News
Zelensky’s advisor admits to use of hired bloggers for goverment campaigns
Mykhaylo Podolyak, Ukraine’s president office senior advisor, admitted social media influencers are hired for goverment campaigns and messaging.
Saturday, 23 October 2021, 00:37

Appearing as a guest of ‘Svoboda slova’ TV show, Podolyak said  engagement of social influencers ‘works [for earning public trust] when people  earnestly believe in what you are doing, when you explain [the messaging]. Yes, you can cover some of their expenses  they incur [like] technical ones’.

He also provided some details claiming bloggers are paid ‘fees’ but not ‘regular pay’.

Promoting land reform was one of the coordinatedcampaigns where social influencers were engaged, said Podolyak.

‘If a person, a blogger, who specializes in such issues as land use or some economic aspect like agriculture says ‘I would love to make some stories’ .. We will pay him and cover  technical maintenance costs so that he could go on such business trip.’

Zelensky’s senior official, though, failed to reveal the names of  influencers arguing that ‘they can be found on social media’, and  dismissed assumption of ‘Svoboda Slova’ TV host that former MP and Ukrzaliznytsya advisor Serhiy Leshchenko was engaged in such digital campaigns.

Podolyak’s revelations are echoing the earlier plan of Zelensky’s senior official Kyrylo Tymoshenko to create a ‘pool’ of pro-goverenment bloggers to promote ‘positive trends’ of Zelensky’s domestic policies.

 

Tags: bloggers for political hire, influencers, Mykhaylo Podolyak, President's office, Zelensky