"On Monday, Sludge reported that the SKDKnickerbocker LLC, or SKDK, signed a contract with Israel in April to "floo[d] the zone" with pro-Israel content. The strategy involves a "bot-based program" to promote the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs' messaging on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Youtube, LinkedIn, and more, the publication wrote. Social media influencers are also part of the program."
"The $600,000 contract also includes efforts specifically involving the news media, like on-camera interview coaching for Israeli civil society spokespeople and "arranging tailored outreach" to "secure favorable coverage" at outlets like The Associated Press, BBC, CNN, and Fox, Sludge found. The contract is supposed to run from April 2025 to March 2026, and was reportedly initially focused on the Bibas family captives. SKDK registered as a foreign agent for Israel on August 29."
SKDKnickerbocker, a PR firm with close ties to the Biden administration, cut a contract to run a pro-Israel social media campaign early and began de-registering as a foreign agent. The April 2025–March 2026 agreement, worth $600,000, aimed to "floo[d] the zone" with pro-Israel content using a purported "bot-based program" across major social platforms and by engaging influencers. The contract also covered news-media efforts such as on-camera interview coaching and "arranging tailored outreach" to secure favorable coverage at outlets including The Associated Press, BBC, CNN, and Fox. SKDK registered as a foreign agent on August 29 and stopped the work on August 31; a spokesperson said the work "had run its course" while denying bot-based activity. Other pro-Israel work targeting the news media remained unaffected.
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