White House Reaches Out to Social-Media Influencers on Ukraine

Jennifer Jacobs, Bloomberg News

Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, speaks during a news conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday Sept. 24, 2021. President Biden faces another border crisis as thousands of Haitians try to cross into the U.S. from Mexico, and his administration's response has sparked harsh criticism from fellow Democrats over what they see as inhumane treatment of the migrants. , Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- White House officials including Press Secretary Jen Psaki briefed about 30 social-media influencers on U.S. policy on Ukraine in an effort to counter Russian propaganda, a spokeswoman said.

The creators, who are active mainly on Bytedance Ltd.’s TikTok, were given an overview of the latest White House thinking on Ukraine during a video call on Thursday, with material similar to that provided in traditional briefing calls to reporters over the last week, the spokeswoman said.

The briefing for the influencers, many of whom also have large presences on Twitter and Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube, included a U.S. assessment of where the war is headed.

Reaching out to digital creators reflects recognition by President Joe Biden’s administration that many people in the U.S., particularly young Americans, get news on Ukraine through social channels.

Marcus DiPaola, a freelance journalist with 2.5 million followers on TikTok, said points made during the briefing included a U.S. assessment that “Russian troops are not happy with their own invasion” and that Russia won’t win the war.

The White House’s briefing was reported earlier by the Washington Post.