When anyone can post the news, anyone can distort it. Unlike legacy media, TikTok creators aren’t required to fact-check, and algorithms don’t always reward accuracy, they reward attention. A video with strong emotion or a catchy hook might go viral even if it’s misleading. That makes it harder for viewers, especially young ones, to separate truth from opinion.
This is the paradox of modern media: we’ve gained access, but we’ve lost filters. We no longer have a single trusted voice, we have millions of them, each competing for a few seconds of your time. That makes the role of critical thinking more important than ever.
Still, I think we’re in a unique moment. The credibility gap between old and new media doesn’t mean one has to cancel out the other; it just means we have to be smarter about how we consume information. Traditional journalism gives us structure and accountability, while platforms like TikTok give us access and diversity of voices.
Somewhere between the two lies the future of media, and I think it’s worth paying attention to who’s shaping it.
Starting Narratives 
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