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TikTok now fastest growing source of news, says Ofcom
The Guardian
|July 21, 2022
For those of a certain age, names such as Sir Trevor McDonald, Kate Adie and Huw Edwards are synonymous with breaking news – the big beasts of broadcast journalism.
But younger British adults appear to be turning away from traditional sources of news for their daily update of world affairs, choosing instead to consult their TikTok feeds.
The Chinese-owned video platform is the fastest growing news source for UK adults, according to a survey. But nearly half of those using the app for news turn to fellow TikTokers – content creators who upload homemade videos – rather than conventional news organisations .
TikTok is used by 7% of adults for news, according to the UK’s communications watchdog, up from 1% in 2020. The growth is primarily driven by young users, with half of its news followers aged 16 to 24.
Ofcom’s annual report on news consumption in the UK showed that for teenagers aged 12-15, Instagram has deposed BBC One and BBC Two to become the most popular news source , closely followed by TikTok and YouTube.
This story is from the July 21, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
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