Amy Watson
Research expert covering news and publishing
TikTok news consumption in the U.S. - statistics & facts
TikTok consumption is on the rise. Popular among younger generations for its short-form video content, usage has soared in recent years in countries across the globe. The monthly time spent on TikTok per user worldwide almost doubled between 2020 and 2022 and the platform is attracting audiences interested not only in entertainment but also news. Whilst there is a good deal of concern about the accuracy of news on social media, these networks remain regular news sources for many.
Building an audience on TikTok is not a priority for all news brands, particularly those relying on subscriptions. For those looking to draw in younger audiences, though, making the move to TikTok is the way forward.
These are the consumers many news publishers wish to reach, in the hope that growing the level of engagement from younger audiences now may pay off later. In a crowded news landscape where influencers are competing with journalists, TikTok may not be suited for all news outlets. The platform has issues with mis- and disinformation and concerns have been raised about free speech, not to mention that short-form news content must be eye-catching and engaging to grab users’ attention. For many news publishers this type of content is far from the norm, so adaptability is key. Certainly though, for those looking to target younger generations and who are prepared to take on the challenge of establishing themselves on the platform, the time to get involved with TikTok is now.
TikTok news publishers
The leading news publisher on TikTok in the U.S. is socially native brand NowThis. Founded in 2012 and focusing on politically progressive content, NowThis has a follower count of 5.5 million on TikTok, more than double that of mainstream brand Yahoo! News and 200 thousand more than Washington Post, USA Today, CNN, and MSNBC combined. One appeal of NowThis is its weekly instalments of “Who Is?”, a miniseries narrated by celebrities and focused on people in politics. Whilst it is thought that the follower count does not necessarily influence the popularity of a specific post, it is clear that there is a growing interest in getting updates on news and current affairs from mainstream brands as well as socially native outlets.Building an audience on TikTok is not a priority for all news brands, particularly those relying on subscriptions. For those looking to draw in younger audiences, though, making the move to TikTok is the way forward.
TikTok news and the target consumer
In 2022, over 25 percent of U.S. adults aged 18 to 29 years old said that they regularly get news from TikTok. That was almost three times the share who said the same in 2020. Among adults between 30 and 49 years the share increased fivefold in the same time period. Should these figures continue to grow at a similar rate, the platform could become one of the leading social media networks for news for young consumers in the next few years. Indeed, close to 18 percent of TikTok users in the United States are teens aged between 12 and 17 years old. Children and young people around this age are also the most avid social media news consumers – over 50 percent of Gen Z teens use social media feeds or messaging services for news each day.These are the consumers many news publishers wish to reach, in the hope that growing the level of engagement from younger audiences now may pay off later. In a crowded news landscape where influencers are competing with journalists, TikTok may not be suited for all news outlets. The platform has issues with mis- and disinformation and concerns have been raised about free speech, not to mention that short-form news content must be eye-catching and engaging to grab users’ attention. For many news publishers this type of content is far from the norm, so adaptability is key. Certainly though, for those looking to target younger generations and who are prepared to take on the challenge of establishing themselves on the platform, the time to get involved with TikTok is now.
