As the federal election approaches, Australian politicians are increasingly turning to social media influencers to connect with younger voters.
The rise of these digital voices is shifting the political landscape, blurring the line between opinion, promotion, and political advertising.
In the first part of The Briefing‘s two-part special, digital creator Hannah Ferguson, who recently interviewed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, discussed the growing influence of online voices in Australian politics.
“Gen Z and Millennials make up the most powerful voting block heading into this federal election,” Ferguson said.
“The online commentators that we’re engaging with have a massive power this election to influence the outcome. To underestimate it would be a mistake by legacy media and politicians alike,” she said.
Ferguson, who has been outspoken about the failings of traditional media, explained how digital creators are filling a gap left by mainstream outlets.
“I think what’s really interesting from my perspective is I’ve been doing this for years and mainstream media, Murdoch media specifically, has not even bothered to look at me or talk to me,” she added.
“And suddenly, when they feel threatened, when they feel sort of most at risk during this election cycle of being made irrelevant, which they have been dying for years, in my opinion, they’ve decided to arc up and attack,” she explained.
As influencers continue to grow in influence, critics have accused them of oversimplifying complex political issues.
However, Ferguson saud that social media influencers are not propaganda machines for any political party in the country.
She also expressed frustration with how traditional media and politicians target influencers, emphasising that influencers are more transparent about the issues that matter to their audiences.
“What we do is transparently communicate with our audience about the issues we feel they care about, which are issues we care about.”
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