Winners Announced November 19th

Features

Anthem Blog

Creators and Media Educating, Activating and Organizing Gen Z in 2024

This election season is unique in more ways than one, but one important component is the shift in how voters are keeping up with the conversation—especially Gen Z voters.

An image with three screenshots of three different TikToks spliced together. On the left side is a young person posing with former President Obama. The middle is a young woman with a t-shirt that reads "Abortion is a human right!". And the one on the right is a still of V from Under the Desk News, holding a mic.

Given trends of misinformation and fear-mongering through traditional media outlets, younger generations are turning to TikTok and Instagram to keep up with current events. From on-the-ground coverage of international conflicts to local news stories and even the DNC, content creators have changed the game with how many people are receiving and consuming news and election information.

A Pew Research Center Study in March found that 48% of TikTok users ages 18 to 29 are using the platform to keep up with politics. Across platforms, content creators have built strong followings and most importantly trust with their audiences in a time when a lot of people don’t know what to believe. We’ve rounded up some incredible content creators and media outlets that are leading the charge and are educating, activating, and organizing young voters ahead of the election.

 

@underthedesknews 

V Spehar is a content creator, political advocate, and is host of the American Fever Dream podcast. With over 3 million followers on TikTok, V gives their viewers the need to know information about top new stories, ongoings in Washington, and also throws in some feel good content to round things out.

@deja_foxx

After facing homelessness in her teens, Deja Foxx was determined to be an advocate for others. She was the youngest staffer and first Influencer and Surrogate Strategist to work on a presidential campaign during Kamala Harris’s run in 2020. At only 24 years old, Deja has already been honored with Planned Parenthood’s Catalyst of Change award, the Global Citizen Prize, and a Ms. Foundation Woman of Vision award. Currently, Deja’s content is heavily focused on the upcoming election and supporting the Harris Campaign from official events to man-on-street discussions and sharing information on the importance of door-knocking.

@IMPACT

Through their newsletter and Instagram accounts, Impact Media is providing context for viewers across pop culture, politics, social justice, and global unrest. Since their founding in 2020, their content has had over 1 billion views and they have raised over $1.7 million for causes aligned with their content. The team also runs @environment to educate their audience on all things climate and sustainability.

@genzforchange

Gen-Z for Change is a nonprofit advocacy organization that has created a coalition with more than 500 content creators. The creators are covering the election and current events, but are also mobilizing their audience to stand up for injustices. Most notably, they sent over 80,000 fake job applications to Starbucks after the company fired individuals who were leading unionizing efforts.

@carlos_eduardo_espina

Born in Uruguay, Carlos Eduardo Espina is an immigrant advocate, organizer, nonprofit leader, and lawyer. He creates bilingual content for more than 10 million followers and even spoke about immigrant rights and protections at the DNC this past summer. His content brings together Latinx communities and the New York Times even referred to him as “A one-man Telemundo.”

@harryjsisson

At 21 years old, Harry Sisson is churning out content to educate voters ahead of the 2024 election. He is breaking down everything from campaign ads to speeches from the candidates and also brought followers along for all things happening a the DNC this summer.

@pinknews 

Pink News is providing a voice for the LGBTQ+ community in media. From their news site to their social media- Pink News is shining a light on queer stories and educating their audience with up-to-date information on LGBTQ+ rights and political progress globally.

@kahlilgreene

Kahlil Greene is a tiktok historian. His content dives into many hidden injustices in the United States and the history behind practices and trends still happening today. He is covering the parts of American history that were conveniently left out of our textbooks.

@morningbrew 

Originally known for its daily newsletters, Morning Brew has become a top follow for anyone looking to be entertained with their news consumption. Their creative skits highlight top stories and current events in a hilarious manner. With so many heavy stories and content available, Morning Brew is providing a completely new avenue for news content.

 


The Anthem Awards is thrilled to partner with the pioneering feminist publication Ms. Magazine to champion the power of youth involvement on democracy. Co-founded with 2023 Anthem Lifetime Achievement Recipient Gloria Steinem, Ms. has been the leading voice at the forefront of feminist journalism since 1972.

Explore our three-part editorial series to learn more about the leading causes mobilizing young people nationwide.

And don’t forget—public support for the Anthem Community Voice Awards is open until next Thursday, Oct. 31st! This is your chance to support your favorite 2024 Anthem Award Finalists, who represent some of the most inspiring impact projects of the year. Celebrate them today at celebrate.anthemawards.com

Patagonia – Don’t Buy This Jacket

Patagonia has put social impact at the core of their brand mission and values from the start, and their iconic Don’t Buy This Jacket campaign demonstrates how brands can use their platform to make an impact — or better yet, to help reduce our impact. This 2011 ad ran in the New York Times on Black Friday, making a lasting impression for its bold message addressing the issue of consumerism head on and asking readers to take the Common Threads Initiative pledge to reduce, repair, reuse, recycle, and reimagine a world where we take only what nature can replace.

Forage art party dreamcatcher, letterpress drinking vinegar la croix pop-up four loko meh photo booth food truck poutine green juice. Poke umami deep v actually listicle art party blog trust fund air plant 8-bit subway tile intelligentsia. Distillery mumblecore beard la croix man bun biodiesel. Cliche VHS hashtag butcher swag disrupt. Intelligentsia sriracha chicharrones messenger bag meh vegan. Enamel pin meh disrupt, paleo activated charcoal intelligentsia ramps live-edge pinterest narwhal gentrify viral sartorial blog butcher.

NEWS & ANNONCEMENTS

Ad Council’s Love Has No Labels Movement

Love Has No Labels is a movement by The Ad Council to promote diversity, equity and inclusion of all people across race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age and ability.

Read our Q&A with Heidi Arthur, the Ad Council’s Chief Campaign Development Officer on the team behind LHNL collaborates with partners to combat implicit bias—from crafting PSAs to driving viewers to take action, to how brands and companies should approach corporate social responsibility with authenticity.

image description