A study by British Communications Organization Ofcom found that valuable news is quickly replaced by simplistic (and often inaccurate) stories. Posted on social media like TikTok and Instagram.
TikTok is a short video platform that is mostly dominated by viral skits, lip-sync videos, dances and memes. It seems that there is no place for media space, but it is not. In the case of “News”, it is displayed on the platform in different ways.
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No matter who submits it or how the news is presented, the most popular news topics on TikTok tend to be more cool topics or celebrity stories, like Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard Trial.
In June, a report published by the Reuters Institute at Oxford University showed that four out of ten people They regularly avoid the news because they find it very frustrating.
Although professional journalists publish their stories on the app, many traditional media outlets also have a presence on the platform. These videos usually receive fewer views than those based on TikTok lip sync trends.
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This confronts us with many disturbing questions. Are we denying ourselves access to information? Does TikTok make us prefer ‘friendly’ news? Should news organizations adopt TikTok as a platform for their reporting?
What the media are saying about the future of news
- According to Ofcom, “information and entertainment” as a phenomenon is not unique to social media (nor is it always inherently evil). Most of the time, traditional news is a for-profit business, and creating eye-catching stories – on TV, print and digital – has long been a priority.
- On TikTok, there are undoubtedly individual news influencers striving for profit, but the problem is that many accounts are run by individuals, with their own interests and motives, which makes a lot of people, even young people may not see the platform. As a serious source of news, Nick Newman, a senior research associate at the Reuters Institute, told The Guardian.
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- Social media is where serious news is discarded in favor of alternative types of light “information and entertainment” that are more profitable, more extreme, and more likely to be riddled with misinformation. It is a place where reality can simply be ignored.
- According to Sarah Manavis, senior writer for The New Statesman, the advocacy of social media reporting inevitably rewards an attention economy that allows influencers with news, misinformation, and political theories to thrive, and intrigue and polarizing content.
- Spreading news through social networks will always prioritize excitement over substance, This will result in a world in which people are progressively less familiar with it.
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