Taylor Lorenz’s Power User

The Secret Role Of Influencers In Global Propaganda

13 snips
Sep 24, 2025
In this discussion, Makenna Kelly, a senior reporter at WIRED, unravels how foreign governments use influencers as tools of propaganda. She delves into the rise of state-hosted influencer tours and their parallels to public diplomacy. Countries like Israel and Russia leverage creators to shape narratives, with MAGA influencers being courted to spread messages. Kelly highlights the lack of disclosure rules around these initiatives and the implications for creators, revealing how financial incentives and powerful connections drive participation.
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INSIGHT

Creators Amplify Curated Diplomatic Trips

  • Foreign governments now recruit already-aligned creators and let them amplify curated trips to millions of followers.
  • Israel's influencer tour used paid logistics and content opportunities to shape pro-Israel narratives online.
ANECDOTE

Israel Trip Example

  • About 15 creators went to Israel on a trip funded by Israel 365, tied to the Israeli foreign ministry.
  • Many took videos at Gaza humanitarian sites, posing in front of aid that often did not reach Gaza.
INSIGHT

From Lifestyle To Geopolitical Influence

  • Influencer foreign trips evolved from lifestyle promotion to explicit political influence as creators gained political power.
  • The post-Trump era amplified creators' reach into foreign policy conversations.
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