Like others who watched on TV as the storming of the U.S. Capitol took place, Spehar felt compelled to talk about it. But “I didn’t want people to think I was an expert,” said Spehar, who recorded the TikTok video from her home in Rochester, New York. “So I just thought, this is a safe place to talk.”
Josh Helfgott, 33, discusses relevant LGBTQ+ news with his 5.5 million TikTok followers. He responds and interacts with viewers at home in Los Angeles, California on April 26, 2023.
Two years later, the TikTok account “Under the Table News” has attracted nearly 3 million followers. Many appreciate Spehar’s light-hearted take on the day’s news. His videos focus on topics that people can take action on. Spehar tries to end each video on a note.
Since the rise in popularity of the short-form video app TikTok (which began at the start of the pandemic), people like Spehar have flocked to the platform to discuss, document, and share what’s happening in the world . Many call themselves “creators” or “influencers” and don’t aspire to be traditional journalists.
What unites these newsmakers is a desire to speak authentically about the world they live in. That has resonated with millions of young followers, the elusive but highly sought-after next generation of media consumers who rarely or never watch TV news or read newspapers, according to Reuters .
By eschewing convention, these news creators are trying to create a new narrative at a time when journalism is in dire need of reinvention. Instead of reading the news or articles every day, some are choosing to connect directly with their audience in the comments section of TikTok videos, and others are using their views as a lifeline.
More and more young people are using TikTok to watch the news
Josh Helfgott, a TikTok user with 5.5 million followers, posts a recurring video series called “Gay News” that discusses current events relevant to LGBTQ+ viewers. Josh’s inspiration for the account was himself when he was 13, when he felt isolated as a gay teenager.
“I want to inspire people or just make anyone feel less alone,” says Josh Helfgott.
Josh's news videos regularly receive over 1 million views, covering everything from President Joe Biden hosting a White House ceremony to the Human Rights Campaign declaring a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans.
“There are very few stories around LGBTQ+ issues that are being heard in society,” says Helfgott.
Fighting feelings of helplessness and isolation has inspired other channels. Kristy Drutman launched “Brown Girl Green,” which focuses on climate change. She said she started posting on TikTok and Instagram because people of color are rarely represented in environmental discussions.
“I try to stay up to date on climate news and what can give people hope. I think about solutions,” Kristy confirms.
One of Kristy Drutman's TikTok videos explains how people can use the credit to make their homes more energy efficient, while another points to a global climate change report that suggests it's not too late for countries to take steps to combat global warming.
Combine for mutual benefit
Traditional media is in deep crisis. There are exceptions, such as the New York Times ’s soaring revenue from digital subscriptions, but stories of stagnant traffic and declining readership are rife at many other newspapers.
Extremely simple TikTok making device
In just under six months, as of June 2023, more than 1,900 jobs have been cut in the US media industry, surpassing the 1,808 jobs cut in all of 2022, according to a report from employment placement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Once-popular social media news sites like BuzzFeed News and Vice are either dead or on life support.
Meanwhile, TikTok is the fastest-growing social media platform for news, according to a report by the Institute for the Study of Journalism published by Reuters on June 13. The report said 20% of 18- to 24-year-olds use TikTok to learn about current events, up 5% from last year.
Lisa Remillard, a 20-year veteran of broadcast journalism who has worked as a host in Tallahassee, Florida, and San Diego, California, hopes to turn this development into a new business model that can help independent journalists make a living on TikTok and other areas of the social media platform.
Remillard founded BEONDTV, a digital media company specializing in lifestyle and entertainment.
Spehar's advice for journalists: build a TikTok following that will pay for your reporting
Since 2020, she has acted as a one-person newsroom, guiding her 2.5 million TikTok followers through the most important news stories of the day, such as the US debt ceiling deal and the potential ban of TikTok in the US due to the platform's Chinese ownership.
Remillard also expressed hope for a new business model for independent journalists.
As Spehar’s “Under the Desk News” began to take off, the Los Angeles Times hired him for six months last year to be the face of the paper’s news group’s TikTok account. It was a win-win: Spehar learned how to produce journalism, while the paper benefited from Spehar’s TikTok skills.
Spehar's advice to journalists: build a TikTok following that will pay for your reporting. "Choose the world you want to show people and tell them exactly the stories you see," Spehar says.
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