TikTok could increase spread of news within younger demographics
After the social media platform TikTok’s rise in popularity, journalists have and will continue to use the application as a method to share the news to a wider audience.
Many people within the Generation Z age group dislike watching traditional television, according to Forbes, which can decrease the amount of Generation Z viewers who consume their news through TV stations. This can create the need for journalists to diversify their news content in order to reach younger demographics.
Currently, TikTok is able to tap into the Generation Z and younger demographic by having two-thirds of their users under the age of 30, according to Nieman Lab. 60% of the platform’s U.S. users are between the ages of 16 and 24.
An article written by the Columbia Journalism Review referenced American journalist Dan Primack on the topic, emphasizing TikTok’s potential in the future of news production.
“News organizations are desperate to hook the next generation,” Primack said on the Axios Pro Rata podcast. “TikTok could be the means to that end.”
If journalists chose to upload news content to TikTok in the coming years, they could be able to reach the younger demographics who would opt out of watching the news in other mediums. If journalists decide against using TikTok for professional use, there is the opportunity of missing a targeted audience.
TikTok has been a relevant topic in politics and the media within recent years. Former President Donald Trump had made attempts to ban TikTok in the U.S., according to NPR. Similarly, some lawmakers are now pushing to ban TikTok from government devices, a Forbes article says.
If TikTok continues to make national headlines regarding it’s availability status, it could interfere with the platform’s growth in the news industry.
