Over the course of the last four years TikTok has exploded in popularity across the globe thanks to its short-form content and incredible accessibility. The app’s intuitive design has attracted a wide array of content creators, including journalists who have begun to adapt their work to its style of video.
Adapting to TitTok’s Content
Traditional work in this field of writing, whether it be a magazine article or an online review, isn’t exactly suited to the structure of a TikTok in their base form. That’s why journalists, like those at IGN (a website focused on video game and entertainment media), condense their content into bitesize versions of the original stories and articles. Breakdowns of the latest announcements in the video games industry, like those seen in the recent live streams from Nintendo and Sony, can be found on their page. This can act as a convenient solution to those interested in this type of media but don’t necessarily have the time to keep up with every single announcement. Just taking a quick glance at IGN’s official YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/c/IGN/videos) – as of writing this (21.09.2022) – twelve trailers have been uploaded in the last twenty-four hours alone which, depending on someones amount of free time, is a lot of content to sit through; making TikTok’s short-form content that much more appealing.
TikTok has also given IGN another platform to share smaller or more niche stories that wouldn’t usually get their own YouTube video or website article. One the most recent TikToks on their page (https://www.tiktok.com/@ign/video/7145610625484328234?) is a short video that draws attention to the community behind Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered (PC) (2022), as members of that fanbase have modded the game to revert the appearance of one of the characters after it was changed from an older version of the game, Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered (PS4), released back in 2017. The ability to cover specific stories like this is not exclusive to companies like IGN, rather it is a universal benefit that all journalists on TikTok can take advantage of. No matter how niche their stories and content are, they will likely garner an audience thanks to TikTok’s audience fragmentation.
Audiences
Audience fragmentation is the process whereby, over a period of time, an audience will become diversified based on the specific interests of each individual. They will seek out different media on various platforms, creating a divide in what type of content is in demand. TikTok is a platform suited to cater to this fragmentation due to the sheer amount of creators it sports. Skits, music, factual videos, food – there is something for everyone. This abundance of varied content is part of what is making TikTok a more attractive platform to journalists and people looking to branch out their work.
TikTok is specifically designed to nurture audiences following certain types of content as well, which can also go a long way in helping a journalist grow their following. Based on the likes, followed accounts and shared content of an individual user, TikTok will begin showing them more content tailored to this collected data. Making it easier to discover more creators associated with whatever niche they are interested in.
Accessibility
As mentioned previously, TikTok is also easily accessible. In a world where most people have access to a smartphone or the internet, anyone can sign up to the app and start creating. Which is why it makes the platform an ideal starting point for fledgling writers and citizen journalists – journalism conducted by ordinary people who don’t necessarily have a professional background in writing.
However, though it is wonderful that more people than ever before can make their voices be heard, there is a potential downside that comes with this influx of amatuer creators. Due to the nature of the app, TikToks that may be covering a topic relevant at the time can go viral overnight by – what feels like – complete chance. And in some instances, these TikToks are filled with errors and misinformation, exposing millions of people to false facts that they may never take the time to confirm themselves. These situations can be a result of innocent mistakes on the creators part, but can still overall be damaging to a story currently doing the rounds on the internet.
But there are also other situations where this is done maliciously. One of the more recent and extreme examples of this is the flood of TikToks that came from various influences during the start of the Russian-Ukraine conflict that did nothing but spread false information and narratives surrounding the events.
Tips for Journalists on TikTok
One of the main pieces of advice that comes to mind when thinking about journalism on TikTok, is one that I received from Megha Mohan (a BBC reporter who primarily focuses on esoteric stories that she feels a strong emotional connection to) during JAM Week in march (my blog on the event: https://witchersandwitches.wordpress.com/2022/04/20/jam-week-07-03-22/). She highlighted the importance of “knowing your audience” and getting yourself a beat (an area you are interested in and know for, people will come to you first if they want a story on this subject) early on in your career.
With TikTok possessing algorithms specifically designed to keep people returning to certain types of content I think it would benefit up and coming journalists to find a niche they are interested and passionate about and build an audience around. Additionally, based on the downsides I mentioned above, I think it is crucial – like when writing in any other field – to fact check your work and make sure the sources in your research are reliable as misinformative stories will do nothing but damage your integrity.
Witchers and Witches 