Whether it be scrolling through TikTok or Instagram reels, it is nearly impossible to escape the multitude of amateur news clips that populate the online space. Even reputable news organizations, from CNN to the Washington Post, have taken to establishing a presence on scrolling-based social media platforms.
However, with this shift towards TikTok newscasting, the future of sound journalistic work hangs in the balance. As a whole, it is a breeding ground for unreliable, biased journalism to infiltrate the news landscape and misinform and polarize millions of American citizens.
For those who believe this to be an over-exaggeration , they need look no further than one of TikTok’s most prominent news accounts: the Daily Mail. The British publication has amassed a following of nearly 22 million on the platform, and has become notorious for producing inaccurate, sensationalized conservative content. Not much more to expect from an account whose bio reads “Seriously Popular”.
Beyond international syndicates like the Daily Mail, however, the same lack of trustworthiness and credibility rings true across the rest of the TikTok news landscape—the overwhelming majority of news TikTokers have no background in the professional news scene, making their information distribution questionable at best.
On the other hand, proponents of “TikTok newscasting” argue that it helps to disseminate information to larger audiences compared to traditional forms of media distribution—and who doesn’t want a more well-informed populace? News consumption on TikTok is steadily trending upwards, a sign for advocates of this medium that short-form news content is effective in engaging American citizens to be more conscious of important events on a local, national, and global scale.
Yet, the fact remains that the TikTok news landscape is ripe with misinformation and deception, from misleading AI-generated election news to faulty health and wellness information. The focus should never be on maximizing exposure to news content, but rather, ensuring that all news content being fed to audiences is as reliable and accurate as can be. Quality over quantity, plain and simple.
While there is something to be said about the steady decline of journalism in America as a catalyst for this shift in the news industry towards “TikTok reporting”, it remains the responsibility of news organizations to produce quality journalistic work. Until that is the case with news content users encounter on TikTok or Instagram reels, journalism is best kept off of short-form content social media apps.
Mark Twain, famed author and giant of American literature, once said, “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.” Given the nature of Internet journalism, it’s safe to say that a lie can travel around the world a billion times before the truth even opens its eyes. If TikTok plans to establish itself as a reliable source of news information, there is plenty of work to be done in purging misinformation and uplifting quality journalism.