Twitch and the online left

A New York Times journalist and a livestreamer sit side by-side on a media balcony at the 2024 Democratic national convention. The former, Ken Bensinger, wears a white button shirt with several credential lanyards around the collar and writes in a notebook. Next to him is Hasan Piker, dressed in black with ostentatious jewellery, casually sipping a diet Pepsi. Their conversation is being livestreamed on Piker’s Twitch.tv channel. A chat box in the corner shows a flurry of viewer comments.

‘I definitely don’t get it yet, I’m not gonna lie,’ says Bensinger. ‘The DNC doesn’t get it either, trust me,’ says Piker. ‘If they knew what I did, if they fully understood it, they should give me full-blown access… a permanent space.’ He types out a search on his computer – ‘See, NBC’s live coverage currently has 38,000 views. We have 55,000 people watching. And they’re just watching you and I talk. We haven’t even gotten to the good stuff yet.’

The interview showcases the changing character(s) of news dissemination in the internet era. While legacy broadcasters feel the pressure of a media ecology defined by fierce competition for audiences, new communication infrastructures have allowed non-institutional actors like Piker to reach mass audiences. And whereas traditional outlets rely on professional authority to garner trust, online media personalities build loyalty a different way: by fostering a sense of community amongst their audiences.

Commentary aloud

Two elements of news and political livestreams on Twitch make it a useful tool for political communications. First is the rebroadcasting of third-party content. Streamers commonly draw on already-existing media – mainstream news broadcasts, online articles, social media and more – to make sense of a political issue or breaking news story. They act as information curators and interpreters for their audiences: through their own commentary, interpretations and criticisms, streamers sculpt the meaning and salience of media texts.

Piker, for instance, regularly draws attention to the inconsistencies, omissions and biases in US corporate media coverage of domestic and international politics. He critiques the recurring narratives of conservative and liberal-capitalist ideology precisely by exposing his audience to their dominance in mainstream media. By examining politics through already-existing media, leftist streamers trace the contours of the US political ideological landscape and plot progressive paths through it. In this sense, they are educators in critical media literacy, something like the ‘semiological guerillas’ about whom Umberto Eco presciently wrote in 1967 – challengers to the corporate centralisation of communications who advance anti-elite politics through critical interpretative techniques.

Streamers commonly draw on already-existing media to make sense of a political issue or breaking news story. They act as information curators and interpreters for their audience

Second, and more particular to Twitch compared to other Web 2.0 platforms like YouTube, is the role of audiences during political livestreams. While professional conventions of neutrality and detachment may make mainstream journalists reluctant to engage with audiences directly, streamer-audience interaction is fundamental to Twitch culture. Studies show that Twitch audiences are motivated to socialise, and that streamers are incentivised to engage with viewers to foster a sense of community and willingness to subscribe and donate.

In political livestreams, this means constant audience contributions often inform and orient the discussion. Viewers ask questions, provide information and make evaluations that are regularly highlighted by streamers. As a medium, the Twitch model of political livestreams exemplifies an increasingly popular dynamic of online epistemic collaboration, in which audiences are involved in the meaning-making process during broadcasts.

Political prospects

There is much more to investigate about political livestreaming as an emerging phenomenon, such as how streamers mobilise audiences for fundraising, canvassing and other concrete political efforts. In October 2023, for example, Piker raised almost $1 million for aid organisations working in Gaza. Twitch is by no means a leftist oasis, however. The platform’s interactive design can and has been utilised by reactionary figures such as Adin Ross, who was instrumental in boosting Andrew Tate’s recent ascent to infamy and who recently met with Donald Trump live on-stream. Destiny, who rose to prominence debating alt-right influencers, dedicates extensive airtime to slating leftists and supporting Zionism.

Furthermore, the future of almost any platform culture is dependent on its governance. Recent algorithmic changes by Meta have restricted political content across Facebook and Instagram, suppressing the reach of activists, charities and minority voices. Since Elon Musk took over Twitter/X, the tenor of political conversation on the platform has become more right-wing, and Musk has had no qualms engaging in overt political censorship.

Twitch itself is owned by Amazon (whose CEO Jeff Bezos also owns the Washington Post). How leftists on the platform navigate the strictures of corporate ownership in the coming years remains an open question. While political streaming is increasing in popularity, corporate and billionaire ownership can smother political cultures. If the political content on Twitch causes any financial or PR liabilities to its corporate owners, the platform’s budding leftist culture will be at risk.

This article first appeared in Issue #246 Extremely Online. Subscribe today to support independent socialist media and get your copy hot off the press!