ISSN: 1550-7521
ISSN: 1550-7521
Adeola Sidikat OYELEKE Ph.D.1*, Ifeanyi Ebenezer Onyike Ph.D.2 and Remmy Queen C3
1Department of Mass Communication, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo Ebonyi State
3Department of Mass Communication O/C Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo, Ebonyi State
Received: 30-Jun-2023, Manuscript No. Gmj-23-104459; Editor assigned: 03-Ju1- 2023, Preqc No. Gmj-23-104459; Reviewed: 14-Aug-2023, QC No. Gmj-23-104459; Revised: 21-Aug-2023, Manuscript No. Gmj-23-104459 (R); Published: 28-Aug-2023, DOI: 10.36648/1550-7521.21.64.382
Citation: OYELEKE AS, Onyike IE, Remmy Queen C (2023) Implications of Exposure and Usage of Tiktok Short Videos on Broadcast News Reception among Journalism Students in Nigeria. Global Media Journal, 21:64.
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Tiktok is one social platform that attracts interest from diverse individuals searching for fun. The kind of entertainment it provides sets it apart and makes it attractive to users worldwide irrespective of social status or class. On the other hand, the broadcast media is another platform that offers utility to the audience from various perspectives. The amount of time spent on the app or its content could have a far reaching implication on the amount of time Mass Communication students allot to news broadcasts, especially as the profound influence TikTok have on the youth is attributable to exposure and time spent on the app. In view of this, the study examines the Implications of Exposure and Usage of Tiktok Short Videos on Broadcast News Reception among Journalism Students in Nigeria. The researchers administered the questionnaire to 336 Communication and Media studies students as respondents that was selected through an online snowball technique, while the uses and gratification theory was utilized in understanding the basis for media selection and choice. Findings shows that, notwithstanding the importance of news attached to the news by journalism schools, as well as, the important roles it plays in enlightenment and education, the respondents paid more attention to TikTok than news broadcasts on radio and television. The researcher concludes that the respondents are actively engaged on TikTok. Prior to exposure and after exposure to TikTok, a significant majority of the respondents exhibited low level of exposure to news broadcasts. The study recommends that the Gen-Z’s are fun loving; hence, the researchers recommend that Broadcast media stations should make their news presentations entertaining in order to retain a segment of their youthful audienc
TikTok; Broadcasting; Implication; News; Exposure
Tiktok is one social platform that attracts interest from diverse individuals searching for fun. The kind of entertainment it provides sets it apart and makes it attractive to users worldwide irrespective of social status or class. The amount of time spent on the app or its content could have a far reaching implication on the amount of time mass communication students allot to news broadcasts, especially as the profound influence TikTok have on the youth is attributable to exposure and time spent on the app [1].
In this age of media abundance facilitated by the mobile Internet, people's media choice is no longer restricted to the mainstream media such as radio, television, newspapers, magazines etc. social media is fast becoming the media of interest for many in reaching out to friends, family, group and many others. Also, accessing information through the social media has become a common place for people. New media such as Tiktok, Whatsapp, Facebook, blogs, Weibo, WeChat, and Mobile apps have emerged. According to Ma (2020, p.6), “Among these new media, mobile video clip apps are due to their instant shooting, and fast features such as production and convenient sharing attract a large number of users”.
The impact of the social media has been a source of research for scholars over the years. Tiktok is one social platform that attracts interest from diverse individuals searching for fun. The kind of entertainment it provides sets it apart and makes it attractive to users worldwide irrespective of social status or class. As a social networking platform for short-form mobile videos, the basis of this social media network is creative expression which gives users the opportunity to produce fun and entertaining contents. The app has provision for users to search for sounds from an array of musical options to score into the video and engage with other individuals through response or duets. They could join a challenge, or participate in a dance meme, or make humour (Herrman, 2019; TikTok, n. d.; Ma, 2020).TikTok consists of audiovisual controls to make looping 15-second videos [2] It is also possible to merge video clips which then allows for 60-second clips. Videos can incorporate music samples, filters, quick cuts, stickers, and other add-ons (Dilon, n.d). According to Bresnick, (2019, p.1), these editing features contain “in-camera speed controls, image-tracking composites, collaborative split-screens, and a shortened video timeline”.
notes that this form of communication is “redefining the relationship between audience and brands as user-generated content (UGC) format has given individuals the opportunity to create and share experiences which is why influencer and content marketing on social media platforms have become powerful marketing tools”. Dahl (2018, p.26) believes that this platform is useful to marketing because “the new platform has accelerated the way individuals communicate and share consumption experiences irrespective of geographical location, ultimately shifting the way consumers interact with brands”. Consumers want personalized messages that appeal to their needs while interacting with content and TikTok’s algorithm delivers videos based on the users’ interactions and each person's feed is unique and tailored to that specific individual [3-5].
Historically, Tiktok was introduced to the social media market in September 2016 and it quickly took a leading role in the universe of social sharing [5] By February 2020, it had around 800 million users worldwide. A Chinese version of the app is called Douyin and it has 150 million users. A study by Wu (2020) shows that the category of users that dominate TikTok are youngsters aged 30 and below. This group is referred to as generation Z or Gen Z. The Gen Z is people born between 1997 and 2012. Wu (2020) cited in Xiuwen and Abu (2021, p.1441) further observed that “they spend an average of 52 minutes every day on TikTok”.
Studies have shown that Tiktok has influence on many aspects of society- entertainment, business, education, advertising etc. TikTok has a profound influence on the youth, in an educational, social, and perceptual way. It has changed people's ways of socializing by providing people with a platform to express themselves [7, 8]. The effects of Tiktok on society cannot be all positive, however, Guo (2021), believes that “if TikTok can bring people negative value, it will certainly offer valid value, and that is what people will hopefully focus on the next time they watch a video”.
On the other hand, the broadcast media is another platform that offers utility to the audience from various perspectives. As a mass communication process, broadcasting can be seen as the electromagnetic transmission of messages to a diversified audience through the airwaves. The broadcast media are a distinctive electronic platform. The broadcast media of radio and television are distinct from other forms of electronic media because they make use of transmission technology through which their signals are scattered far and wide [9].
The broadcast media performs a four-fold function of information dissemination, education, entertainment and persuasion for the audience. However, the need for the establishment of the broadcast media in Nigeria was predicated primarily on the need for it to serve as an agent of information and education. It serves this purpose by gathering information on events happening in and around the society and transmitting same in form of news to the audience. Owuamalam (2007, p.221) notes that, it “is the satisfaction of the information need of society. It is this that makes news desirable, relevant and significant as a broadcast programme for radio and television”, and why people are specially trained as journalists on how to handle news or manage information.
Implicatively, students enrolled for the mass communication or journalism programme are journalists-in-training who understand the value of monitoring the news, and perhaps, must be interested in news broadcasts. Nevertheless, a significant majority of these undergraduates fall within the ages that predominate Tiktok. Hence, we are not leaving anything to chance by assuming that journalism videos affect attitude to and reception of broadcast news among journalism students in Nigeria. Students, as rational beings, would naturally pay attention to the media, regardless of intervening variables and distracters. In this study, the researchers focus on how exposure and usage of Tiktok short [10].
1. The ascertain the degree of difference between the number of hours spent on news broadcast and Tiktok
2. To ascertain the relationship between the level of exposure to broadcast news before exposure to Tiktok and exposure to broadcast news after adopting Tiktok
1. What is the degree of difference between the number of hours spent on news broadcast and Tiktok among journalism students in Nigeria?
2. What is the relationship between the level of exposure to broadcast news before exposure to Tiktok and exposure to broadcast news after adopting Tiktok?
The world is unravelling the improvements in communication technology which has broadened the scope of communication through information and communication no doubt has turned the entire world into a global village. ICT helps people to be better informed, enlightened and kept abreast with world development. A research conducted by Bartleby (2018) regarded the internet as the twentieth century’s greatest invention as it has paved the way for different communication platforms that reduces the debilitating effect of information gathering and dissemination as it fosters communication beyond borders. The standardization of the use of social networking sites in the media and their popularization among citizens has changed the way information is produced, distributed and consumed [11-13], The news cycle is accelerating and mainstream media are adapting their routines to obtain maximum audience engagement – understood as user interaction, both in less and more demanding modes [14] such as acknowledging, sharing or commenting and to make it profitable in their digital editorial strategy.
Powerful digital communication tools, often identified by the catch-all phrase of social media, are transforming the way media is gathered, disseminated, and consumed. A generation of Internet technologies, collectively described as Web 2.0, has facilitated the involvement of citizens in the observation, selection, filtering, distribution, and interpretation of events [15] It has become commonplace for the citizens caught up in the news to provide the first accounts, images, and videos of events unfolding around them, sharing their media on services such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok. According to Mangold and Faulds (2009, p. 357) in Wiid, Cant and Nell (2014), social media or ‘consumer-generated media’ is, “... a variety of new sources of online information that are created, initiated, circulated and used by consumers’ intent on educating each other about products, brands, services, personalities and issues.” The advent of social media has brought several possibilities for information exchange and communication between individuals and the public in various spheres of human endeavours [16].
The evolution of internet technology has led to its use as the best medium for communication, whereby, two-thirds of the world’s internet population visit social networking or blogging sites, thus serving as a communication and connection tool. Social networking sites (SNS) are online communication platforms which other users who want to communicate with other users about areas of mutual interest, whether from a personal, business or academic perspective [17-20]. Social media is a subset of new media that has rapidly grown in its importance as an avenue to disseminate messages that can influence behaviour and perception. Different organizations now use social media as a forum to propagate information. The difference between social media and traditional media lies in quality, frequency, reach, accessibility, usability, immediacy and performance. Ekeanyanwu and Kalyango as cited in Ekeanyanwu (2015, p. 49) reveals that:
Social networks are classified as the ninth wonder of the world because such media platforms are becoming increasingly interactive, integrative, ubiquitous and digital. Social media have made news gathering and dissemination more mass participatory by making news more interactive leading to open conversations.
The social media networking system has by far become one of the greatest benefits of the information and telecommunication (ICT) dispensation. It has impacted greatly on the human behaviour both intra-human and inter-human relationship and their interactions with other components of the earth. The dynamism, ease, innovations, wise coverage, access and customer networking inherent in social media networking system has made social media perhaps, the most powerful tool in terms of speed and cost-effectiveness for information dissemination and marketing to the world’s growing population.
As analyzed by Chaffey (2022), the Global Social Media Research of 2022 revealed that 58.4% of the world's population uses social media, which is estimated to be around 4.65 billion social media users around the globe (Data Reportal, 2022). Data Reportal (2022) further revealed the Statistics of Global Social Media platforms with the highest users which are Facebook, YouTube, Whatsapp, Instagram, We Chat and TikTok. In September 2021, TikTok announced that it had 1 billion global monthly active users, placing it 6th in our ranking of the world’s most active social media platforms [21].
News consumption today is not the same as pre-satellite news when people waited for their morning papers or sat down at an appointed time for the evening news on television. A growing number of readers, viewers and listeners now go online for their news. The traditional media channels still exist but there is a growing competition from interactive online media. Given the increase in user-generated content around news events, journalists have incorporated into their routines the revision of social media and their use as information sources, which have made them acquire new skills related to newsgathering, verification and dissemination of content [22-24]. The traditional gate keeping exercised from newsrooms has been combined with the gate watching of network users, giving rise to a system in which the action of supra-gatekeepers such as Facebook or Twitter transcends the decisions of the media agents themselves, [25] In a process of tension between editorial control and the open participation of users, the media have assumed that the engagement of the audience in social networks is key to building a reciprocal relationship of value creation [26, 27].
TikTok builds the notion of a participatory media culture, where citizens are viewed as going beyond just reading the news [28] In a participatory media environment, “rather than talking about media producers and consumers occupying separate roles, we might now see them as participants who interact with each other according to a new set of rules that none of us fully understands” [29]. A number of terms are used to refer to audience involvement in news production, such as citizen journalism, user-generated content, and participatory journalism.
Despite the different national contexts, recent studies point to a global decline in trust in the news media – both in overall news and in news users consume, while the consumption of news on social networks is increasing [30] This situation is even more pronounced among the younger generations, thus the media is interested in reaching. Young people see news as what they should know, but also what is useful, interesting and fun to know. Generations Z and Y understand the importance of traditional news brands, but are less loyal to them than previous generations and rely more on social media and other algorithmically driven services [31].
Kuyuku (2020) states that the biggest advantage of citizen journalism on a platform like Tiktok is witnessed when the underprivileged and the local communities are able to raise their voices, take active part in the public decision making process and bring political and economic reforms, only because social media journalism has provided them the opportunity to be a part of the bigger picture and affect changes in their broader political and economic context. TikTok can give local communities ability to attract the attention of the world towards their poverty, unemployment, lack of education, denial of human rights, and other social issues that have forced the global media and the business world to take note and provide ways and means to tackle these inequalities.
Irrespective of these advantages, citizen journalism also brings with it certain pitfalls like the illegitimacy or the lack of authenticity associated with the personal accounts of citizen journalists who may manipulate information to achieve higher ratings or popularity on social media, like TikTok [32]. This fake news may further be manipulated by the like-minded and it may be dangerous in the long-run as such rumoured news may result in violence. There may be citizen journalists on TikTok using the tactic of deceit to attract attention and sympathy and may result in the loss or wastage of resources that could have otherwise been utilized in a more useful manner [32] While a minimal deceit is justified, more of it may lead to political, cultural or economic clashes that may jeopardize global peace and harmony through this social media platform.
In giving theoretical backing to this study, Uses and Gratification Theory was utilized.
The uses and gratification theory was formulated by Katz Elihu, Jay Blumler and Michael Gurevitch in 1974 (Anaeto, Onabanjo & Osifeso, 2008). This theory examines how people use the media and the satisfaction they seek and obtain from such media exposure. Nwabueze and Onyike (2005, p.209) explain that “unlike the media effect theories that is hinged on what the media do to people, the uses and gratification theory is concerned with what people do with media contents”. Similarly, Akpoghiran (2008, P. 426), argues that “it offered a framework through which media selection and use based on needs can be understood”. In other words, it’s an approach to understanding why and how people actively seek out specific media to satisfy specific needs [33].
From Folarin (2005, p.91) point of view, the kernel of this theory is “that individuals have some needs related to communication.” And for this, it assumes that audience members are aware of and can articulate their reasons for consuming various media content [34]. This theory has its roots in the 1940s when researchers focused attention on finding the motive behind individuals’ behavior such as watching television, reading newspapers, or listening to radio. One of such studies was done by Berelson in 1948. He had requested to know why people read a particular New York newspaper and the responses ranged from reading for information, reading for social prestige, reading for escape, reading as a tool for daily living, and reading for a social context.
Also Herzog (1944) cited in Wimmer and Dominick (2009, p.13) identified three types of gratification associated with listening to radio soap operas: emotional release, wishful thinking and obtaining advice. Although the assumption is that media behavior is predicated on audience need and interests, this study is goal directed to examine the gratifications derivable from TikTok usage to the detriment of other media alternatives. News broadcasting is very essential to the study of mass communication or to its students; nevertheless, the availability of social platforms like TikTok may pose as a distraction to their exposure and attention to the broadcast news.
This study employed survey research method as the design and questionnaire served as the measuring instrument. The researchers administered the questionnaire to 336 respondents selected through an online snowball technique. The implication is that the researchers recommended 30 respondents that identify as broadcast, journalism or Mass Communication students in Nigeria and shared the measuring instrument to them. They were in turn requested to send the questionnaire to other Nigerian students who were studying journalism/Communication studies. While simple percentages were used to statistically analyse and interpret the data.
(Table 1)
| S/N | TikTok Short videos | Frequency | Percentage | Broadcast media news | Frequency | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1-2times | 43 | 13.10% | 1-2times | 79 | 24.20% |
| 2 | 3-4 times | 153 | 46.80% | 3-4 times | 53 | 16.20% |
| 3 | 5 times and above | 56 | 17.10% | 5 times and above | 26 | 8% |
| 4 | Can’t say | 75 | 23% | Can’t say | 169 | 51.70% |
| Total | 327 | 100 | Total | 327 | 100 |
Table 1. On how often respondents get exposed to TikTok short videos and broadcast media news in a day.
Table 1 is a composite Table that shows data on how often respondents get exposed to TikTok short videos and broadcast media news in a day. Out of the 327 respondents, 46.8% (significant majority) indicated viewing Tiktok views 3-4 times a day, while 23% can’t say the number of times they view the app. interestingly, 17.1% noted 5times and above, while 13.1% view it just once or twice a day.
On the other hand, a significant majority (51.7%) can’t say how often they listened to the news, an indication of an irregular or poor news reception culture. However, 24.2% listen to the news at least 1-2 times daily, while 16.2% listen to the broadcast news 3-4times daily. Only 8% of the 327 respondents noted that they listen to news at least 5 times and above daily (Table 2).
Exposure to news broadcast before exposure to TikTok |
Exposure to news broadcast after exposure to TikTok | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Responses | Frequency | Percentage | Responses | Frequency | Percentage | ||
| 1 | Once a day | 233 | 71.30% | Once a day | 36 | 11% | |
| 2 | Twice a day | 37 | 11.30% | Twice a day | 41 | 12.50% | |
| 3 | Three times or more a day | 7 | 2.10% | Three times or more a day | 86 | 26.30% | |
| 4 | Can’t say | 17 | 5.20% | Can’t say | 147 | 45% | |
| 5 | I don’t listen to news | 33 | 10.10% | I don’t listen to news | 17 | 5.20% | |
| Total | 327 | 100 | Total | 327 | 100 | ||
Table 2. Exposure to news broadcast before and after exposure to TikTOk.
Table 2 shows how often respondents listened to the news before they began to use Tiktok. A significant majority (71.3%) listened to the broadcast news once a day. Following this is 11.3% of the respondents that listen to the news twice per day. However, 10.1% of the respondents do listen to news at all.
On the other hand, the Table 2 further reveals information on how often respondents listened to broadcast news since they started using TikTok. A significant majority (45%) of the respondents can’t say how regularly the listened to broadcast news. However, following this is 26.3% of the 327 respondents that listen to broadcast news three or more daily. Also, 12.5% and 11% listened to the news twice and once daily respectively.
Research Question: What is the degree of difference between the number of hours spent on news broadcast and Tiktok among journalism students in Nigeria?
This study interrogates the influence of exposure and usage of TikTok short videos on journalism students’ reception of news broadcasts. This research question was raised because in order to find answers to the research problem, it’s important to understand the extent of exposure to both media platforms. This not only reveals the length of exposure, but also, the differences between them. The data in Table 1 was used for this analysis. Table 1 is a composite table that shows data on how often respondents get exposed to TikTok short videos and broadcast media news in a day [35].
Out of the 327 respondents, 46.8% (significant majority) indicated viewing Tiktok 3-4 times a day, while 23% can’t say the number of times they view the app. interestingly, 17.1% noted 5times and above, while 13.1% view it just once or twice a day. On the other hand, a significant majority (51.7%) can’t say how often they listened to the news, an indication of an irregular or poor news reception culture. However, 24.2% listen to the news at least 1-2 times daily, while 16.2% listen to the broadcast news 3-4times daily. Only 8% of the 327 respondents noted that they listen to news at least 5 times and above daily. By implication, this result shows that, notwithstanding the importance of news attached to the news by journalism schools, as well as, the important roles it plays in enlightenment and education, the respondents paid more attention to TikTok than news broadcasts on radio and television [36].
This finding supports the findings by Remmy (2023) that a significant majority of mass communication students in Ebonyi State had high exposure to Tiktok. Remmy (2023, p.52) therefore concluded that, “social media is the media of interest among youths, especially high school students”. Scholars like Kabigting, Paner, Jimenez, and Mendoza (2021) and Negreira Rey, Vázquez Herrero and López García (2022), argue that the reason for this observed dependence on TikTok is attributable to age and dominant culture. Kabigting, et al, (2021) in their study ‘Social media exposure and its perceived impact on students’ homebased tasks productivity’, concludes that social media has been part of respondents’ life in relation to their observance. On the other hand, Negreira Rey, et al, (2022) observes that TikTok is an emerging platform with its own influencer culture and in which the main audiences are the millennial and centennial generations [37-40].
Research Question Two: What is the relationship between the level of exposure to broadcast news before exposure to Tiktok and exposure to broadcast news after adopting Tiktok?
The essence of this research question was to ascertain the extent of change that has occurred in the news reception culture of the respondents within the periods - before exposure and after they began using TikTok. The Table2 contains two sets of data, information on respondents’ news reception before exposure to TikTok and after they started using TikTok. The data reveals that 71.3%of the respondents listened to the broadcast news once a day. Following this is 11.3% that listened to the news twice per day. However, 10.1% of the respondents do not listen to news at all. Contrariwise, the Table 2 further reveals information on how often respondents listened to broadcast news since they started using TikTok. A significant majority (45%) of the respondents can’t say how regularly the listened to broadcast news. However, following this is 26.3% of the 327 respondents that listen to broadcast news three or more daily. Also, 12.5% and 11% listened to the news twice and once daily respectively. This supports the assertion by Udenze and Uzochukwu (2021), “Tiktok is gaining dominance by the day, and is gradually diverting young Nigerians from other social media platforms, like Instagram, of all the social media apps in existence, TikTok gained a 31.9% market share within Nigeria in 2020” [41F].
After the analysis of data and the findings arrived at, the researcher concludes that the respondents are actively engaged on TikTok. Prior to exposure and after exposure to TikTok, a significant majority of the respondents exhibited low level of exposure to news broadcasts. This means that there is generally a poor attitude to broadcast news reception among journalism students in South-East, Nigeria. However, since journalism students spend more hours ‘TikToking’ than the news, it can be concluded, that exposure to TikTok is a factor to the poor attitude to news broadcasts. Nevertheless, there are other factors that affect students’ reception of news, since, the study revealed a poor attitude to the news among a significant number of them, even before exposure to TikTok. Remmy (2023) states that majority of the students “use the app basically for entertainmentfor fun, leisure and therapy”. She therefore concluded that “they preferred TikTok more than listening to the news, because of the entertainment orientation of the app which is lacking in many news bulletins”.
Related to Remmy’s conclusion, Dutta-Bergman (2004) explains that, “news consumption depends on the type of content, the characteristics of the audience, and the form in which the news channel is presented”. Also, the study by Olympio (2020), reveals that “the preferred channel for news consumption by the sampled students was online news. Unarguably, the social media have significant impact on availability and accessibility of information in form of news to the audience. With the availability of news websites, blogs, and a preponderance of individual news vendors uploading and sharing information on social media, exposure to terrestrial media contents may significantly be affected. Vincent and Basil (1997) contend that with the abundance of options available, some young people consume specific types of news when the topics and content affect them directly.
1. The Gen-Z’s are fun loving; hence, the researchers recommend that media stations should make their news presentations entertaining in order to retain a segment of their youthful audience.
2. Journalism and communication programmes should determine ways of discouraging over dependence on social networking sites, especially TikTok for entertainment among students.
3. Further studies are recommended to examine the implications of TikTok on the desire of journalism students to practice journalism upon graduation.
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