CNN commentator Van Jones has acknowledged a stark reality about the diminishing influence of mainstream media in shaping public opinion and political outcomes.
Speaking during a New York Times roundtable discussion post-election, Jones reflected on how the media and political establishment underestimated the power of digital platforms, a misstep that contributed to Donald Trump’s resounding victory.
Jones candidly described how traditional campaign strategies, such as door-to-door canvassing, have been eclipsed by digital outreach. He recounted the media’s initial mockery of Trump’s reliance on online engagement, spearheaded by figures like Charlie Kirk and Elon Musk, only to see its undeniable impact:
“We were laughing our butts off at Donald Trump for suspending his door-knocking campaign and letting Charlie Kirk and Elon do a bunch of stuff online. We said, these guys are idiots. These guys are stupid.
Then you start knocking on these doors. You know who people come to the door with? Their phone, in their hand. They’re in a 24-hour digital surround sound that has nothing to do with CNN. It has nothing to do with any stuff that we do.”
Van Jones: “The mainstream has become fringe and the fringe has become mainstream. There are platforms, there are people out there that are getting 14 million streams and we’re on cable news getting 1-2 million.” pic.twitter.com/Ts1jsRHfFu
— unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) December 22, 2024
Jones illustrated the generational shift in media consumption by sharing a conversation with his teenage son. While Jones assumed traditional cultural icons like Barack Obama or Oprah Winfrey would top his son’s list of influential figures, the response was vastly different:
“He says Aiden Ross, Jinxy, and Sketch. I don’t know who he’s talking about. I said, what platforms are you on? He goes, I’m on Twitch, Kick, and Rumble. I said, that sounds like you need to go to the hospital. What are these platforms?”
He summed up the shift bluntly:
“The mainstream has become fringe, and the fringe has become mainstream.”
Jones also recognized the scale and effectiveness of Trump’s media strategy, particularly the ecosystem of digital platforms and influencers that amplify his message. Comparing the reach of these platforms to cable news, he noted:
“There are platforms, there are people out there that are getting 14 million streams, and we’re on cable news getting 1 or 2 million. Donald Trump understood that, and we didn’t.”
Last week, Jones reiterated these points during a YouTube interview with political commentator Chris Cillizza, calling Trump a “phenomenon” and underscoring his mastery of modern media.
“Donald Trump is not an idiot. Let me just be very clear: Donald Trump is smarter than me, you, and all of his critics.
He has a massive media ecosystem bigger than the mainstream built around him and for him, a religious fervor in a political movement around him, and his best buddy is the richest person in the history of the world.”
Jones further credited Trump’s alliance with Elon Musk and other prominent figures for bolstering his influence, describing him as “the most powerful human on Earth in our lifetime.”
Jones’ reflections highlight a broader trend: the erosion of mainstream media’s monopoly on information. With digital platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Rumble, and Twitch dominating the public discourse, legacy media outlets are struggling to stay relevant.
“The entire political class is way off, way off, way off,” Jones admitted.