Political Donors Put Their Money Where the Memes Are
Donor excitement about social media organizing, he added, is a “natural evolution toward a skepticism of TV
and paid media, where you can spend a lot of money very quickly and not be sure what you’re getting for it.”
The ubiquity of social media, coupled with the low cost of production, has tempted donors from both parties.
Viral media expertise is emerging as a crucial skill for political operatives,
and as donors look to replicate the success of the social media sloganeers who helped lift President Trump to victory, they’re seeking out talented meme makers.
Mr. Trump spent many millions less than his opponents did on traditional TV advertising,
but benefited from an army of amateur creators who flooded social media with pro-Trump messages
“Particularly on social media, the existing political media was pretty slow to respond.”
For Mr. Eldridge, the return on investment has been shockingly high.
“You need quick, memeable, shareable content.”
While some social publishers are structured as nonprofits, many are for-profit businesses that more closely resemble internet start-ups.
The page has five million followers, and its nonprofit affiliate has received funding from donors
including Open Society Foundations, a group backed by the progressive billionaire George Soros.
“There was a ton of anger on the left and many progressives looking for something to do,” Mr. Eldridge told me in an interview.
