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.

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.”

The “influencers” invited to Parliament House were not beauty gurus or fashion creators.

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.”

Ellis and the other creators 9news.com.au spoke with said that they were under no obligation to create content about their time in Canberra.

Several outlets have reported that some of the new media had their travel costs covered by Labor. Some of the creators who spoke to 9news confirmed they paid their own way.

But the fact some content creators had travel costs paid for by Labor will only muddy the waters around how influencers fit into the media landscape.

Ellis, Bannister and Etschmann confirmed they were all made 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.

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.”

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’.”

But the numbers don’t lie. 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.