Blurring Boundaries Between Journalists and Tiktokers: Journalistic Role Performance on TikTok

Abstract

In recent years, media has adapted to the logic of each new social network to respond to renewed consumption habits and journalists have developed new roles on these platforms. TikTok is an emerging platform with its own influencer culture and in which the main audiences are the millennial and centennial generations. The main objective of this study is to analyze the presence of journalists on TikTok through the type of content and strategies used in adapting to this platform. The research is based on methodological triangulation. First, a database of journalists on TikTok (<em>n</em><sub>1</sub> = 212) was developed and the profiles were reviewed. Second, a questionnaire survey (<em>n</em><sub>2</sub> = 63) was developed. Finally, a content analysis (<em>n</em><sub>3</sub> = 520) of profiles exceeding 100,000 followers was conducted. This research provides a first description of the activity of journalists on TikTok, where a variety of roles, usages, and strategies are identified, beyond those of their profession. They join the of-the-moment platform with different purposes (to inform, entertain, or introduce themselves) and targets (new audiences, young people, fans). Journalists adapt their presence to the TikTok social media logic, seeking a space of influence on a platform that is the natural habitat of younger generations.

Unpacking Multimodal Fact-Checking: Features and Engagement of Fact-Checking Videos on Chinese TikTok (Douyin)

“…Second, we identified five persuasive strategies relevant to fact-checking videos: humor, logic, storytelling, authoritative sources, and clickbait thumbnail. Humor strategies were the most prevalent in fact-checking videos, which is consistent with recent research on public health-related TikTok videos (Basch et al, 2021;Negreira-Rey et al, 2022). In comparison, the logic-based strategy was the least prevalent in our dataset, though it was common in previous fact-checking studies and contexts (Bennett, 2012;Schmid & Betsch, 2019;Vraga et al, 2020).…”

“…For example, the humor strategy was shown to capture audience’s attention, improve knowledge acquisition, and elicit emotional responses to videos (Vraga et al, 2019; Wang, 2020; Young et al, 2018). Research on TikTok and Douyin highlighted the popularity of humor strategies in video creation (Basch et al, 2021; Negreira-Rey et al, 2022) and how humor videos were positively associated with audience engagement (Basch et al, 2021; Li et al, 2021). These short-video platforms, through unique affordances like “lip-syncing” and video editing features, incentivized users to engage in meme-making and replication of popular content (Kaye et al, 2021; Zulli & Zulli, 2022).…”

Journalistic “Innovation” Is Hard To Hate, but Actual Change Is Just Hard

“…2174-2175. Early work on journalists' use of TikTok suggests they connect it to marketing goals, citing its ability to reach and engage young audiences and its utility for individual and institutional brand extension (Negreira-Rey et al, 2022).…”

Las redes sociales como vehículo del periodismo científico: 'Scoping Review'

“…Diversos estudios dan cuenta de cómo el uso de videos, audios, infografías y publicaciones con formatos de gran desarrollo visual llegan de mejor forma a los públicos y pueden ayudar a generar mayor engagement (Li et al, 2018;Boy et al, 2020;Mena Young, 2022). Estamos ante un espacio de creación cuyo recorrido depende en buena de medida de la capacidad que se tenga para apartarse del periodismo replicante (Costa-Sánchez et al, 2015) generando contenido propio y ad hoc a los lenguajes de cada red social (Negreira-Rey et al, 2022).…”