Journalists Are Adapting To The Culture Of TikTok
TikTok, A Growing Platform, Allows Journalists To Engage A New Audience Through Short Videos
TikTok is a journalist’s “new best friend,” according to British Council. Journalists have started using TikTok by sharing behind-the-scenes clips, silly stunts, and dialogue to inform an audience of “the age of 13 and 40,” with teens being the highest users.
What is TikTok?
According to Influencer Marketing Hub, “TikTok is a short-form, video-sharing app that allows users to create and share 15-second videos, on any topic.” The application allows an easy way for users to share videos and create content.
As of January 2021, TikTok has “689 million active users worldwide,” reports Oberlo. In addition, users invest “more than 850 minutes per month” on the application.
Why Journalists Should Use TikTok
Large corporations already started leaving their presence on TikTok. Social Media Today predicts “global brands” will eventually grow their own presence by establishing their “brand voice, engage with audiences, and attract younger consumers.”
In “The modern dilemma of TikTok journalism,” Emily Bell, says that it’s almost mandatory for a “technology or culture reporter” to spend time analyzing an application that has been downloaded numerous times and is growing faster than any other platform.
Creating content that keeps an audience’s attention is nothing new to Journalists. Tik Tok is a “natural fit” for journalists, says Sophia Smith Galer in her seminar.
TikTok’s Future Impact On Journalism
If more Journalists begin using TikTok, it can easily become a place where “news topics are discussed and where outlets can reach new users,” reports The Reuters Institute.
“TikTok Ads are the future,” reports the Trapica Content Team. The Ads appear as videos on users’ feed, and they blend in with other videos to avoid being skipped by viewers.
Journalists will benefit from this platform because they can establish their own presence that will drive a large audience to consume their content, and there’s potential growth through advertisement. According to Compare Camp, TikTok’s momentum “is bound to continue this year, if not this decade.”
