April Eichmeier, a professor of emerging media at the University of St. Thomas, spoke with USA Today about how politicians are using social media to build authentic connections with voters. Eichmeier explained that platforms like TikTok allow public officials to share more personal, unfiltered content, helping them engage audiences in ways that traditional media could not.
From the article:
Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana looked closely into his phone’s selfie camera, then flipped the view around to reveal a lush oasis: his backyard.
“This is another one of those silly videos my staff told me I needed to make,” the 74-year-old junior senator said in the video posted on June 17. Kennedy admitted, “I don’t know why on God’s green Earth anybody should care,” before showing viewers his manicured grass, moisturized with the help of a sprinkler, and two patio umbrellas on an unstained deck. ...
Chicken salad and Charlie the dog offer relatable look at senator’s life
One expert said online content featuring Kennedy resonates because he is authentic.
April Eichmeier, a professor of emerging media at the University of St. Thomas, said: “The kind of backyard folksy, you know, relatable, humorous John Kennedy, that kind of stuff would have come out only in the Parade magazine on the weekends” 30 years ago.
“We don’t need to wait for that anymore, and it doesn’t need to be filtered,” she said.
