National Security Council staffers and Jen Psaki briefed TikTok influencers about the U.S.’ strategic goals in Ukraine and answered questions on distributing aid, working w/ NATO and how the United States would react to a Russian use of nuclear weapons https://t.co/nTfFVlDYzI
— Taylor Lorenz (@TaylorLorenz) March 11, 2022
One of President Biden’s underrated gifts is that he genuinely likes people, which is a rarer talent among politicians than one would expect. He enjoys having people tell him about what they do — and he hires people who understand that people appreciate being appreciated. President-Granpa Joe may not understand ‘the cyber’, but he’s genuinely pleased that you’re willing to explain it to him!
Per the Washington Post:
On Thursday afternoon, 30 top TikTok stars gathered on a Zoom call to receive key information about the war unfolding in Ukraine. National Security Council staffers and White House press secretary Jen Psaki briefed the influencers about the United States’ strategic goals in the region and answered questions on distributing aid to Ukrainians, working with NATO and how the United States would react to a Russian use of nuclear weapons.
As the crisis in Ukraine has escalated, millions have turned to TikTok for information on what is happening there in real time. TikTok videos offered some of the first glimpses of the Russian invasion and since then the platform has been a primary outlet for spreading news to the masses abroad. Ukrainian citizens hiding in bomb shelters or fleeing their homes have shared their stories to the platform, while dangerous misinformation and Russian propaganda have also spread. And TikTok stars, many with millions of followers, have increasingly sought to make sense of the crisis for their audiences.
The White House has been closely watching TikTok’s rise as a dominant news source, leading to its decision to approach a select group of the platform’s most influential names.
This week, the administration began working with Gen Z For Change, a nonprofit advocacy group, to help identify top content creators on the platform to orchestrate a briefing aimed at answering questions about the conflict and the United States’ role in it. Victoria Hammett, deputy executive director of Gen Z For Change, contacted dozens with invitations via email and gathered potential questions for the Biden administration…
The briefing was led by Matt Miller, a special adviser for communications at the White House National Security Council, and Psaki. The Washington Post obtained a recording of the call, and in it, Biden officials stressed the power these creators had in communicating with their followers. “We recognize this is a critically important avenue in the way the American public is finding out about the latest,” said the White House director of digital strategy, Rob Flaherty, “so we wanted to make sure you had the latest information from an authoritative source.”…
The Media Village Idiots, of course, are furious! Biden people catering to a bunch of kids with no credentials or familial legacies, when they are so rude to Very Important News People like Pete Doocey!
Late Night Open Thread: The White House TikTok InitiativePost + Comments (43)