ArcaMax

Over the years, writing in various capacities from public relations to this column, people have referred to me as a journalist, but I'd reply that while I was a trained journalist -- that is, that's what I had one of my undergrad degrees in -- I would defer to those active in the precarious industry. Most of the people I've respected the most are working journalists.

Journalism is a cornerstone of democracy, but it is increasingly muffled by corporate interests and billionaire owners who seem more interested in profit or personal power than in truth. We've seen this with the rise of platforms such as Twitter, where the whims of one person can shape what news is amplified and what is silenced. We've all watched the media landscape evolve -- sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse, sometimes on television, and sometimes on our phones.

But here's where TikTok comes in. A platform once dismissed as a place for dancing teens and funny memes quietly became a force for citizen journalism. In a world where mainstream media is sometimes too beholden to its owners' agendas, TikTok offers something radically different: a space where regular people can capture and share information as it happens.

Anyone with a smartphone can become a "content creator" and share news. The app has democratized information-sharing -- whether it's a protest, a natural disaster, or a political scandal -- and people are now pulling out their phones, recording, and posting real-time updates. It's raw, unfiltered, and often messy, making it feel authentic and, in ways that can be dangerous, gains our trust.

The power of TikTok lies in its decentralized nature. Unlike Twitter under Musk, where we've seen an increased focus on what the owner wants, the platform has thrived on diverse voices, often from people who would never get airtime on a traditional news network. It's a space where a person in a small town suddenly underwater can share the same platform as a major network.

It leads to questions about why we don't hear certain news as much as others.

Like the recent flooding in the Deep South. TikTok became a vital tool for real-time citizen reporting. People could upload footage of floodwaters rising in their neighborhoods or share the devastating aftermath of a hurricane before traditional media even arrived on the scene. These videos often captured the human element of these events in a way that mainstream outlets miss -- the struggles of evacuation, the reality of lost homes, and the heroic efforts of neighbors helping neighbors. It's news at its rawest from the people living through these crises.

There's also something to be said about TikTok's global reach. Traditional news outlets often cater to a specific audience, limited by geographical boundaries or political leanings. TikTok, however, transcends those barriers. I've seen videos of people in war zones sharing their experiences with a global audience. I've watched activists in authoritarian countries use TikTok to speak truth to power, knowing that traditional news outlets in their countries would never allow their stories to be told.

Of course, TikTok isn't perfect, and being chronically online will have ethical implications. The app has issues with content moderation, censorship, and data privacy. The constant need to record makes me wonder about being recorded in vulnerable moments, such as at the scene of an accident.

But when I look at the broader media landscape, with billionaires such as Musk owning platforms and shaping discourse, TikTok is among the last bastions of grassroots storytelling. It gives ordinary people the power to share their version of events, even if those events don't align with corporate or political interests.

It's where citizen journalism, and perhaps a future version of actual journalism, can thrive without being drowned out by corporate mandates. For my generation, it's becoming clear that if we want to get the full story, we might need to turn away from traditional media and instead look to each other -- to the unpolished, the unfiltered -- and ask, when those in power caution against new ways of sharing information, what do they have to gain?

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Cassie McClure is a writer, millennial, and unapologetic fan of the Oxford comma. She can be contacted at cassie@mcclurepublications.com. To find out more about Cassie McClure and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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