President Joe Biden's administration is doubling down on its focus on the creator economy. In August, the White House will host the first-ever White House Creators Economy Conference, inviting a group of influential social media figures and industry experts to discuss issues such as data privacy, fair wages, AI, and mental health with senior White House officials. public official.
White House Director of Digital Strategy Christian Tom announced the news on stage at VidCon on Friday.
“The first-ever White House Creator Economy Conference will underscore the administration’s commitment to creators and reinforce the economic and cultural value they represent,” Tom told TechCrunch. “The Office of Digital Strategy has made working with digital creators a top priority, and we’re excited to engage with creators about how these topics impact their lives and how they can inform policy decisions.”
The White House Office of Digital Strategy, a separate entity from Biden’s currently embattled reelection campaign, acknowledged the social power of online creators as it sought to hire a meme manager. Still, the timing of the conference is important: It will take place about three months before Election Day.
The one-day conference includes mainstage discussions and smaller breakout sessions.
During Biden's presidency, the White House has leveraged creators to reach broad audiences about pressing issues. When coronavirus vaccines began rolling out in 2021, the Biden administration worked with influential people to encourage people to get vaccinated. The White House also briefed producers on the war in Ukraine.
This outreach makes sense. According to the Pew Research Center, half of American adults get their news at least occasionally from social media. Social media is such a valuable tool for politicians that even though Biden joined the effort to ban TikTok, his reelection campaign is using the platform to reach voters. So is former President Donald Trump, who is challenging Biden for reelection.
