his reach across the political spectrum.
Officials from both the Harris and Trump campaigns told NBC News that Harris is trying to persuade undecided voters, and that both candidates are moving away from traditional sales pitches to culturally relevant ones to woo unlikely voters. That’s likely what led Harris to The Shade Room, which has more than 29 million Instagram followers and is known for its celebrity gossip and derogatory headlines. The popular gossip site is also often criticized is a disinformation center.
The Shade Room did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Harris announced the Black Male Opportunity Agenda, a plan to address economic disparities and create mentorship programs for Black men. He has spoken extensively about the plan in recent interviews in an attempt to appeal to black male voters. A request New York Times and Siena College It found that Harris fared better among black female voters, with 83% supporting him, compared to 70% of black men.
Jasmine Harris pointed to an agenda aimed at black men when asked about the vice president’s speeches in black online spaces. He said, “With Election Day less than 30 days away, the stakes in this election for black Americans are too high for anyone to stay home and sit out this election. “
Kamala Harris admits waning support in an interview with Charlamagne Tha God.
“It’s a margin of error race,” he said. “I will win, but it will be very difficult.”