The News
The nonprofit arm of Pod Save America’s audio empire is hoping to lure younger voters back to the Democratic Party by boosting ideologically aligned social video creators ahead of the 2028 presidential election.
Crooked Ideas, the issue-focused partner organization of Crooked Media, is launching new programming and brands aimed at reaching younger, politically skeptical audiences alienated by both mainstream parties. The effort, which aims to support creators with existing followings and grow up-and-coming political stars, will experiment with video formats like fast-paced street investigations in the style of conservative YouTuber Nick Shirley, and short-form video comedy, aiming to go viral on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
The organization is bringing on Kyle Tharp — a progressive digital strategist whose newsletter, Chaotic Era, has become a must-read in political new media and advertising circles — to serve as executive director of the initiative.
Tharp told Semafor in an email that the organization planned to focus on entertaining content about issues that Americans under 30 care about, including AI safety and tech accountability, “enshittification,” climate change, healthcare, and income inequality.
“While the left-of-center media ecosystem has grown significantly over the past year, most of those audience gains have primarily come from older, highly-engaged audiences, and from outlets or creators deploying very similar, hyper-political formats to quickly monetize,” Tharp said. “There is a large gap in terms of values-driven media projects reaching younger audiences with non-preachy content. I think philanthropic-backed efforts like Crooked Ideas can and should play a role in filling that void.”
Know More
The new effort by Crooked Ideas is one of many pushes by progressives to elevate the creator ecosystem in the wake of the 2024 presidential election. President Donald Trump’s ability to speak directly to groups of largely male voters through popular podcasters and clipped viral video prompted a wave of soul-searching on the left, which for years relied on mainstream and left-leaning digital media outlets to promote the party’s messaging.
Courier Newsroom, the left-leaning digital network which Tharp helped lead, has attempted to grow its network of political creators ahead of the midterms.
AND Media, a project from Biden White House veterans launched out of the offices of the Democratic political organization American Bridge, recently announced it was supporting a network of creators, including SubwayTakes host Kareem Rahma. The popular video creator told Semafor earlier this summer that the organization was helping him bring back Keep the Meter Running, in part to help counter the wave of content that is driving men towards loneliness and political radicalization.
“We have a responsibility as people who sway opinion and can influence outcomes, we have a responsibility to do the right thing,” Rahma said. “I think that there is a lot of darkness right now. … I want to contribute positively to society.”