The DNC invited Pennsylvania influencers. Some say it’s too expensive to go

Getting invited to the Democratic National Convention as part of its first-ever influencer cohort is one thing, but actually going is another.

For the first time in its history, the DNC has invited online content creators to attend the high-profile convention, set to kick off Monday. But a number of Pennsylvania influencers said they had to respectfully decline the offer because of the expense, short notice, and lack of clarity over how much access they would have.

Many of the invited creators have attended events with Gov. Josh Shapiro or Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign (including when it was President Joe Biden’s campaign), but going to Chicago and paying for their own hotel and airfare is a much bigger haul than going to a local rally, especially for “micro-influencers” with smaller, more niche followings.

Lisa Carroll, who goes by theelisanicole online and has integrated political content with her natural hair content, said she immediately knew that going to the DNC would be too cost prohibitive when she was invited. Carroll, who works as an assistant teacher in Coatesville, Chester County, is a single mother of two who also helps take care of her mom, who is on dialysis.

“My kids need uniforms, they need book bags; they’re getting ready to go back to school this week,” she said. “It’s not cheap. They need their hair done. They need shoes.”

Creators also weren’t given much notice, which made it hard for Lehigh Valley-based influencer Kenny Screven to attend. Screven, whose username is kscreven, had already scheduled a contractor visit for a renovation of his backyard during the same time. (He said he wants to create a safe space for the swing-state election season.)

“If we had known in like May, or you know June, it would have been a little bit more feasible,” said Screven, who intertwines politics with his beauty content. “I think a month’s notice is a little hard.”

Screven said he was invited on July 9, and he knows creators who were invited later than that.

Sophia Schiaroli, an LGBTQ-focused Philly-based influencer whose handle is soso_swag, said she initially accepted the invitation and booked a hotel room to cover the DNC, but ended up canceling because it was too much money to spend without knowing how much access she would have. She said that by booking through the DNC, the hotel rate was $300-$500 a night, and required staying Monday through Friday. The other nearby options were expensive and there wasn’t much available, she added.

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“I was definitely surprised that they didn’t provide any sort of like housing, or any sort of arrangement,” she said. “I think for smaller creators or people that don’t have millions of followers, it isn’t the most accessible because obviously we’re not making as much as creators with millions of followers.”

She said that as recently as two weeks ago, there wasn’t information about which events she would be able to attend, so she canceled before it was too late to get a refund.

“People did not know, so that ultimately played into my decision,” she said.

Even though they ultimately declined, Carroll, Screven, and Schiaroli were all grateful to be invited. The invitations alone signify the potential power they wield as trusted messengers in a critical swing state as candidates scramble to reach young and hard-to-reach voters.

“I’m a Black, queer, feminine-presenting person, so it was an honor to even be invited,” Screven said. " ... People felt that I was prominent enough to attend, or they thought I would be a good asset to attend, so I really did want to attend and represent for my community.”

The DNC declined to say how many Pennsylvania-based influencers were invited or are attending the convention.

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Kory Aversa, a Philly-based content creator who also works as a public relations specialist and uses the handle phillypublicist on TikTok, said spending the money to go is well worth it for him to seize what he called a “historic opportunity to be one of the first creators in America to ever be credentialed to cover the DNC.”

Alex Pearlman, an influencer from the Philly suburbs known as pearlmania500, and Lindy Li (lindy_li), a Pennsylvania-based political strategist who identifies herself as a member of Harris’ national finance committee, also opted to attend as content creators.

Aversa said he is both excited and nervous because he wants to do a good job for his followers and there’s more uncertainty about the convention than the typical restaurant opening, for example.

He’s been “arming” himself with new tools like a flash, tripod, light, and microphones, he said.

He said that while it’s not totally clear what he will be able to do at the convention, he’s had a positive experience with DNC officials providing resources and information as they know it, and keeping in touch regularly, such as by holding office hours for creators. He’s also been getting invited to a broad range of events.

“I’m going to keep my eyes out and try to get myself in as much as possible,” he said.

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