Ukrainian influencers bring the frontlines to TikTok – The Verge

Weeks ago, Ukraine-based influencer Kristina Korbans TikTok was a steady stream of gym motivation and personal finance tips punctuated by trending audio. In bold title text, she told her followers to STAY CONSISTENT and DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY! Aside from one lighthearted reference to the escalating situation with Russia, Korbans page stayed on message: YOU CAN BE AN INVESTOR.

Then, on February 23rd, the facade of normalcy fell apart. In a video thats been viewed more than 9 million times, the Kyiv-based influencer recorded herself from bed, describing explosions in the distance that rattled her home. This might be the beginning of something serious, she says.

For weeks, TikTok users have watched Russian troops and military vehicles on the move through bite-sized clips often lacking context or verification. When Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion, TikTok feeds were littered with bogus live streams with siren and gunshot audio dubbed over. The White House has attempted to intervene too, even hosting a background briefing with popular TikTokkers during which officials answered questions and shared White House talking points, according to audio obtained by the Washington Post.

Now, along with misinformation researchers and war correspondents, influencers with Ukrainian ties are becoming a go-to source for war updates. The sudden shift from travel blogging, crypto advice, and anime cosplay to frontline dispatch is jarring to observe. But the dynamics between influencer, followers, and content flow are as familiar as ever.

Since her first update post, Kristina Korbans TikTok has transformed into a firsthand view of the countrys capital during wartime, sandwiched on the For You page between makeup tutorials and celebrity fancam clips. She posts and goes live daily to her more than half a million TikTok followers, updating viewers on everything from her familys food inventory and grocery store lines to air raid sirens in the city.

I believe there is a lot of chaos when people receive wrong information, so I do my best to be as honest and factual as I can with the knowledge that I possess and learn as we go through this day by day, Korban tells The Verge, communicating over WhatsApp. I aim to provide at least a little bit of clarity for those that trust in me. I feel it is my duty.

Korbans videos about the war have become a go-to source for people outside of Ukraine who didnt know much if anything about the country until a few weeks ago. Every hour of the day, someone is asking Korban if she and her family are safe.

This week, followers feared the worst when Korban didnt post any TikTok updates for over a day. In fact, @moneykristina had been blocked from posting new TikToks after multiple videos were found to be in violation of community guidelines. (Ever the professional, Korban had already set up a backup account to use if she got banned, where she continued to post updates).

In one video shared with The Verge, Korban is filming in the dark, visibly scared and crying, as explosions echo in the distance; Korban says the clip was removed for graphic content. In another video, Korban jokingly celebrates International Womens Day: what Ukrainian women really want is tanks, bullets, and fighter jets. Korban says TikTok removed the video without an explanation. (According to TikTok spokesperson Jamie Favazza, @moneykristinas ability to post new videos is back as of Monday, and three videos that were incorrectly removed by a moderator have since been restored.)

One of Korbans more than 600,000 TikTok followers is Katie Callaway, a stay-at-home mom in Massachusetts. She didnt know much about Ukraine before the war began a cultural blindspot she now deeply regrets. But since following Korban at the beginning of the invasion, Callaway says her eyes have been opened.

Its beautiful, she says of Ukraine. I had no idea, and that really saddens me that I didnt even know anything about the country before. Now all of this insane craziness is going on.

Though Callaway has only followed Korban for a few weeks, she speaks of her like shes known her for years. Theyre both mothers, for one, and Callaway thinks of the unfathomable strength that must be required to stay steady for your child in times of stress. She finds Korban to be intelligent, endearing, and real, and she worries and prays for her like you might a friend in other words, something very close to a traditional influencer-follower relationship.

Its just so stressful, Callaway says, fighting back tears. I feel so much for her and this country and the people, and its just so heartbreaking, and I hate whats going on.

Korbans years of experience creating content for social media platforms has, in a morbid way, served her well in this inadvertent role as an unconventional war correspondent. Her videos are shot selfie-style, mimicking the intimacy of a one-to-one video call, and rarely show her surroundings as if Korban is there to talk just to you. She regularly goes on TikTok Live with family members, answering questions, cracking jokes, and hanging out with viewers. Even when discussing curfews and going into hiding, she uses popular audio clips, hashtags, and filters that can make it easier for people to find her content. Shes made merch, too: Korban has sold nearly 2,000 pro-Ukraine T-shirts and hoodies that fans can sport to show whose side theyre on. (They say fuck off in Ukrainian, a reference to signs and words of defiance by Ukrainian soldiers.) Korban says profits will benefit Ukrainians affected by the war.

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Ukrainian influencers bring the frontlines to TikTok - The Verge