Aaron Parnas I never planned to become a viral content creator publishing political news, but that's exactly what happened, and very quickly. The lawyer-turned-viral journalist began sharing news on his social media pages in early 2022, when Russia's invasion of Ukraine made him realize the disconnect between mainstream media coverage and what his own family was experiencing in Ukraine. What began as simply posting real-time updates on social media has now evolved into a daily routine that has attracted millions upon millions of followers.
Parnas, which has over 5 million subscribers in TikTok and 3 million followers on Instagram, gave an exclusive interview to The Blast to share some details about how he got started, what his plans are for the future, and how the new fan-favorite intro came to be.
Aaron Parnas didn't intend to go viral by sharing the news on social media.
Parnas didn't plan to dedicate himself entirely to social media news, but things fell into place when he began reporting on what really happened in Ukraine in February 2022.
«"I had relatives in Ukraine, and I felt like their story wasn't being fully told. I felt like, based on what I heard from my family on the ground and what I saw on TV, there was a gap in the coverage of my family's stories," Parnas told The Blast. "So I thought, 'Why not get my phone out and start creating content that tells the story of my family's experiences on the ground?' And within a week, I had a million followers interested in Ukraine, and from there, it was like a fairy tale.".
After his first video, Parnas couldn't have imagined his online popularity would skyrocket, but it did. In an interview with The Blast, he said, "I never thought this would even be a job or anything like that. Never in my life.".
Aaron Parnas is the leading source of political news for millions of people.
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♬ Original sound – Aaron Parnas
Realizing this was his calling, he began devoting all his energy to reporting the news as it happened, in real time. As for choosing the topics to cover each day, he says it's all about stories he "personally understands.".
«"I don't consider myself an investigative journalist by any means. I simply don't have the talent for it," he said. "If I have the opportunity to do more research and the time, I'll write investigative journalism from time to time, but I'll only really do it if I can quickly get to the bottom of a matter.".
In the current political climate, Parnas has no shortage of daily news to report on. Some news keeps him up late, while others simply boggle the mind and seem almost unbelievable.
«"The strangest hours [when I'm reporting] are the middle of the night. For example, when the Pope died, I was covering it," he said. "The most exciting and impactful story I've covered, and continue to cover, is my reporting on the Epstein case and my daily work with dozens of survivors, telling their stories, bringing their information to the public, and personally reviewing hundreds of thousands of files. It's been a challenging journey, to say the least.".
Aaron Parnas recently published the best report on breaking news.
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♬ Original sound – Aaron Parnas
Known for his political news, Parnas shared some wonderful news with his followers a few months ago: he had welcomed his first child.
Becoming a father hasn't changed the pace at which he posts news, and in fact, fatherhood may even help him create more content.
«"It's funny, but having a baby has given me more hours in the day because I sleep less," he said. "I'm awake more, so I have more time to create content. Although, I must say, it's made me more efficient. I've had to learn to juggle feeding the newborn, recording content, and releasing it. It just makes me work faster.".
Fans were delighted with such wonderful news from Parnas.
«"Finally Aaron breaks the news WITH A SMILE," one person wrote in the comments section of his video announcing the birth of his daughter. Another added, "BEST NEWS EVER!!!!!!" Another shared, "Congratulations. This is the most important and sensational news you've ever broken!"»
Transition from "Breaking News" to "Wait until you hear this"«
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♬ Original sound – Aaron Parnas
The natural transition from the beginning of the videos with the phrases "breaking news" or "we have important news" to "wait until you hear this" brought laughter and delight to Parnas's subscribers.
«"We've gone from 'Breaking News' to 'Wait Until You Hear This,'" one person wrote in the comments section of a recent video. Another added, "I prefer 'Wait Until You Hear This' to 'Breaking News.' It's much more appropriate now.".
When asked how it all began, Parnas shared a humorous twist.
«I think the key to success in social media is being able to adapt and change your approach as you progress in your career,« he said. »It was just a way to adapt to the needs of my audience. That’s the first thing. And the second thing is, I actually just woke up one day and was talking to a friend of mine, and he said, »Why don’t you try this: take some crazy story from the news, take a chance, and see what happens?’ People loved it. It was pretty funny.”.
Plans for the future, advice for those considering a career in news journalism, and what Aaron Parnas wants to convey to people.
@aaronparnas1
6/11
♬ Original sound – Aaron Parnas
Although Parnas is known for covering primarily political news, he plans to expand his coverage to other areas, including sports.
«"With the World Cup coming to America, I want to do more coverage this summer. I'll also be working extensively on the 2028 Olympics, so expanding my coverage and changing my approach are definitely on my agenda," he told The Blast. "I don't see myself doing this forever, and I think there will come a time when, for example, it's time for me to leave, and I'll understand that. So, as long as my audience is waiting for me, I'll be here.".
One of its goals is to change the approach to news coverage and make it more focused on «social media-first journalism» rather than traditional methods.
Parnas would like people to know or understand that he doesn't spend his day simply "collecting other people's content.".
«"I think it's a huge misconception, and it might be different for other people, but as a lawyer, I spend my entire day thoroughly researching primary sources," he told The Blast. "I don't wait for the New York Times to read a court ruling before I write about it. I receive court rulings in my email.".
As for advice for the next generation of reporters on social media, Parnas recommends "doing it." He said the biggest obstacle for many is the fear of embarrassment or the lack of an editor or team.
«"I don't think what I do is that difficult. I think it just takes a lot of time, a lot of work, and, in a sense, a lot of self-irony," he said. "You have to be okay with it being a little awkward, and that's okay.".
You can follow Aaron Parnas on TikTok and Instagram.
Read also: From Lawyer to Viral Journalist: Aaron Parnas Reimagines News for the Digital Age