UK Adults Turning To TikTok For Their News; Regulator Report Reveals ‘Other Users’ Becoming Primary News Source For Many
deadline.comTikTok is an established provider of entertainment worldwide, but is also becoming increasingly popular as a news source with UK adults.British broadcasting regulator Ofcom’s annual report reveals that the social media platform is the fastest growing news source – with 7% of adults using it for news, up from 1% just two years ago.
Half of those news followers are aged 16 to 24.The report shows Instagram to be the most popular source of news for teenagers aged 12 to 15, followed by TikTok and YouTube.Worryingly for those concerned by the spread of news mis-information, the report also found half the people on TikTok using it for current affairs get their ‘facts’ from fellow TikTokers rather than turning to conventional news organisations for their updates.For those using the platform for current affairs, 44% say their main source is other people they follow; 36% say it is friends and family.
Only 24% cite official news organisations. Most popular official news sources on TikTok are Sky News, the BBC and ITV.TikTok, which is owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, is the fastest growing social media platform, with more than 1 billion users worldwide.
It recently faced calls for higher security by Republication senators in US Congress, with one regulator calling it a “national security risk” over collection of user data.Broadcast networks’ fall lineups and schedulesNew and returning series on broadcast, cable and streamingSeries that made it or didn’t make it in 2021-22
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