Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 14) — Chinese short-form video app TikTok has seen the “fastest” growth among social media platforms as a source of news for Filipinos, according to a report by Reuters Institute released Wednesday.
TikTok has realized a sudden rise in popularity, with the platform accessed for news by 21% in 2023 versus only 2% recorded in 2020.Tech giants Facebook and its messaging app Messenger, and Youtube, meanwhile, remained the frontrunners.However, while they topped the list, the three platforms saw a slight drop, Reuters showed in the report.“Online and social media remain the most popular sources of news in the Philippines with our more urban sample, while TV and radio news remains important for those who are not online,” it said.Meanwhile, the report also said the local media landscape “remains largely grim” despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. taking charge last year.“Attacks on journalists, which escalated during the six-year presidency of Rodrigo Duterte, have not let up…,” it added.Reuters’ report cited cases of violations of press freedom, including the killing of veteran radio broadcaster Percival Mabasa, more popularly known as Percy Lapid.
