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Pew Research found that 50% of U.S. adults aged 18-29 say they have “a lot of/some” trust in the information that comes from social media, higher than any other age bracket. These younger generations are not sitting down for Sunday news after the weekly cartoons; they get the news shoved at them through their TikTok algorithms. In this new decentralized media environment, the center-left has struggled to establish as strong a presence as the more radical wings on both sides of the political spectrum. So, how can they keep up?
New world for news
The traditional news environment is gone, and major institutions will keep struggling as social media slowly takes over algorithms and viewers' dopamine centers. These major institutions are losing the youth as audiences turn to podcasters or influencers, or just stop interacting with news altogether, paired with decaying trust in national and local news among adults, according to Pew Research. Frankly, they will not win them back either.
Any moderate personality will struggle to gain traction online in the era of online polarization, especially given how younger generations consume the news. Pew Research shows that the 18-29 age group is the least likely to search for political news, with 70% saying they just happen to come across it, rather than search for it. For example, a one-off interaction with a post perpetuating a Jewish stereotype could lead to a slew of antisemitic content, as social media algorithms are built for retention, sending users down a political “rabbit hole.” With this in mind, any moderate ideology will struggle to gain a foothold online, as it will likely serve as a stepping stone to more radical content rather than a consistent news source.
What is more interesting: a video of a man with a microphone screaming about ‘white erasure’ and damning all Democrats to hell, or one of two opposing ideologies calmly discussing the similarities and differences in their political parties? Sensationalist content will always dominate traditional news, especially when it pops up on a ‘For You’ page rather than being searched for.
Considering this, the center-left needs to shift to a new way of winning supporters online, as many more radical leftists and populist, or often extremist, right-wingers seem to thrive.
Center-left struggles online
Moderate leftists thrived in traditional news because there was an emphasis on fact-based reporting and measured, cooperative debate. Leaders of the center-left ideological wing often favored outlets such as MSNBC and CNN, where viewers could expect rational conversations between two disagreeing parties focused on real issues. Here, statements were subject to fact-checking and backlash from an opposing opinion. Now, however, independent hosts and digital creators are not quite bound to verify the information they present, further aiding the radicalizing nature of online news.
The right wing thrives in these spaces because they, while often offensive, at least read to audiences as genuine. Meanwhile, center-left Democrats, relying on representatives in suits giving sly remarks about President Donald Trump, come off as inauthentic. Online right-wingers can often seem crude, but viewers seemingly would prefer to feel like they are listening to their kind of extreme, underdressed uncle who just lit a cigarette indoors at the Thanksgiving dinner table, rather than be lectured at by a rich suit.
Even worse, many moderate Democrats have made empty cries for a “Joe Rogan of the left,” then shunned any sort of inflammatory online persona. The closest they have gotten is Hasan Piker, the most popular left-wing personality online. Democrats have continuously ostracized him for utilizing the online populism that is so popular in digital news, and for being too progressive. For example, some representatives have criticized their Democratic colleagues like Rep. Ilhan Omar, Abdul El-Sayed, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani for campaigning with Piker.
Now, the center-left does not need to become more radical to gain an audience, but making influencers like Piker outcasts while scrambling for a voice online tells young left-leaning voters there is no place for any ideology but one that is moderate and in line with the establishment. Especially when progressive views in the Democratic Party are increasingly popular. At the very least, Democrats and the center-left should accept progressives into their scope and implement some populist talking points.
What the center-left can do
Center-left political figures and influencers can utilize this growing polarization by cooperating with more progressive or radical figures. If the center-left prioritized platforming progressives, they could create an online political environment that emphasizes collaboration and healthy discourse, without shunning the growing progressive wing of the Democratic Party. Democrats need a new image online, and showing that they engage with popular progressive policies and are willing to discuss those ideas in environments different from their typical friendly, non-offensive appearances could dismantle their perception of inauthenticity.
Political influencers online will only continue to grow as the media landscape shifts toward a more decentralized model. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has the right idea on using social media, but the execution is poor. On his YouTube channel “This Is Gavin Newsom,” he interviews online creators, political colleagues, and even right-wing figureheads like Steve Bannon. Democrats should take Newsom's idea of building cooperation with online influencers, but instead focus on platforming progressives for discussion and open disagreement.
Pairing a shift to building online reputations with collaborating with progressives could help them thrive in the mystical algorithms that amplify content that is either more radical or “exciting.” Democrats do not need inflammatory comments to fit into that algorithm, but maybe they just need to openly disagree with those making inflammatory comments, rather than retreating to friendly media environments they are comfortable in.
However, the center-left and Democratic representatives will likely be hesitant to prioritize reaching out to the left. The right has seen immense success online, with influencers like Joe Rogan, Matt Walsh, and Tucker Carlson popularizing right-wing discourse. The success comes from inflammatory comments and an air of authentic, casual conversation, as well as a willingness to have open, sometimes combative, conversations.
For example, the popular podcast Pod Save America, which began as a relatively moderate program led by former President Barack Obama staffers, has slowly broadened its political scope to include a progressive “big tent.” Since then, they have only grown in popularity. Final message for Democrats: reach out to the left, not the center, before the party’s image is hurt further; Trump is doing enough to drive away his own voters.
