Did tradition wars reduce by means of greater than coverage on the election path?

With social media platforms turning into central to political engagement, figures like Abbie Chatfield, Friendlyjordies, and The Juice Media are amplifying progressive causes and difficult conventional political narratives. However how important is their influence? Are they genuinely influencing the election dialog, or is their affect extra about their potential to seize consideration and drive engagement? This evolving pattern raises vital questions concerning the function of influencers in trendy elections and the way they’re reshaping the best way political messages are communicated to youthful, digital-savvy voters.

Because the 2025 Australian federal election nears, influencer involvement has gained consideration, with social media main the cost whereas information protection initially lagged. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Chief Peter Dutton are tapping influencers to attach with youthful voters—Albanese engages with Abbie Chatfield’s viewers by means of values-driven storytelling, whereas Dutton targets younger males with Sam Fricker’s relatable podcasts. This displays a broader shift from conventional media to platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Journalists are more and more protecting these influencer-driven moments, usually specializing in the viral unfold and political fallout. As an illustration, a viral February 13 video from an Israeli influencer accusing two NSW nurses of hateful feedback dominated Australia’s information cycle, prompting swift political reactions. Protection typically focuses on political responses, not the influencers themselves. This pattern was additionally seen with Greens Chief Adam Bandt’s DJ occasion in Melbourne, the place media famous his try to interact youthful voters. The Australian Electoral Fee cleared Chatfield’s posts that includes Albanese and Bandt, highlighting the rising regulation of influencer political content material. This focus in direction of viral moments over coverage discussions raises questions concerning the influence on undecided voters and the evolving function of journalists in political engagement.

Influencers like Abbie Chatfield, The Juice Media, and Friendlyjordies have gotten central to the election rhetoric forward of the 2025 Australian federal election. Chatfield, who confronted scrutiny from the AEC, used her platform to rally help for the Greens, positioning herself towards what she described as a Liberal media technique to discredit influencers. Her posts, notably defending her political involvement, have garnered sturdy help, with hashtags like #abbieisinnocent and #freeabbie dominating her remark sections. In distinction, some critics dismiss her political function, questioning her credibility. The Juice Media, recognized for its sarcastic takes on authorities coverage, continues to problem political narratives with irreverent content material, resonating with youthful, disillusioned voters. Nonetheless, their method additionally faces backlash from those that see it as too cynical or divisive. Equally, Friendlyjordies critiques each main events, notably Labor’s stance on progressive points, whereas encouraging followers to unite towards company greed. His platform sparks heated debates, igniting each help and criticism. 

General, these influencers have gotten polarising figures, amplifying political engagement whereas intensifying the ideological divide on social media, in the end shaping the rising affect of social media figures within the election discourse.

Chatfield, a vocal supporter of progressive causes like Palestinian liberation and girls’s rights, has gained a robust following however faces criticism for oversimplifying political points and for her perceived naivety, particularly relating to preferential voting. Ferguson, who critiques colonialism and helps Palestinian liberation, is praised by supporters however criticised for missing depth in her activism, with some accusing her of ignoring intersectionality. Friendlyjordies, recognized for satirical commentary, is admired for calling out political corruption, however his critics accuse him of bias in direction of Labor and oversimplifying complicated points. The Juice Media, utilizing sarcasm to critique authorities insurance policies, resonates with disillusioned younger voters however alienates others who discover their method too cynical. These influencers contribute to a rising divide in Australian politics, mobilising progressive actions whereas deepening ideological rifts, as their content material each challenges conventional politics and fuels polarisation.

Key points like defence, the price of residing, and training are dominating political discourse and social media conversations. World occasions, together with Trump’s affect on worldwide relations and commerce, have sparked sturdy reactions, with Albanese going through backlash over Australia’s stance on Gaza and its defence ties with Israel. In the meantime, Dutton’s feedback on Ambassador Kevin Rudd and allegations of election interference have stirred tensions. On social media, debates over defence—highlighted by Indonesia’s denial of Russia’s army presence close to Darwin—and value of residing issues are intensifying. Schooling stays a key level of distinction, with Albanese’s Free TAFE coverage gaining help whereas Dutton faces criticism for prioritising fossil gasoline subsidies. Influencers are driving a lot of this engagement, however their function in amplifying already polarised narratives raises questions on whether or not they’re really reflecting voters’ issues or deepening divides because the election approaches.

These conversations play out towards a panorama by which social and information media have totally different – however overlapping – priorities. They’re driving debates on every little thing from training and nuclear power to Trump-style politics and renewable power. With the 2025 federal election on the horizon, tales sparked by creators — whether or not by means of critique, leaks, or commentary — have gotten a part of the political media combine. It’s a shift that’s unfolding in actual time, and one which’s reshaping how narratives break, unfold, and acquire momentum. However as these voices develop louder, one factor is obvious: Are they honestly amplifying the issues of on a regular basis Australians, or are they pushing additional divides in a panorama already ripe with fragmentation?

Uncover extra of our political information providers

”
(“post_title”)=>
string(73) “The rise of influencers within the 2025 Australian federal election panorama”
(“post_excerpt”)=>
string(0) “”
(“post_status”)=>
string(7) “publish”
(“comment_status”)=>
string(4) “open”
(“ping_status”)=>
string(4) “open”
(“post_password”)=>
string(0) “”
(“post_name”)=>
string(54) “the-rise-of-influencers-in-the-2025-election-landscape”
(“to_ping”)=>
string(0) “”
(“pinged”)=>
string(0) “”
(“post_modified”)=>
string(19) “2025-04-24 00:08:49”
(“post_modified_gmt”)=>
string(19) “2025-04-24 00:08:49”
(“post_content_filtered”)=>
string(0) “”
(“post_parent”)=>
int(0)
(“guid”)=>
string(32) “https://www.isentia.com/?p=39404”
(“menu_order”)=>
int(0)
(“post_type”)=>
string(4) “publish”
(“post_mime_type”)=>
string(0) “”
(“comment_count”)=>
string(1) “0”
(“filter”)=>
string(3) “uncooked”
}

In Singapore, the rise of podcasting has shifted from leisure and way of life into a brand new enviornment – public discourse and politics. Because the 2025 Common Election attracts close to, podcasters are making waves throughout on-line information and social media. To kick issues off, we used Narrative AI, the primary search engine for public opinion, to determine how giant the worldwide narrative on podcasts and their affect on audiences is within the final 6 months, utilizing information from X.

We subsequently narrowed the main target of this international pattern to Singapore and analysed on Pulsar TRAC greater than 7k mentions throughout platforms like YouTube, Fb, Reddit, TikTok, podcasts, On-line Information, blogs and boards to grasp the place the discourse is coming from, which channels are capturing the podcasters’ content material and the way audiences are responding to this content material. 

Mentions of podcasts in information and social media are rising

Social media is the place the bigger chunk of podcast dialog is happening, particularly these episodes that function a political determine, journalist or people who embody healthcare-related discussions. The audiences that interact with these movies, majority being on YouTube, seek for political credibility that resonates with them. Younger Singaporeans watching these podcasts count on to see leaders who don’t simply uphold the picture of being a politician, but in addition somebody who’s grounded and reliable.

Youth and politicians’ lives dominate podcast narratives

The audiences that eat these podcasts essentially the most are younger Singaporeans trying to take part within the dialog as a lot as they will. These audiences are being extra proactive than ever.

With youthful voters consuming media in a different way, these appearances are efforts by political candidates to attach with the general public. Lawrence Wong, Josephine Teo, Indranee Rajah, and Desmond Tan, have used podcasts to speak instantly with the general public – sidestepping conventional media filters.

High podcasters on election-related content material

Once we deal with who essentially the most talked about podcasters round election content material are, the Straits Occasions’ podcasts, the Every day Ketchup and Yah Lah BUT emerge on high. These podcasts have figured that essentially the most discourse occurs round content material that’s both instructional or controversial round elections. The general public is actively responding to political content material shared by way of podcasts, notably these by The Straits Occasions and impartial reveals like Yah Lah BUT. 

How are podcasts doing on Tiktok?

@thedailyketchup

Is WP really the broader tent? A closer look at how it compares to PAP. 🤔📊 #SingaporePolitics#WPvsPAP #GE2025 #SGOpposition #DailyKetchup

♬ original sound – The Daily Ketchup🚀 (TDK) – The Daily Ketchup🚀 (TDK)

Satire and irony are key methods to make politics palatable, particularly for youthful, digital-native audiences. The Every day Ketchup and Yah Lah BUT are mixing severe matters just like the GE2025, celebration agendas, healthcare, and opposition voices with humour that make them virtually meme-worthy. Posts equivalent to “PAP actually stated: ‘Belief me, bro’” TikTok clips present that these are genuinely made for content material to go viral whereas retaining severe undertones too. 

What’s attention-grabbing to notice is that The Widespread Of us, with content material in Malay and Indonesian, is tapping right into a cross-border Southeast Asian viewers and has a number of the highest engagement on its content material. Native slang, cultural jokes, and informal festive content material like Raya greetings and songkok jokes have generated hundreds of views, at instances outperforming English-language political pods. This implies a big, under-acknowledged urge for food for vernacular podcast content material that has a mix of humour and relatability. 

Podcasts are now not simply background noise – they’re turning into one of the crucial related methods Singaporeans interact with politics. With excessive engagement on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, a large unfold of matters from youth points to celebration politics, and rising presence in each mainstream and social media, podcasters are carving out a key function in shaping the GE 2025 dialog. 

Fascinated with studying extra? E-mail us at data@isentia.com

”
(“post_title”)=>
string(64) “What’s making podcasts stand out forward of the Singapore GE2025?”
(“post_excerpt”)=>
string(0) “”
(“post_status”)=>
string(7) “publish”
(“comment_status”)=>
string(4) “open”
(“ping_status”)=>
string(4) “open”
(“post_password”)=>
string(0) “”
(“post_name”)=>
string(65) “what-is-making-podcasts-stand-out-ahead-of-the-singapore-election”
(“to_ping”)=>
string(0) “”
(“pinged”)=>
string(0) “”
(“post_modified”)=>
string(19) “2025-04-16 04:30:10”
(“post_modified_gmt”)=>
string(19) “2025-04-16 04:30:10”
(“post_content_filtered”)=>
string(0) “”
(“post_parent”)=>
int(0)
(“guid”)=>
string(32) “https://www.isentia.com/?p=39139”
(“menu_order”)=>
int(0)
(“post_type”)=>
string(4) “publish”
(“post_mime_type”)=>
string(0) “”
(“comment_count”)=>
string(1) “0”
(“filter”)=>
string(3) “uncooked”
}

Because the federal election marketing campaign reaches its midpoint, patterns in media protection and public consideration are starting to shift. Early social engagement was pushed by cost-of-living pressures, power coverage, and political point-scoring, however has waned following the primary leaders debate, regardless of this discussion board offering leaders the chance to set the agenda and techniques of the most important events. So how has protection focus developed because the first debate and are audiences nonetheless partaking with the marketing campaign or switching off?

Social media engagement forward of the federal election has been sharp and private. It centered much less on coverage and extra on id and illustration. From debates on matters equivalent to  immigration to housing stress and tradition, social media has pushed a values-first narrative. However whereas early consideration  was sturdy, each media protection and social engagement have began to wane within the weeks because the marketing campaign launched. The primary leaders debate briefly reignited consideration—belief, id, and media—however protection patterns recommend a shift away from day by day blow-by-blow reporting in direction of broader social and cultural tensions.

Because the federal election marketing campaign nears its midway mark, final week’s media highlights present a contest nonetheless struggling to chop by means of. Key moments included the primary chief’s debate, the Treasurers Debate, the power showdown on the Nationwide Press Membership, and Senator Jacinta Value’s Perth look with Peter Dutton, which drew consideration for its MAGA-style rhetoric.  The primary leaders debate was billed as an opportunity to reset the race—however for a lot of viewers, it bolstered present divides. Media consideration across the debate momentarily lifted visibility for all main events—however the spike was short-lived. The one celebration that has seen continued will increase in social media engagement is the Liberal Occasion. The Liberal Occasion’s sustained rise in social media engagement could also be linked to its digital-first technique, together with an AI-generated marketing campaign advert spruiking a gasoline excise reduce and a meme-style diss observe focusing on Anthony Albanese—ways designed to seize on-line consideration and drive shareability.

The Liberals additionally pitched a $1200 tax reduce, Labor attacked their WFH backflip, and the Greens pushed housing and tax reform. In the meantime, Dutton warned of a Labor-Greens-Teal alliance. Protection suggests public engagement is pushed extra by polarising moments and political theatre than detailed coverage.

When the election marketing campaign formally kicked off, cost-of-living pressures dominated the information agenda. Recent off the again of the federal price range, it’s no shock that reasonably priced healthcare, decrease gasoline and power costs, and tax cuts had been the important thing messages celebration leaders needed to land with voters. However protection rapidly pivoted. Up to now week, international diplomacy—notably how every chief would handle Donald Trump—has surged in prominence. Whereas Trump’s function in tariff threats has made headlines, his affect on the broader election narrative goes past commerce. Media reporting has more and more centred on Albanese and Dutton’s capability to navigate a possible Trump presidency, with ideological alignment, nationwide safety, and financial fallout all in play. The primary leaders’ debate was anticipated to refocus the marketing campaign on home points. Nonetheless, it briefly touched on worldwide issues, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressing the potential financial influence of Trump’s proposed tariffs. Albanese described these tariffs as an “act of financial self-harm” that might dampen international development, highlighting the intertwining of international coverage with home financial issues. This implies that sustained consideration is extra possible when home points are reframed by means of the lens of international diplomacy, and nationwide id.

Within the social media panorama, Trump was a flashpoint in election-related dialog. His affect—actual or perceived—was rapidly linked to the Liberal Occasion, with MAGA-style rhetoric and Trumpian coverage cues gaining traction on-line. These narratives are likely to escalate on platforms the place ideological alignment and cultural grievance amplify engagement. However it wasn’t all imported tradition wars—the federal price range, and the Liberal Occasion’s gasoline excise rebuttal, additionally drove important social chatter. In latest weeks, comparisons between main celebration messaging and Trump-era coverage—from worldwide scholar caps and nuclear power to debates about college curricula—have continued to dominate dialogue.

The primary leaders’ debate briefly touched on international coverage, with Albanese warning Trump’s tariffs may damage international development, whereas Dutton framed it as a check of sturdy management. Domestically, Dutton’s renewed push for nuclear energy reignited social media debate—drawing comparisons to Trump-era insurance policies and fuelling dialogue about Australia’s power future. On the similar time on social media, guarantees like HECS cuts, free TAFE, and extra funding for public colleges sparked real engagement, particularly amongst youthful voters and training staff, displaying that sensible, future-focused insurance policies can nonetheless reduce by means of. In comparison with the beginning of the marketing campaign, the place cost-of-living dominated as a top-line concern, the dialog has expanded: audiences at the moment are weighing each hip-pocket points and the nationwide values shaping Australia’s future.

Whereas the talk itself tended to be overshadowed by frustrations about entry and media management, a number of political undercurrents nonetheless surfaced. Anthony Albanese drew some optimistic mentions, however reactions had been removed from policy-focused. The Liberal Occasion’s early declare of victory grew to become some extent of humour, with a number of customers likening it to Trump-style misinformation ways. Disillusionment with the most important events ran deep, with repeated calls to “break the donor-fuelled duopoly” and shift help towards independents or smaller events. Nonetheless, these reactions appear extra like a symptom of broader voter cynicism than an indication of energised political engagement, reflecting broader themes across the declining belief.

The leaders’ debate didn’t reset the race—it refracted it, spotlighting how media protection is now formed much less by coverage element and extra by polarising symbols and cultural cues. As election day nears, the competition for consideration is revealing simply as a lot about media technique and voter fatigue as it’s about celebration platforms.

Uncover extra of our political information providers

”
(“post_title”)=>
string(78) “Did the leaders debate reignite voter curiosity or simply stoke the tradition wars?”
(“post_excerpt”)=>
string(0) “”
(“post_status”)=>
string(7) “publish”
(“comment_status”)=>
string(4) “open”
(“ping_status”)=>
string(4) “open”
(“post_password”)=>
string(0) “”
(“post_name”)=>
string(77) “did-the-leaders-debate-reignite-voter-interest-or-just-stoke-the-culture-wars”
(“to_ping”)=>
string(0) “”
(“pinged”)=>
string(0) “”
(“post_modified”)=>
string(19) “2025-04-15 23:49:24”
(“post_modified_gmt”)=>
string(19) “2025-04-15 23:49:24”
(“post_content_filtered”)=>
string(0) “”
(“post_parent”)=>
int(0)
(“guid”)=>
string(32) “https://www.isentia.com/?p=39117”
(“menu_order”)=>
int(0)
(“post_type”)=>
string(4) “publish”
(“post_mime_type”)=>
string(0) “”
(“comment_count”)=>
string(1) “0”
(“filter”)=>
string(3) “uncooked”
}