Perhaps because of this exclusionary strategy, the audience Republicans reached were far more engaged with the content than the Democratic audience. A recent study from People First and Infegi found that recent conservative-leaning podcasts hosted by celebrities like Rogan and Theo Vaughn had 25 to 33 percent more engagement than shows hosted by Harris, such as call her daddy,
The influential people Trump interviewed this cycle were not political beings. Rogen and Vaughn grew their audiences from their comedy (and, in Rogen's case, sports) careers and from within the entertainment industry. Their ideologies are amorphous, attracting a wide variety of audiences across the political spectrum. Both Vaughn and Rogan interviewed Trump, but they also recorded conversations with progressive lawmakers like Sanders, making it easier for each of them to avoid associating themselves with either party and resulting in increased trust among their audiences. .
“The Democratic Party's online brand has absolutely collapsed,” says Brock. “People who don't care about politics don't like us. People who care about politics and work in it don't know how to represent us. We are seen as completely out of touch, and as more people turn to unconventional ways to get their news and media, we are set for colossal failure moving forward without a change in strategy.
In the wake of the Democrats' defeat last month, progressive critics of the mainstream media have launched their own startup media ventures or are seeking new funding. Amelia Montooth, CEO of Mutual Media, argues that Democrats need their own culture-focused show online.
“On the right side is a funnel that I believe starts with Barstool Sports reaching a mass audience through pop culture,” says Montooth. “It's going to require some serious investment, not only from people like the Progressive Party, but also from individual people who care about that work and journalism.”
It would also require taking risks – something Democrats, a party currently led by an 82-year-old man, are known to avoid.
“Sticking to the same five talking points won't get you a real viral moment, and a viral moment doesn't mean much if it doesn't lead to a larger movement,” says Brock. “Because with criticism and ridicule comes engagement, comes conversation, motivates people to defend you and motivates others to help you.”