Politiktok: How TikTok influences American politics

TikTok is a visual platform that encourages first-person narratives and perspectives, often following "day in the life" and vlog-style content from influencers. In a way, this makes TikTok the perfect platform for modern citizen journalists to practice "gonzo journalism," the style of journalism pioneered by Hunter S. Thompson that makes no claims of objectivity, often having the reporter play a role in the story itself.  Unlike traditional journalism that relies on neutral, strictly factual statements from reporters and quotations from third parties, gonzo journalism's accuracy comes from reporting the author's personal emotions and experiences. This establishes a close connection between the reporter and the audience, because even if they aren't necessarily objective, they are open and vulnerable about their honest experiences, which some audiences find refreshing.  As I mentioned above, a popular video format on TikTok takes a "day in the life...

Presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump met for the first time in-person at their first debate on Tuesday, Sep. 10, 2024. The debate aired on CNN and was moderated by two CNN reporters. Some policies were discussed by the candidates, as were many "concepts" of policies. America's response to the debate is varied: some are laughing at certain moments that trended online, while others call attention to the seriousness of the issues the country faces. If you are on social media in any capacity, I'm sure your feed has been flooded with memes and jokes about some of the more outrageous claims made during the debate. Some of my personal favorites were Trump claiming it is legal to "execute" babies after they are born, accusing migrants in Springfield, Ohio of stealing and eating people's pets, and stating that Kamala Harris wants to give, "transgender surgeries to illegal immigrants in prison."  This TikToker even posits that Trump do...

TikTok-related stories in the headlines this week Viral "bank hack" is just plain fraud, warns JP Morgan Chase & Co. Many TikTok users are potentially facing legal consequences after participating in the viral "Chase ATM hack," which is just another term for check fraud, according to JPMorgan, the parent company of Chase Bank. In this TikTok , a woman says her partner was arrested after the couple withdrew $47,500 from a Chase ATM using this "hack."  In the last week, videos were posted by TikTok users, showing them depositing expensive checks at Chase ATMs and then withdrawing a smaller amount of money. Users thought this was a lucky "glitch" in the ATM systems. Unfortunately for them, this is no glitch or life hack. What they did was commit check fraud, which is a criminal offense.  Media publications like CNN and the Wall Street Journal reported on this TikTok scam this week, warning users not to attempt the new, trendy felony currently ...

A screenshot of a @KamalaHQ TikTok post from July 22, 2024.   Meme culture has shaped how American politicians operate and communicate with the public since the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election. Then-presidential candidate Donald Trump found himself the subject of meme forums across the internet, from Instagram users mocking his remarks to 4chan users glorifying his image. Rodney Taveira wrote in an article, " While it is of course hyperbolic to claim that memes won Trump the presidency in 2016, they do help explain the enduring passion and nature of his support." Taveira highlighted that internet users, especially those on 4chan and Reddit forums, gravitated towards Trump's campaign because they viewed him as an outsider like themselves. As he pointed out, the Trump campaign in 2016 did not capitalize on Trump's status as a meme, instead letting social media users give his image a life of its own. "Trump was merely an amplifier for the frowned-upon fri...