LISTEN: Court hears arguments in TikTok’s challenge to law forcing sale or ban of social media app
PBS NewsHourSEP 2024
Survey: More Americans Regularly Getting News on TikTok
Above: The TikTok logo displays on a smartphone screen in Athens, Greece, on September 12, 2024. Image copyright: NurPhoto/Contributor/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
TikTok continues to gain prominence as a news source every year, particularly among young adults — a concerning phenomenon considering the platform has no safeguards to stop the spread of false information, nor uphold ethical journalism. Humankind is sleepwalking into a new era of disinformation.
Narrative B
News consumption has naturally evolved from printed papers to radio, television, and now social media to meet audience demand. Given TikTok's popularity, it's only natural that its users turn to it for news. The app indeed has issues, but such teething problems by no means indicate that journalism or its values are in decline.