New Harvard study answers the question: Do celebrities’ voices matter in elections?
WASHINGTON (CNN, KYMA/KECY) - As the presidential election heats up, a new Harvard study is exploring the question of whether celebrity voices matter?
At the Republican National Convention (RNC) last month, Kid Rock and Hulk Hogan were there to hype up former President Donald Trump.
For Democrats, George Clooney and Megan Thee Stallion are among the star-powered artists who have voiced support for Vice President Kamala Harris.
A new study by Harvard University, first shared by CNN, found celebrities do play an influential role in promoting civic participation.
"Helping create a culture around participation, making it fun, making it something you should care about doing," said Ashley Spillane, author and co-founder of Civic Responsibility Project (CRP).
The report does not examine celebrity endorsements to specific candidates or political parties. Instead, it focuses on voter participation efforts, like educating, mobilizing and encouraging Americans to register to vote.
"There are three major things really confronting young people right now. Um It's a lack of information, a lack of trust and a lack of motivation to participate in our election. And celebrities are actually some of the most well positioned in society to actually address these issues," Spillane shared.
One example the report referenced: When megastar Taylor Swift shared a single Instagram story in 2018, encouraging her followers to register, the nonpartisan organization Vote.org saw a huge spike in registrations.
