With the short-form video platform’s stranglehold on America‘s youth, the White House is reportedly reaching out to leading content creators with large followings, called influencers, to brief them on the war in Ukraine.
Thirty of the biggest accounts on the platform were briefed on a Zoom call Thursday by Matt Miller, a special adviser for communications at the White House National Security Council, and White House press secretary Jen Psaki, among others, according to a report.
On the call, they reportedly discussed the United States’s goals in the wake of the conflict, distributing aid in the region, NATO and its relevance, and what a reaction to nuclear attack would look like.
“People in my generation get all our information from TikTok,” said Kahlil Greene, a 21-year old TikToker who boasts 534,000 followers. “It’s the first place we’re searching up new topics and learning about things.”
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He added that he wasn’t surprised by the invite.
“Those who have an audience can ideally set the tone for how others decide to assess and amplify what they see online,” said Jules Terpak, another attendee.
According to a report, those on the call indicated they felt confident in their ability to combat misinformation regarding the crisis after the meeting.
“We recognize this is a critically important avenue in the way the American public is finding out about the latest,” White House Director of Digital Strategy Rob Flaherty told attendees in a recording. “So we wanted to make sure you had the latest information from an authoritative source.”
Many get their news on social media platforms, as is the case for TikTok. According to a report, millions are now receiving news information from the popular app.
Because of the fast-paced spread of information and the ease of access, people are getting news faster than ever. However, that means false information can also spread quickly.
According to the report, the White House has been keeping close watch of TikTok’s ascension, and the platform’s popularity is why they decided to hold the briefing.
The White House reportedly collaborated with a nonprofit organization called Gen Z For Change to identify those worth inviting. Deputy Executive Director Victoria Hammett contacted influencers with the invites, which were extended earlier this week, on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Vice reported Friday that Russian influencers were being paid to post pro-Kremlin content. Campaigns reportedly use secret channels on an instant messaging service called Telegram to advise the social media creators. Vice said the channel is run by an “anonymous administrator” who identified himself as a journalist. It is unknown who or what is behind the campaigns.
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Details regarding the campaign were reportedly deleted Wednesday night after Vice reached out.
