TikTok is a trusted news source for many of its Gen Z users, and the app is looking to use a strategic hire to build on that momentum. An open position based out of Los Angeles calls for a “Creator Manager” who would work alongside news broadcasters who are active on TikTok.
Though the description of the role explains it as a typical creator management post, the wording of the listing reveals that TikTok wants its new employee to work directly with the app’s news community. TikTok has several good reasons to prioritize that content category: A 2023 report found that 20% of 18-to-24-year-olds use the app as a news source, and that percentage is only going up as more creators embed themselves within the contemporary political landscape.
A 2024 Pew Research Center survey found that news consumption on social media is still rising, with creators drawing most of that attention. Compared to independent pundits like V Spehar, legacy media organizations only draw a fraction of the TikTok views.
Subscribe for daily Tubefilter Top Stories
That reality leaves TikTok in a tricky place. By investing in its homegrown news anchors, it can develop more political clout and push back against threats like the proposed U.S. ban, all while increasing viewership. But news disseminated via social media can be dangerous, as it is more prone to misinformation and extremist viewpoints. And if TikTok sits on its hands, other platforms like Substack will rush in to court news creators.
That’s where the Creator Manager role comes into focus. By working directly with news creators, TikTok can use a personal touch to address issues like misinformation and questionable journalistic ethics. The app has already turned its broader community into a legion of fact-checkers, and it’s now throwing more money at the sociopolitical problems it faces.
TikTok is not alone in that effort. YouTube, for example, made life easier for its news creators by relaxing its moderation standards around the start of the year. The change allows videomakers to discuss and report on sensitive topics without having their content demonetized or removed.
Will TikTok’s embrace of amateur newscasters bring even more creator voices into the cultural conversation? I can say this for sure: There’s no shortage of news right now, and like it or not, TikTok is one of the most popular places to discover what’s going on in the world.
