You open TikTok for the sixth time today, and the first video you see is a stranger sharing news. It could be about politics, celebrities, sports, or even science. You watch the one- to two-minute video, take note of it, and later share it with your peers. But did you find another source before that — or even fact-check it?
I’m an avid TikTok user and come across news content every 15 minutes or so I am on the app. While sometimes I look for it, other times it pops up on my For You Page. I usually take time to fact-check the information, but do other students across campus deal with news on TikTok the same way?
In 2024, Pew Research Center reported that, “Regardless of whether they [TikTok users] turn to TikTok for news, most users see news-related content. TikTok users report seeing funny posts (84%) and people’s opinions (80%) related to current events at higher rates than news articles (57%) or breaking news information (55%).”
It seems unavoidable for TikTok users to come across news on the platform. However, is it always reliable?
TikTok is the No. 1 entertainment app on the App Store and is used by millions of Americans. The app is known for having one of the best social media algorithms among other platforms, such as Instagram. Most TikTok users are made up of Generation Z.
Ummamah Satti, a freshman at IU Indianapolis, uses TikTok about five hours a week.
Satti says she consumes some news from TikTok even though it is not her main source of news. She usually only takes in news related to things like science, which she considers fun. However, when she hears any political or governmental-related news, she researches the information off of TikTok for accuracy.
Another student, Aboubakar Amadou, a junior at IU Indianapolis, says he scrolls through TikTok usually for 30 minutes a day.
“My algorithm shows me political content at least once a week. Most of the time, it’s information I’ve heard on the news itself or seen on Twitter. If I’m not very familiar with the subject, I usually Google it to learn more about it,” says Amadou.
Seemingly, news content is prevalent on each user’s feed. However, TikTok admin has discussed their efforts to combat misinformation on the app.
“[We] prohibit harmful misinformation about health, elections, climate change, and more. When content goes against these rules, we remove it or make it ineligible for the For You feed as outlined in our policies,” according to TikTok’s Community Guidelines.
But how accurate is their algorithm in spotting misinformation?
TikTok admin has worked on decreasing the amount of misinformation flowing through its app. They announced they work with fact-checking organizations like AFP and Lead Stories. This third-party fact-checking program reviews and verifies reported content. Once it is confirmed, they remove the content according to their community guidelines and notify the user.
TikTok also has tools to help users identify and report misinformation, in addition to launching educational campaigns to help users recognize and avoid misinformation.
Yet, users have reported that even though TikTok works on preventing information, it has failed to do so completely.
Students have shared that they do their own research about news information from TikTok to avoid taking in false information.
“For serious news such as political news about our government, I research it,” said Satti.
Chachouai also applies the same methods in addition to using the app itself to fact-check.
“I use news channels and articles to get my news. However, when I am on TikTok and get news content, I usually research it like scrolling through the comments to see if it's true,” said Chachouai.
Amadou also does the same thing, applying research to news he gets from TikTok. He even goes on to add that receiving news from TikTok is not as valuable because the information is not concise.
“TikTok isn’t the first place I get my news from. I use Apple News for instant news on my phone, and sometimes news broadcasting channels when I’m at home, like CNN. TikTok often clips news into a short video, forcing you to not have the full coverage or information,” said Amadou.
Satti adds that her main source of news is not TikTok, but Groundnews, where news articles are sorted into different perspectives of the political spectrum. She believes that TikTok should not be anyone’s main source of news when it comes to politics.
All hope is not lost, it seems. Some young people take time to research what news they are being fed on TikTok to avoid misinformation. They even choose not to rely completely on the information on the app as their main source of news.
“TikTok isn’t the first place I look for news because it might not be accurate,” said Chachouai.
I wouldn’t say that TikTok is the new front page, but rather a gateway for students to come into contact with news from all areas, such as entertainment and politics. They get the information, research it, and then apply it.
However, it is important that young adults make sure they are conducting accurate research about news information before sharing it. If people miss this step, it could lead to a full circle of disinformation.
“TikTok is an OK place to get news from. However, anyone who comes across any sort of information on the platform should research it further to be sure it isn’t biased or changed to fit a narrative, Amadou said.”
Oumou Sow is a second-year student at IU Indianapolis, majoring in political science with minors in international studies and legal studies. She loves to read fantasy books, binge-watch Marvel movies, and listen to political and educational podcasts.
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