Whether it’s driving up toy sales or driving voter registration, the videos created on #TikTok echo far beyond the app, straddling the intersection of culture & politics.

This @firstdraftnews guide has everything you need to know to start monitoring. https://firstdraftnews.org/long-form-article/ultimate-beginners-guide-on-how-to-monitor-content-on-tiktok/

The app is different from others in 5 main ways:
How the “ForYouPage” works
The added layers of creativity (music and effects)
You can remix other people’s videos (duets and stitch)
How easily the content can be shared across platforms
Hashtags can have emojis

TikTok’s unique algorithm means that accounts with small numbers of followers can get huge exposure. A single video that strikes a chord with the algorithm could have millions of views, even if the account creator only has a few hundred followers. https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/unique-power-tiktok-s-algorithm

To find newsworthy content on TikTok, it’s important to remember that you have more layers of creativity, and therefore more layers of content, through which to search. You can monitor accounts, hashtags, sounds/songs & the visual effects that people use.

You can search by hashtag just as you can on any other platform, with one very significant difference: Hashtags on TikTok can include emojis. You might have to follow hashtags that are almost identical but have a different emoji at the end.

TikTok has recognized its role and possible influence in the American elections and has developed an in-app guide to voting. Its Safety Center has a new section where it publishes daily updates on problematic content or narratives. #US2020
https://www.tiktok.com/safety/resources/2020-us-elections?lang=en&appLaunch=

Don't forget the five pillars of verification!
Using visual clues and a bit of digital sherlocking, this example walks you through how to look for visual clues to verify a TikTok video. https://www.tiktok.com/@tiktok_journo/video/6883845071779777793