It’s not simply journalists receiving White House briefings on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Washington Post has learned Press Secretary Jen Psaki and National Security Council adviser Matt Miller helped nearly transient 30 TikTok influencers, together with Khalil Greene and Jules Terpak, on the US strategy to the warfare. They outlined the US’ strategic aims within the space and answered creators’ questions on topics starting from reduction efforts to a theoretical response if Russia used nuclear weapons.

White House digital technique director Rob Flaherty characterised the briefing as each an effort to offer dependable data from an “authoritative source” and an acknowledgment TikTok is a “critically important” supply for updates on Ukraine. It’s hoping to battle misinformation by reaching hundreds of thousands of TikTok followers, in different phrases.

There have been considerations the briefing did not sort out laborious questions. Jules Suzdaltsev, the operator of TikTok account Good Morning Bad News, stated it felt like a press occasion “for kindergarteners.” Another TikTok information supplier, Marcus DiPaola, additionally noticed this as selective messaging — the White House did not deal with its involvement in different invasions, he stated.

However useful the presentation may need been, it isn’t shocking the Biden administration would attain out to TikTok creators. Many youthful web customers get at the very least a few of their information from social networks like TikTok, and people retailers have been struggling to curb misinformation. TikTok halted video uploads and streams in Russia on March sixth, and solely not too long ago began labelling state-backed media retailers. Briefings like this can theoretically counter misinformation and get the official US technique to individuals who would in any other case stay unaware.