Washington Post journalist Taylor Lorenz's relentless advocacy on behalf of the Chinese spyware app TikTok is finally being recognized by China's state-run propaganda outlets. Thursday's episode of Reality Check with Wang Guan on CGTN, the English-language Chinese propaganda network, featured a segment on Lorenz's recent hit piece on TikTok's biggest competitor, Meta, formerly known as Facebook.
The Chinese propagandist praised the Post for highlighting Meta's efforts to "sabotage its main Chinese competitor" and "orchestrate an anti-China messaging campaign" by "exploiting [the] American public's growing fear of China." CGTN is a state-run operation controlled by the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party, the leaders of which are actively carrying out a genocide against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.
In other news, Lorenz caused a stir Friday by breaking down in tears during an appearance on MSNBC. The TikTok advocate claimed that her efforts to cultivate a personal brand as a journalist influencer have given her "severe PTSD" by bringing her into contact with "the worst people on the internet." The MSNBC segment included a chyron citing a recent survey finding that one in three women under the age of 35 have experienced "online harassment." It remains unclear whether Lorenz belongs in that category.
A Washington Free Beacon investigation published in December 2020 determined that Lorenz was born in October 1984, which would make her 37½ years old today. Alas, the results of that investigation were called into question on Thursday after Lorenz revealed that she was actually 43 years old.
It's worth noting that Lorenz has previously endorsed lying about one's age. "[T]he move is to always tell ppl ur older or make them think ur older than you are so they're constantly thinking 'wow, she looks great for her age!'" she wrote in September 2020. That same year, Lorenz appeared on the Forbes "40 Under 40" list. If she is actually 43 years old today, that means she would have been 41 at the time, which raises a number of troubling questions.
The Free Beacon will continue to investigate and will not rest until we obtain a (long-form) birth certificate. Lorenz, who has described herself as "the most online reporter you can find," is best known for attending a TikTok celeb's 16th birthday party.