Vice President Kamala Harris has sat down for interviews in recent weeks with popular podcasters and gossip sites, and her team explained the reasoning behind her blitz of less traditional media outlets.
The vice president has appeared on late-night and daytime TV programs, along with widely watched interviews with Bill Whitaker of CBS News’ “60 Minutes” and Fox News’ Bret Baier, but Harris has also joined podcasts like Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” and “All the Smoke,” which is hosted by a former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, that are widely popular with Black listeners, reported NBC News.
Those interviews are part of an effort "to reach Black Americans where they are at and engage with Black communities across the country through diverse mediums on the issues that matter most to them,” said Jasmine Harris, Black media director for the Harris, according to the report.
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She's also taken part in interviews in recent days with independent journalist Roland Martin, radio host Charlamagne Tha God and The Shade Room's Justin Carter, which has prompted some social media users to ask why, but her schedule is similar to Donald Trump's interviews with podcasts and streaming content makers who are popular with the younger men he's trying to reach.
“Both the Trump and Harris campaigns have leaned into cultural podcasts, entertainment media and talk shows, all of which could be key in activating certain segments of the voting population,” said Republican strategist Matthew Bartlett.
A recent survey by Pew Research found 52 percent of adults under 30 trust social media as a news source, and 35 percent of Black Americans report turning to social media sites for information, and another study found that popular Black influencers like those Harris joined collectively reach nearly 41 million people.
“With less than 30 days until Election Day, the stakes of this election for Black Americans are simply too high for anyone to stay at home and sit this election out," Jasmine Harris said.