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forms of use
of TikTok that make sense for news media
2. creation of
contents
targeted
Informative content created specifically for the newspaper's TikTok account, without being related to productions on other platforms.
It occurs in 4 ways:
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- Presenter + placard / green screen
- Visualization of data with everyday objects
- Designs
- Adapting journalistic content to app trends
Presenter + placard and / or green background
The mere presence of a person talking to the viewer already brings the video closer to a format suitable for TikTok. Another important factor is the dynamism of the report and the production - colloquial language, multiple cuts in editing, alternation in the volume of speech, camera movements, etc.
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The green background, in turn, is one of the most popular effects of the network. It allows the TikTok presenter to replace the background of his recording with another image or video.
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Thus, the green screen is one of the simplest formats for targeted creation - but it usually generates good content, since it provides dynamism to the video and, at the same time, assists in the narrative construction (images + presentation).
This tiktok is simple and objective. He starts with a hook: "This is neither Australia nor the United States. This is happening in Argentina right now", while images of the fire pass through the presenter's background through the green background feature.
The video is effective in alerting the user to the Cordoba fires, and its good performance on the platform reinforces that TikTok users are also interested in serious topics.
La Nación
8/25/2020
Data visualization
through objects
This is an interesting way to translate data into a language that works in TikTok: using common everyday objects at home or in the newsroom. The use of unusual objects in these types of videos expresses two values appreciated on the platform: creativity and spontaneity, including the inclusion of a little behind the scenes of the newsroom or even the journalist's home.
Le Monde
06/26/2020
Journalist Pierre Lecornu used ice cubes to illustrate the melting of glaciers at the poles, showing how this process has accelerated sharply in recent decades. Even so, it is difficult to measure the extent of tons of ice - so he compared these measurements to the size of elephants, a reference that is more familiar to people. The idea's creativity favors its acceptance in the TikTok environment, as it incites users' curiosity.
graphics
They are videos that use the drawings to facilitate the delivery of information to the public. The difference for graphics or infographics is that, on video, the idea is to show the drawing being done.
A good reference are the videos "hand drawn" ("drawing by hand"), born on YouTube, in which the image shows only the arms and hands drawing on a blank paper, usually with the narrator of the audio presenter. In TikTok, however, this personality is fundamental: having the voice of the narrator in the background and even showing his face at some point in the video are more suitable formats for the cartoon videos on the platform.
Adapting journalistic content to tiktok trends
TikTok has new trends all the time. Sometimes they are loud audio or music; sometimes they are challenges of dance, dubbing or performances; some visual effect for the videos; and so on.
Users surf these trends, consuming and producing videos from them. And journalism can take advantage of this: several media have made interesting content along these lines - some focused on delivering information, others on brand building.
It is a good engagement strategy, since the contents of the current trend are better ranked by the algorithm and better received by users.
If done well, these videos also show that the newspaper understands the language of the platform. The challenge here is to reconcile these trends with journalistic content - which often ends up being neglected. Here's an example of proper usage:
The Washington Post
11/23/2020
The video uses a popular format in TikTok, in which a person represents several characters who talk to each other.
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Taking advantage of the format, the journalist creates a dialogue between 3 types of vaccine and an ordinary citizen. Dynamic cuts, mood swings and creativity capture the user's interest - while the staged conversation explains why public access to any vaccine can still take time.
