TikTok users tend to prioritize popular culture and entertainment over news and politics, according to new study - Poynter

According to a Pew Research Center study, American adult TikTok users tend to follow accounts more dedicated to culture and entertainment than news/politics-focused accounts on TikTok. Studies released Tuesday found that influencers and creators with between 5,000 to one million followers make up almost half of adult TikTok users’ lists, whereas journalists, media outlets, and politicians account for less than one percent. Researchers conducted a detailed investigation on 664 accounts to produce this report. Nearly 60% of accounts followed by adult TikTok users featured posts related to pop culture or entertainment; only 5% included news updates as content. Researchers discovered that accounts that discuss news and politics tend to combine this content with entertaining videos or posts about entertainment and pop culture; these results contrast strongly with a similar Pew analysis conducted of Twitter accounts done back in 2022. That study discovered that adult Twitter users in the U.S. typically followed accounts that related to media, politics or government more closely. According to Angela Fu, media business reporter: A New York Times-Sienna opinion poll released Wednesday showed Kamala Harris with an edge over Donald Trump for likely popular vote – not confused with electoral college vote which actually determines winner – for the first time this fall. The Times story highlighted an astonishing discovery: Harris was seen by those surveyed as more effective at creating change than former President. There was another, unexpected result from this survey which The New York Times’ chief political analyst Nate Cohn addressed separately – Trump has gained an astounding 13 point advantage over Hillary in Florida (my home state that once served as a battleground). Trump won by an even wider margin in Florida than seen in previous polls; this may seem promising; however, in reality it would only serve his campaign by running up scores in states he was sure to take anyway. Florida votes that Republicans were counting on were rendered unnecessary when measured against national poll results – giving Harris’ new surge even greater credence as she advances further ahead in popular vote polling. On CNN I watched as Larry Sabato from University of Virginia tried to explain all the positive attributes to Harris that could help her. Jim Acosta simply nodded as Larry spoke and stated his opinion as follows. Neither did I. But getting into the weeds at least helps with keeping up with polls and with maintaining the horse race aspect of a presidential election. By Rick Edmonds, media business analyst Author Ta-Nehisi Coates addresses attendees at the Celebration of Toni Morrison’s Life event held Nov. 21, 2019, in New York. Ta-Nehisi Coates recently expressed sympathy for Gayle King and Nate Burleson of “CBS Mornings,” during his widely publicized and much-discussed interview. Last week, Coates appeared on a morning show to promote his book, “The Message”, but during that appearance became heated when morning anchor Tony Dokoupil quizzed Coates on his views about Israel and Palestine. Trevor Noah teases an interview on “What Now? with Trevor Noah,” his future show that will air Oct 10th. “You don’t appreciate how shocking that interview was for so many,” Noah noted to Coates. Spotify Original Weekly Podcast played back Dokoupil’s clip where she suggests reading The Message would place some content “appropriate for an extremist’s backpack”. Coates has stated he expects criticism for this book. “I knew at some point it would come down to fighting, though not necessarily at that precise moment,” Coates noted, before sharing his reflections on why something had gone awry in the interview and discussing King. Coates noted that “CBS Mornings” host, Loni King had read through and given him her interview questions in advance of her meeting him for their discussion. Additionally, Coates referenced King having handwritten notes in advance. “While Dokoupil may have done me some good in hijacking that interview, he certainly did not do Nate or Gayle any favours, and for that I apologize deeply. The Washington Post reports that CBS News executive Adrienne Roark announced at an all-staff meeting Monday that an internal review had concluded that Dokoupil’s interview did not adhere to their commitment of impartiality and neutrality. On Tuesday, unionized media workers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette took part in a demonstration outside its building to mark two years since they first went on strike. Over 80 advertising and production workers at an advertising firm walked off their jobs on October 6, 2022 after they discovered their health care plans had been cancelled, prompting approximately 60 journalists from its sister paper to walk off two weeks later in response to failed contract negotiations. Post-Gazette strike, one of America’s longest running open-ended strikes since 2000. One of the five Post-Gazette unions that initially went on strike, representing truck drivers through Teamsters Local 623, has reached an agreement with management in April. Jacob Klinger of NewsGuild said four additional unions — representing approximately 60 employees who belong to 29 editorial unions at newspapers — remain on strike. Since October 2022, members of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh have held to three demands to end the strike: reinstatement of 2017 contract terms for union workers; return to bargaining table negotiations on a new agreement; reinstatement of health coverage benefits for their colleagues. Since neither side appears willing to yield, some union members are placing their hope in the courts to put an end to this strike. In August, the National Labor Relations Board filed for an injunction requiring Post-Gazette management to negotiate new contracts with all four unions involved and return Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh back into its 2017 agreement, among other measures. From its inception, this strike has caused deep division among editorial employees. A vote to end it passed 38-36 with roughly 40 journalists opting to continue working through. Subsequently, The Post-Gazette hired multiple replacement workers who have faced some criticism from sources. Brandon McGinley wrote in August’s editorial page column that Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign had banned Post-Gazette journalists from attending campaign events. Allison Latcheran of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette highlighted in an email statement that, even while some workers striked against it, the paper has been honored as News Organization of the Year by Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association three consecutive years. “Our employees continue to impress us every day with their dedication and excellence. Since Post-Gazette workers started striking, other newsrooms have joined them and organized open-ended strikes; others held one-day work stoppages.” Long Beach Post reporters have been on strike since March after management instituted mass layoffs at their company; workers at both New Yorker and Alden-owned Southern California News Group newspapers are currently threatening strikes as well. Tech workers at The New York Times have also threatened a strike. By Angela Fu, media business reporter Legendary journalist Bob Woodward’s forthcoming book – entitled “War” – is already making waves due to its sensationalized revelations. Donald Trump made headlines for sending American-made coronavirus tests to Russian President Vladimir Putin while they were still scarce, and as part of this arrangement the two are said to communicate regularly. For further insights, take a look at Isaac Stanley-Becker of The Washington Post discussing five key revelations from Bob Woodward’s new book and Peter Baker from The New York Times discussing “Book Raises Questions About Trump’s Ties to Putin. The New York Times will soon introduce Zorse, a phrase-guessing game where each puzzle contains multiple phrases combined together, according to Semafor’s Marta Biino and Max Tani in their statement. Named for its offspring of zebras and horses, The Times Games section has become one of its primary drivers of revenue growth over recent years, helping keep its finances on an upward trend while other sections struggle. Biino and Tani reported, “Earlier this year,” media analysts quipped that The Times has become something like an entertainment gaming company given how long subscribers spend playing their online gaming platforms as opposed to reading its news online. Chris Wallace discussed in detail his departure from Fox News in late 2021 on Mediaite’s Press Club podcast. According to Wallace, conservative viewpoints didn’t bother him any more than liberal ones did, while conspiracy and lies were his top two concerns. Margaret Kenny Giancola has been appointed editor-in-chief of The Buffalo News. A native of Buffalo who recently celebrated 30 years working at The News as managing editor has now become editor-in-chief, according to an announcement issued by The News. “She becomes The News’ ninth editor in its 144-year history and the second graduate from Nardin Academy to fill that post, joining Margaret M. Sullivan on this list.” Jim Heaney of Buffalo-based nonprofit Investigative Post reported that Sheila Rayam had been “ousted”, without explanation from Lee Enterprises — “the chain owner behind the paper”. I understand Lee has also not addressed its decision with newsroom staff members or me directly. OpenAI, the pioneer in generative artificial intelligence (GAI), announced it has entered into another agreement with a news organization. Hearst Publications Group operates over 20 magazines and 40 newspapers — such as Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, Esquire Magazine and Cosmopolitan — will share content from their publications with users via its platform. Winston Cho, reporting for The Hollywood Reporter, mentions that OpenAI has signed similar contracts with Axel Springer – who owns Politico and Business Insider; News Corp; the Associated Press; Financial Times; Vox Media and The Atlantic, all among many others. USA Today conducted an in-depth analysis of all 3,113 counties within the U.S. and discovered “a dramatic realignment since 2012 that has amplified partisan leanings across states nationwide – leaving only a select few where Nov. 5 presidential election outcomes still are in flux”. Susan Page, Suhail Bhat, Savannah Kuchar and Sudiksha Kochi outline more about their findings in “Red States Are Redder, Blue States Are Bluer… And Our Politics? Hotter.” The Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a London think tank which monitors online hate, disinformation and extremism, provided an example of falsehoods about Hurricane Helene spreading via social media; “providing an insight into misinformation propagated by various actors”. Study results revealed, among other findings, that on Facebook (X), 33 posts featuring claims debunked by FEMA, White House or US government generated over 160 Million Views as of October 7th (the day this study concluded). CNN’s Brian Stelter and Liam Reilly offer coverage: Florida threatens prosecution over an abortion rights ad broadcast by TV stations; Florida Communications Commission chief calls it dangerous.” If you have feedback or suggestions, email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at [email protected]; the Poynter Report daily media newsletter can also be subscribed to here.