TIKTOK IS NOW AMERICA’S NUMBER 2 CHOICE FOR ‘NEWS’

Matt Case - June 14th, 2024 - 6:24am PDT 

TikTok's Rise as a News Source

In an unexpected shift in news consumption, TikTok, often viewed as a platform for viral dances and lip-syncing videos, is now being hailed as the new Walter Cronkite for many Americans. According to a recent study by Pew Research, TikTok has emerged as the second most popular source of news, trailing only behind X (formerly Twitter).

The study reveals that TikTok is increasingly becoming a go-to for news, despite not being traditionally regarded as a news app. Approximately one-third of TikTok's news consumers reported that they would not have encountered the news they received on the app through any other source.

This trend highlights a significant transformation in how information is disseminated and consumed, with ordinary users, often sharing their views from the confines of their cars, stepping into roles akin to trusted broadcasters of yesteryear.

The rise of TikTok as a news platform reflects a broader shift in the media landscape, where traditional news outlets are being supplemented, and in some cases, supplanted by social media platforms. As more Americans turn to these unconventional sources, the definition of news and the roles of those who deliver it continue to evolve.