Jubilee Media helps politicians connect with young people through viral debate videos

Jubilee Media produces some of the most watched content on YouTube. That includes the show "Surrounded," which has increasingly become a stop for politicians hoping to make inroads with young viewers.

If you spend time on YouTube, you may have come across Jubilee. It's a media company known for the viral show "Surrounded." An individual debates a group of people who disagree with them. Guests have included commentator Mehdi Hasan on the left and the late activist Charlie Kirk on the right. But they aren't the only ones going on the show. As NPR's Elena Moore reports, politicians are, too.

ELENA MOORE, BYLINE: Picture this - 20 people are seated in a circle. In the center, there's a table with two chairs. One is empty, and in the other sits Democrat Wes Moore, the governor of Maryland. He's one of the latest guests on "Surrounded." His assignment? Convince a room of infrequent and nonvoters that casting a ballot is one of the most powerful rights an American has.

WES MOORE: My first "Surrounded" claim is nothing shapes policy more effectively than your vote.

JOHN REGALADO: All right. If you want to debate this claim, please get to the chair in three, two, one.

MOORE: What comes next is a series of debates. Participants run to the empty chair and whoever gets there first begins the conversation.

MOORE: Twenty-one-year-old Naseem Rahman goes first.

NASEEM RAHMAN: I feel that it's more effective to mobilize in the streets rather than sometimes going out to the ballot box, where I don't feel the candidates represent what I'm looking for.

RAHMAN: I think there are other ways of participating in shaping policy rather than just voting.

MOORE: No, and I think it's a very fair point. But also, I think the goal of the Civil Rights Movement wasn't just to protest. The goal of the Civil Rights Movement was to get to a Civil Rights Act.

MOORE: Rahman pushes back. He's a self-described progressive who chose not to vote in 2024, and argues voting is an important right but still less effective than a strong protest movement. Moore makes another appeal.

MOORE: I think the frustration that you have is actually very much shared. Like, I had to convince many members of my family to vote for me. You know what I mean? And it's not because we're not cool. Like, we're cool. It's I had to convince them to vote.

MOORE: This was one of several conversations over the nearly 90-minute episode. It's a massive format break for an elected official like Moore, given that political media appearances are often only a few minutes. So why go on Jubilee? One reason - the company says its audience skews heavily Gen Z. The "Surrounded" series is one of the company's most-watched shows, with popular episodes drawing millions of views.

JASON LEE: Some people call us the Gen Z MTV.

MOORE: Jason Lee is the founder and CEO of Jubilee Media. He says young people are craving a richer discourse, so they're gravitating towards unscripted formats where it's OK to disagree. That's a space that Lee argues politicians often avoided, until 2024.

LEE: After the election, I think that there was a realization from both sides of how important the digital conversation is.

MOORE: On the campaign trail, President Trump targeted young voters online, doing a spree of nontraditional media appearances - more so than the Kamala Harris campaign. So ahead of 2028, it's a strategy that those eyeing a possible run for office may be thinking about. And though he says he isn't running, Moore is a potential presidential contender. He's not the only rising star in the Democratic Party to go on Jubilee. So have California Congressman Ro Khanna, Texas Senate candidate James Talarico and former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg.

MARIEN RICHARDSON: This platform is so unique because it appeals to both sides by giving both sides an arena, almost.

MOORE: Marien Richardson is a conservative content creator who participated in the Khanna episode. She says she doesn't agree with his views, and even though he didn't change her mind, she respects him - or any politician - for doing it.

RICHARDSON: I just look at it as very brave. Even if I completely disagree with their policy, it is very brave to even show up to a discussion like that.

MOORE: It's something Jubilee's leaders, like Lee, are thinking about as they consider the company's future. One goal for 2028 - Jubilee's own presidential debate. Elena Moore, NPR News.

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