Staff Editorial
It’s no secret that media outlets and news organizations are still getting their footing on new age social media platforms like TikTok, but with a new medium there needs to be a standard and it cannot include ridiculous engagement boosting schemes.
Social media platforms give reporters an opportunity to engage with younger audiences and keep up with emerging modes which people consume news. However, media networks need to be careful of what elements of social media culture to participate in.
Doug Sharpe, a TikTok creator with over 886,000 followers on his account, under the handle “Dougiesharpe,” makes short videos mirroring traditional newscasts.
Sharpe has racked up over 98 million likes and has been making TikTok videos since 2021.
In a video posted last Wednesday, Sharpe shared a video about popular fast food chain Chick-fil-A possibly launching a new streaming network. The video is 58 seconds long and garnered over 105,000 views since its posting.
While the video was successful in overall viewage the comment section reveals a different story.
During the video Sharpe continuously mispronounced the name of the restaurant which, if you open up the comment section, revealed that the mispronunciation led to an overwhelming amount of comments ridiculing Sharpe’s speech.
This tactic is called “rage baiting” which is when people make outlandish claims or comments that they know a majority of people will dislike or become angry about on social media platforms. With a similar sentiment to P.T. Barnum’s quote, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity,” the tactic draws comments and drives engagement because people get upset.
Sharpe does not claim to be a journalist on any of his accounts or platforms, but the TikTok talent is known for his “fun fact” videos which focus on sharing a quick news story. The videos include many elements of a traditional newscast including b-roll and screenshot images of news stories sourcing the information.
While saying “Chickfulla” instead of “Chick-fil-A” may seem harmless and potentially help boost viewership and draw engagement to Sharpe’s page, it is an excellent example of what professional reporters should not be doing.
If an established Pittsburgh media company such as TribLive or the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette were to post the same video including the “Chickfulla” blunder, then general audiences would lose confidence and respect for the news outlet.
Imagine if the local paper misspelled a keyword in its headline or purposely shared incorrect information– the result would be incredibly harmful to the reader’s understanding.
Taking advantage of TikTok trends can help boost viewership by humanizing reporters and publishing from the field, but it can also dismantle positive public opinion and trust if not used properly. Not every trend maintains journalism ethics and not every trend will boost engagement for the right reasons.