2024 Election year puts microscope on legacy media
WASHINGTON (TNND) — Donald Trump embraced podcasters this election cycle. He appeared on the highly popularJoe Rogan podcast in an episode that has more than 47 million views on YouTube, along with other podcasts frequented by younger people and Trump supporters.
He went on to embrace Rogan's election-eve endorsement.
"I was honored to get Joe Rogan last night. Joe Rogan is a big deal, he's a very respected person," Trump said on Election Day.
Then there was UFC CEO Dana White shouting out a "who’s who" of streamers at Trump’s victory speech.
“This is karma, ladies and gentlemen, he deserves this, they deserve it as a family. I want to thank some people, the Nelk Boys, Aidan Ross, Theo Von, Bussin’ with the Boys, and last but not least, the mighty and powerful Joe Rogan," White said on stage when Trump asked him to speak.
New media had a big moment this election season. Vice President Kamala Harris made an appearance on the popular "Call Her Daddy" podcast and was in talks to sit down with Rogan before it fizzled out.
Some in legacy media admit they took a hit.
“Well I think first we have to acknowledge that Donald Trump knows our country better than we do," said former U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., on MSNBC.
There’s no love lost between Trump and traditional media, and some experts say his win while bucking many traditional outlets could be a wake-up call.
“I would say the media does need to do some introspection in terms of how they predicted this election. I think that’s going on writ large in terms of “did we read the electorate correctly.”...particularly media that gets involved in polling, are they really paying attention to what’s going on in everyday American life," said Cayce Myers, a communications professor and Director of Graduate Studies at Virginia Tech.
If ratings are any indication, the number of people consuming election coverage through traditional television channels was down across the board. There was a 26% drop compared to four years ago.