When TikTok Replaced My News Anchor

It just hit me one night while I was brushing my teeth, I had just learned about a celebrity breakup. One of those headlines that would’ve once been plastered on magazine covers... from a girl in her bedroom with a ring light and a mic. She wasn’t a journalist. She wasn’t even pretending to be. But I believed her. And more than that, I cared about what she had to say.

Somewhere between the rise of TikTok commentary and the fall of appointment television, I stopped getting my news from the places I once considered “real.” I don’t mean political news or global crises, I still fact check. But when it comes to pop culture? Influencers, creators, even casual users are now my front line correspondents.

I used to think journalism had to look a certain way, a blazer, a microphone, a red carpet backdrop. But now, it looks like someone with lip gloss and a green screen filter breaking down celebrity drama with timestamps and tone analysis. And honestly? I respect the hustle.

Being a digital native means I grew up watching pop culture shift from magazines to blogs to social feeds. But being a journalist in training means I have to decide what kind of voice I want to have in that world. I’ve realized I don’t have to choose between storytelling and commentary, entertainment and credibility. I just have to show up authentically, intentionally, and online.

This isn't just how I consume media. It's how I want to create it, too.