Former CNBC journalist Helen Zhao is developing Immigrant, Not Expat as a social-first media brand focused on Americans moving abroad. The project combines reporting, data, interviews and character-driven video across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Zhao is building the independent audience while continuing her work as a video journalist.
Key Takeaways
- Helen Zhao left CNBC after five years and began developing Immigrant, Not Expat as an independent media brand.
- The brand uses data, interviews and video reporting to cover Americans moving abroad.
- Immigrant, Not Expat publishes content across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
- Zhao’s “Americans Immigrating Abroad” series examines the reasons behind Americans relocating to other countries.
- The brand is focused on audience growth, while potential brand partnerships are in development.
Helen Zhao Develops Immigrant, Not Expat as a Creator News Brand
Zhao left CNBC after five years and began developing Immigrant, Not Expat around reporting on migration and expat movement. The project focuses on Americans who relocate abroad and the economic and social factors connected to those moves.
The brand is built for social platforms rather than a traditional newsroom distribution model. Zhao publishes video across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, using reporting and data to examine migration stories that are often presented through personal experiences by expat and digital nomad creators.
The approach places Immigrant, Not Expat within a creator economy that increasingly includes media businesses built around specialized expertise and independent audiences.
Zhao is also working as a video journalist at the California Post, where she has been producing explainer videos about California issues. Her independent project operates alongside that full-time job.
Immigrant, Not Expat is currently focused on audience development rather than revenue. Zhao has signed with a talent agency, and potential brand partnerships are in development.
The creator brand grew from Zhao’s interest in covering Americans who move abroad through a journalistic approach. Rather than building the project around personal travel advice, she has focused on reporting that examines migration numbers, local conditions and the effects of foreign arrivals on communities.
Data and Interviews Drive the Brand’s Migration Coverage
Zhao’s reporting approach separates Immigrant, Not Expat from conventional expat vlogs by placing data and interviews at the center of its stories.
A typical expat vlog may focus on a creator’s personal experience in a city, including daily life, practical advice or the process of relocating. Zhao instead examines the larger circumstances surrounding those movements.
For a story about Americans moving to a particular destination, her reporting can include information about the number of expats arriving, changes affecting local residents and economic conditions connected to the migration.
Zhao also uses interviews with people who live in the communities covered by her videos. That approach was used in her reporting about Da Nang, Vietnam, where she spoke with local residents about changes taking place in the city.
Local perspectives became an important part of the reporting after Zhao joined Facebook groups connected to the communities she was covering. Residents described changes that were more complicated than the destination-focused content circulating among expat audiences.
Those accounts included concerns about rising costs and gentrification alongside the increased attention that destinations such as Da Nang have received from expats.
Zhao’s reporting therefore examines both sides of the migration story. The coverage can address the reasons Americans choose a destination while also reporting on the effects those arrivals can have on people already living there.
Da Nang Video Establishes the Project’s Reporting Format
A video about Da Nang became an early turning point for the project after a reel about the Vietnamese city gained significant attention on Instagram.
Zhao followed that response with a longer YouTube report titled “Why Americans are moving to Da Nang, Vietnam for a better life.” The video combined data with interviews with people who had grown up in the city.
At the time, Zhao had about 400 YouTube subscribers, but the Da Nang report reached around 50,000 views, according to figures she provided.
The response initially led Zhao to produce additional Da Nang content. Those follow-up videos did not perform as well, leading her to reassess the subject matter she wanted the brand to cover.
She later identified journalistic trend stories about expats and digital nomads as the stronger editorial focus, particularly stories involving Americans moving abroad in search of a different quality of life.
That distinction became central to Immigrant, Not Expat. Instead of producing a broad collection of destination videos, Zhao began concentrating on the underlying reasons Americans relocate and the changes those movements create.
The format also allows Zhao to report on countries without necessarily spending extended periods there. Her coverage of Switzerland, for example, was based on data and interviews rather than extensive on-the-ground reporting.
Zhao’s use of YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok also gives the project multiple distribution channels, with creator audiences showing different platform preferences and business uses.
Zhao argued that the central issue in that story could be examined through evidence about the country’s living conditions and the experiences of its middle class without requiring her to spend substantial time in Switzerland.
Americans Moving Abroad Becomes a Core Editorial Focus
The “Americans Immigrating Abroad” series examines structural reasons Americans relocate outside the United States.
Zhao develops each script around a central tension and may spend several hours revising a small portion of a script before deciding that the story is ready. She said the production process can involve multiple rewrites when the central conflict of a story is not clear enough.
The approach produces a lower posting volume than the daily publishing schedules used by some high-volume creators. Zhao has instead focused on individual stories that can combine reporting with video storytelling.
She said one video with about 150,000 views generated roughly 5,000 followers for the account. That figure has been used by Zhao to assess how effectively individual reports turn video audiences into followers.
The series has also expanded beyond the familiar narrative of Americans moving into destinations associated with digital nomads and expats.
Upcoming coverage is intended to examine locations that actively seek foreign residents and digital nomads. Zhao has encountered destinations offering incentives to attract expats and foreign income and has received outreach from places seeking coverage.
Her reporting includes destinations such as Da Nang and Tulum, where migration and tourism have affected local communities.
A Tulum mini-documentary examined the town’s decline and infrastructure changes connected to its recovery. The reporting also included InDrive, a rideshare service that Zhao used while reporting from the area. She has considered approaching the company about a potential collaboration because of its role in the story.
The reporting focus remains centered on Americans relocating abroad and the conditions surrounding those decisions. That includes examining both the motivations of people leaving the United States and the interests of destinations seeking foreign residents.
Audience Growth Precedes Commercial Development for the Brand
Immigrant, Not Expat has not yet generated revenue, with Zhao concentrating first on developing its audience.
She signed with a talent agency roughly a month before the September 7 report, and brand partnerships were in development. The broader creator market increasingly includes partnerships in which creators contribute beyond individual sponsored posts and take on additional strategic roles.
Zhao has considered potential partnerships with companies encountered during her reporting rather than building the brand around unrelated sponsorships.
The project remains a separate undertaking from Zhao’s work as a video journalist at the California Post. Her employment there began in March 2026, and she produces explainer videos about California issues.
Balancing the two roles has created a significant time constraint. Zhao has an hour-long commute each way to the California Post, leaving less time during the day for independent video production.
She has described the workload as a substantial mental burden while balancing her full-time journalism position with the creator brand.
Despite those constraints, Zhao has said that building the independent journalism project is her preferred career path. She has described the creator route as her first choice even if the journalism industry offered more traditional employment opportunities.
The brand’s commercial development is therefore taking place while its editorial identity is still being established. Zhao is continuing to build an audience around migration reporting while evaluating partnerships connected to the subjects covered in her work.
The role of talent agencies in creator businesses has also expanded beyond sponsorship negotiations into broader business development and representation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Helen Zhao?
Helen Zhao is a journalist who previously worked at CNBC for five years. She is also a video journalist at the California Post and is developing the independent media brand Immigrant, Not Expat.
What is Immigrant, Not Expat?
Immigrant, Not Expat is a social-first media brand created by Helen Zhao. It uses reporting, data, interviews and video storytelling to cover migration and Americans moving abroad.
What does Helen Zhao report on?
Zhao focuses on Americans relocating abroad, expat and digital nomad movement, and the economic and social conditions connected to migration. Her reports include data and interviews with people in the communities being covered.
Which platforms does Immigrant, Not Expat use?
The brand publishes content across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Zhao uses the platforms to distribute video reports and build an independent audience.
Is Immigrant, Not Expat currently monetized?
The brand is currently focused on audience development rather than revenue. Zhao has signed with a talent agency, while potential brand partnerships are in development.
