Milly Rose Bannister was not surprised when she emerged from the federal budget lock-up event at Parliament House in Canberra to discover she had been branded as an "influencer in activewear" by one outlet.
For the first time, she and a select handful of other "new media" personalities - influencers, podcasters and content creators - were invited by the Australian Labor Party to attend the lock-up for the 2025-2026 budget.
The budget lock-up is traditionally attended by media outlets, experts and interest groups - including a team from 9news.com.au.
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But Gen Z and Millennial Australians want to be in the room where major decisions about this country's political and economic future are announced, and if they can't get in themselves they'll settle for experiencing it through the eyes of trusted content creators.
"A lot of young people don't consume traditional news, but they do follow people they trust online," Bannister told 9news.com.au, explaining that she and her peers "bridge the gap" between legacy and new media.
"We translate complex political decisions into digestible, human content ... it's not about dumbing it down either, it's about making it accessible."
Have you got a story? Contact reporter Maddison Leach at mleach@nine.com.au
Make no mistake, the "influencers" invited to Parliament House were not beauty gurus or fashion creators.
As the founder of ALLKND, a youth mental health charity, Bannister's focus was on explaining how the budget will affect her audience of young Australians and those living with mental health conditions.
Other new media attendees included financial creators like Natasha Etschmann (@tashinvests), Equity Mates podcast producer Sophie Ellis, and Money, Money, Money podcaster Glen James, and Cheek Media Co. founder Hannah Ferguson.
Missing Perspectives founder Phoebe Saintilan-Stocks and Editorial and Partnerships Lead Alicia Vrajlal were also invited and shared their experiences, with a focus on women's issues addressed in the budget.
Each of the new media attendees had a vested interest in the budget and, more importantly, so did their vast digital audiences.
"Our listenership are really interested in finance and investing, and the budget affects all Australians," Ellis told 9news of Equity Mates' audience.
"It was a great opportunity to have a really direct line of communication between Australians who are interested in the budget and how it affects their lives, and the people who are involved in making the budget."
She and the other creators 9news.com.au spoke with confirmed that they were under no obligation to create content about their time in Canberra and were expected to follow the same lock-up protocol as every other media attendee.
That included surrendering their phones and smart watches before entering the lock-up, where they were kept separate from most mainstream media outlets, and being accompanied by an escort during the four-plus hours they spent at Parliament House.
"We switched off our Wi-Fi on our laptops, we had minders in the room with us watching what we were doing, we followed the same rules," Etschmann told 9news.
On the night, she was particularly interested in the previously unannounced tax cuts and HECS debt relief; two budget items that will appeal directly to Gen Z and Millennial Australians struggling in the ongoing cost of living crisis.
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Gen Z and Millennial Australians who, for the first time ever, will outnumber Baby Boomers at a federal election this year.
There's no doubt that social media will play a role in both Labor and Liberal's 2025 election campaigns, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton both having recently launched personal TikTok accounts.
The Digital News Report: Australia 2024 found that almost half of Australians use social media to access news and nearly two-thirds of Gen Z rely on social media as their main news source, so it should come as no surprise that people like Etschmann are stepping into the spotlight as the election approaches.
"We do have a role to play in that space and it's definitely reaching a new audience of people who don't either trust legacy media, or just don't really access it these days," she said.
"Sometimes you just want a quick snippet on social media."
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Some outlets focused on Bannister's ambassadorship with activewear brand Lululemon over her work in the youth mental health space, suggesting a reluctance to recognise the power social media creators like her hold in the modern political landscape.
"It's a shift in power. When new voices are brought into old institutions, there's always friction," she said.
"We're already playing a huge role - whether it's being invited into spaces like this, driving awareness around issues, or mobilising young people to use their voting power - but I hope in five years we've moved beyond being seen as just 'content creators'."
The truth is that young Australians are already looking to her, Ellis, Etschmann and their new media peers for information and education on issues that matter to them, from women's health, to mental health, finance and - when the time comes - how the election will affect them.
So when new media get a seat at the table, Gen Z and Millennial Australians do too.
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