Kat Tenbarge
Kat Tenbarge is an American journalist, who is currently working as a tech and culture reporter for NBC News after previously working as a senior reporter at Insider.[1] She specializes in reporting on internet culture and influencers, including her own views and commentary. Tenbarge has reported on several cases of sexual assault allegations against Internet personalities,[2] and her work and views concerning internet culture are frequently cited in other publications.[3][4][5]
Early life and career
[edit]Tenbarge studied journalism at Ohio University, where she was also the editor-in-chief of one of the school's student publications, The New Political.[6] While at Ohio University she majored in environmental studies and journalism, winning regional first place in news reporting from the Society of Professional Journalists in 2017, and received a $4,000 grant from the White House Correspondents' Association the same year.[7]
Career
[edit]In October 2020, Tenbarge reported on sexual assault allegations against Jeffree Star, after she was approached with the allegations by the accuser unprompted.[8] In January 2021, she reported on allegations of child grooming against YouTuber CallMeCarson.[9]
On March 26, 2021, Tenbarge reported on the alleged rape of a woman in 2018 during the filming of a video by David Dobrik.[10][11] The incident was reported to have taken place while the woman was inebriated, and was allegedly committed by Dom Zeglaitis, who was at the time a member of Dobrik's Vlog Squad.[12] The woman had agreed to work with Tenbarge, who said that she had been waiting for an outlet that would allow her anonymity.[10] This report resulted in widespread backlash against Dobrik, including the withdrawal of support from several sponsors of his YouTube channel, and ultimately resulted in him stepping down from his position at Dispo.[10][5][13]
On December 2, 2021, Tenbarge announced on social media she would be a tech and culture reporter for NBC News.[14] As an NBC News reporter, she later wrote about, with Tyler Kingkade, the charging of Justin Roiland with felony domestic battery and false imprisonment in Orange County, California, in connection with an alleged incident in 2020.[15] She has also written about Amber Heard, Elon Musk, Kanye West, Angelina Jolie, the arrest of influencer Andrew Tate, the Russo-Ukrainian War, and other topics as an NBC News reporter.[16]
Tenbarge also runs a newsletter called The Kids Aren't Alright, published through Substack.[17][4] Kat Tenbarge is also a regular contributor on Matt Bernstein's podcast A Bit Fruity.
References
[edit]- ^ "Kat Tenbarge". Insider. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ O'Connell-Joshua, Grace. "A behind-the-scenes look at how Insider reporter Kat Tenbarge investigated rape allegations against a member of David Dobrik's Vlog Squad". Business Insider. Archived from the original on January 16, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ Winkie, Luke (June 30, 2021). "The Gabbie Hanna and Escape the Night Drama, Explained". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 25, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ a b Jennings, Rebecca (January 16, 2023). "The blandness of TikTok's biggest stars". Vox. Archived from the original on January 8, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ a b Lorenz, Taylor (March 19, 2021). "David Dobrik, Losing Sponsors and Fans, Steps Down From App He Co-founded". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 18, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ Runnells, Riley (March 21, 2021). "Tracking Trends: David Dobrik's career might be over after 'Business Insider' article". The Post. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ "Past Winners". White House Correspondents' Association. 2017. Archived from the original on December 31, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ Weisenstein, Kara (October 1, 2020). "Jeffree Star has been accused of sexual assault". Mic. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ Perrett, Connor (June 20, 2021). "YouTuber 'CallMeCarson' teases return after he left social media following allegations he sexted underage fans". Insider. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ a b c Li, Johanna (March 25, 2021). "David Dobrik Controversy: How Insider's Kat Tenbarge Learned of Ex-Vlog Squad Member Accused of Sexual Assault". Inside Edition. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ Hearon, Sarah (March 23, 2021). "David Dobrik Apologizes Again as Vlog Squad Members Speak Out". Us Weekly. Archived from the original on August 8, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ Tenbarge, Kat (March 16, 2021). "A woman featured on YouTube star David Dobrik's channel says she was raped by a Vlog Squad member in 2018 the night they filmed a video about group sex". Business Insider. Archived from the original on July 12, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ Criddle, Cristina (March 22, 2021). "David Dobrik quits app after associate accused of rape". BBC News. Archived from the original on January 5, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ Tenbarge, Kat [@kattenbarge] (December 2, 2021). "Yesterday was my last day at Insider. I'm beyond thrilled to announce I'm now joining @NBCNews as a tech and culture reporter! I'll continue to cover online creators alongside one of the best teams in the biz" (Tweet). Archived from the original on April 13, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2023 – via Twitter.
- ^ Tenbarge, Kat; Kingkade, Tyler (January 12, 2023). "'Rick and Morty' co-creator Justin Roiland faces felony domestic violence charges". NBC News. Archived from the original on January 12, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ "Kate Tenbarge". NBC News. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ Donaldson, Kayleigh (August 30, 2021). "'He's All That,' Addison Rae, and Turning TikTok Stars Into 'Real Celebrities'". Pajiba. Archived from the original on January 7, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2023.