Making sense of the war in Ukraine through TikTok

[View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter]( March 11, 2022 It's hard to stay on top of news about a rapidly unfolding war. I don't know if my own news diet is the healthiest. After reading Mother Jones’ coverage, which combines [on-the-ground]( [reporting]( with [important]( [contextualization](, I skim the headlines on Apple News, pausing to read whatever stands out. I like programs like PBS NewsHour and my Sunday staple, 60 Minutes, because the producers decide for me which stories are most important. But a lot of my insight into the war comes from social media. I understand the instinct to learn about the war from TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram. After all, you don't need a degree in international relations to understand [this law student's]( often-viral, no nonsense [explanations]( of what's going on in Eastern Europe. But consider the spread of misinformation, misguided opinions, and decontextualized images and videos, and the problems with the [social media approach to war]( become apparent. Some wartime social media posts are plainly nefarious. Masha Gessen, in a [New Yorker article]( about Russian state media's Orwellian erasure of the country's violent invasion of its western neighbor, notes that the Russian government is paying TikTok creators to post propaganda: "'All posts should be accompanied by #LetsGoPeace and #DontAbandonOurOwn,' the offer began. Among the talking points: 'We are calling for peace, and it's unfortunate that these are the means we must use to achieve it.'" TikTok's importance in the war-related news cycle isn't lost on the United States government, either. As Taylor Lorenz reported in the [Washington Post]( today, the White House briefed American TikTok stars on its own narrative of the events in Ukraine. But there's a major difference between what the US and Russia are doing. Influencers in the US aren't getting paid—at least, not by the government—to spout propaganda. Most importantly, there is no requirement that social media users in the US hew to the party line. The First Amendment is a beautiful thing. —Abigail Weinberg Advertisement [House Subscriptions Ad]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [Ukrainian Refugees Are Being Embraced by Europe. Why Weren’t Syrians?]( “Other refugee groups who are escaping similar conditions...are equally worthy of our compassion.” BY ISABELA DIAS [Trending] [GOP's Madison Cawthorn calls Ukraine's President Zelenskyy a "thug"]( BY INAE OH [The GOP's four biggest lies about Joe Biden and fossil fuels]( BY CHRIS D’ANGELO [Democratic senators also don't get why Biden is still using a cruel Trump-era border policy]( BY FERNANDA ECHAVARRI [Russia has a long, cruel history of attacking hospitals. Maybe this time its leaders will be prosecuted.]( BY LEONARD RUBENSTEIN Advertisement [House Donations Ad]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [I’m a cop with a trans daughter. Lawmakers want me to arrest the doctors who saved her life.]( Alabama is about to pass a law that would criminalize gender-affirming care. BY DAVID FULLER, AS TOLD TO SAMANTHA MICHAELS [Fiercely Independent] Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. [Donate]( Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755