{"id":400891,"date":"2022-01-29T11:00:39","date_gmt":"2022-01-29T08:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/how-tiktok-replaced-modern-day-tabloids\/"},"modified":"2022-01-29T11:00:39","modified_gmt":"2022-01-29T08:00:39","slug":"how-tiktok-replaced-modern-day-tabloids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-tiktok-replaced-modern-day-tabloids\/","title":{"rendered":"#How TikTok replaced modern-day tabloids"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3460371e3fb\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3460371e3fb\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-tiktok-replaced-modern-day-tabloids\/#Shocking_Exclusive_Scoop\" >Shocking! Exclusive! Scoop!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-tiktok-replaced-modern-day-tabloids\/#Watching_and_being_watched\" >Watching and being watched<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-tiktok-replaced-modern-day-tabloids\/#%E2%80%98Like_for_part_two\" >\u2018Like for part two\u2019<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-tiktok-replaced-modern-day-tabloids\/#The_promise_and_peril_of_publicity\" >The promise and peril of publicity<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#How TikTok replaced modern-day tabloids<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n                            Can you believe Makayla was dropped from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.refinery29.com\/en-us\/2021\/08\/10631092\/alabama-rush-tiktok-obsession-reason\">Bama Rush<\/a>? Do you think <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/news\/who-is-couch-guy-on-tiktok-the-internets-latest-obsession-explained\/\">Couch Guy<\/a> was cheating? Did you see <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.insider.com\/gabby-petito-brian-laundrie-missing-found-true-crime-tiktok-2021-9\">Gabby Petito\u2019s<\/a> last post before she went missing?<\/p>\n<p>If you don\u2019t spend much time online, you may not recognize these names. But on TikTok, their stories became sensationalized, memeified, hashtagged and rehashed.<\/p>\n<p>The most recent is \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/discover\/westelmcaleb\">#WestElmCaleb<\/a>.\u201d Women took to TikTok to share their experiences of being <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/entry\/love-bombing-online-dating_l_61e9d178e4b04e26edba87e2\">peppered with affection<\/a>, strung along and ultimately ghosted by a New York City-based designer named Caleb, who became the exemplar for the worst aspects of online dating culture.<\/p>\n<p>Together, these stories represent the emergence of what I call the \u201cTikTok tabloid,\u201d in which users collectively manufacture and dramatize stories like an investigative gossip reel. Traditional tabloids place the lurid limelight on celebrities and public figures. But the TikTok tabloid targets everyday people.<\/p>\n<p>How did we get to the age of the TikTok tabloid? As someone who studies <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/jennadrenten.com\/\">digital consumer culture<\/a>, I see it as an outgrowth of the dynamics of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ojs.library.queensu.ca\/index.php\/surveillance-and-society\/article\/view\/pub_dom\">social surveillance<\/a>: using digital technologies to keep a close watch on one another, while producing online content in anticipation of being watched.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Shocking_Exclusive_Scoop\"><\/span>Shocking! Exclusive! Scoop!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Tabloid journalism isn\u2019t new. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.worldcat.org\/title\/tabloid-culture-reader\/oclc\/156810350\">Common tabloid genres<\/a> of stars, sex, scandals and slayings have been cultural guilty pleasures since the early 1900s.<\/p>\n<p>In the U.S., early tabloid <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>papers like The Daily Mirror and New York Daily News ushered in an era of sensationalist reporting. These papers were particularly popular among <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/14616701003638368\">working class readers<\/a> who revealed in the speculative shenanigans of high society.<\/p>\n<p>In the 1970s, glossy tabloid magazines like People and Us Weekly picked up the helm with behind-the-scenes celebrity exclusives and human-interest stories. Tabloid journalism <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.taylorfrancis.com\/books\/mono\/10.4324\/9780203135211\/tabloid-television-john-langer\">migrated to the small screen<\/a> in the 1990s with television shows like \u201cHard Copy\u201d and \u201cInside Edition.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And in the 2000s, the internet churned out <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.colorado.edu\/gendersarchive1998-2013\/2008\/10\/01\/fame-losing-game-celebrity-gossip-blogging-bitch-culture-and-postfeminism\">round-the-clock celebrity gossip<\/a> with clickbait headlines on websites like TMZ.com and PerezHilton.com.<\/p>\n<p>Previous eras of tabloid journalism were marked by <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/books\/edition\/Stardom_and_Celebrity\/YSRTvYgS8AwC?hl=en&amp;gbpv=0\">highly curated content<\/a> with a focus on lifestyles of the rich and famous. The brokers of attention were editors, publishers, paparazzi, journalists <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/2046147X20920821\">and publicists<\/a>. Tabloids filtered information to the masses, and in turn the masses influenced celebrity behaviors.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center \">\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" alt=\"A banner for a gossip website.\" width=\"600\" height=\"237\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/442372\/original\/file-20220124-23298-4k9mdw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/442372\/original\/file-20220124-23298-4k9mdw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=237&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/442372\/original\/file-20220124-23298-4k9mdw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=237&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/442372\/original\/file-20220124-23298-4k9mdw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=237&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/442372\/original\/file-20220124-23298-4k9mdw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=298&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/442372\/original\/file-20220124-23298-4k9mdw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=298&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/442372\/original\/file-20220124-23298-4k9mdw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=298&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Ftech%2F2022%2F01%2F29%2Ffrom-couch-guy-to-west-elm-caleb-how-tiktok-replaced-modern-day-tabloids%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: TMZ is an online clearinghouse for celebrity gossip. www.TMZ.com\" data-title=\"Share TMZ is an online clearinghouse for celebrity gossip. www.TMZ.com on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share TMZ is an online clearinghouse for celebrity gossip. www.TMZ.com on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>TMZ is an online clearinghouse for celebrity gossip. www.TMZ.com<\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/442372\/original\/file-20220124-23298-4k9mdw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"A banner for a gossip website.\" width=\"600\" height=\"237\" class=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/442372\/original\/file-20220124-23298-4k9mdw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=237&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/442372\/original\/file-20220124-23298-4k9mdw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=237&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/442372\/original\/file-20220124-23298-4k9mdw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=237&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/442372\/original\/file-20220124-23298-4k9mdw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=298&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/442372\/original\/file-20220124-23298-4k9mdw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=298&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/442372\/original\/file-20220124-23298-4k9mdw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=298&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>But now we are witnessing a new iteration of tabloidization playing out in real time on TikTok, where digital technologies enable everyday consumers to play the roles of armchair experts, investigative reporters, digital paparazzi, talking heads and celebrities themselves.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Watching_and_being_watched\"><\/span>Watching and being watched<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Traditional tabloid journalism is predicated on surveillance dynamics of \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1362480697001002003\">the many watching the few<\/a>\u201d: an obsession with a relative handful of selected stars and scandals. The emergent TikTok tabloid relies on dynamics of <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social<\/a> surveillance, or \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/cyborgology\/2013\/02\/25\/liquid-surveillance-social-media-three-provocations\/\">the many watching the many<\/a>\u201d \u2013 a network of everyday people watching and being watched.<\/p>\n<p>According to media scholar Alice E. Marwick, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ojs.library.queensu.ca\/index.php\/surveillance-and-society\/article\/view\/pub_dom\">social surveillance<\/a> is defined as \u201cthe ongoing eavesdropping, investigation, gossip, and inquiry that constitutes information gathering by people about their peers, made salient by the social digitization normalized by social media.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Classic views of surveillance envision a prison state \u2013 <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?dq=Big%20Brother%20is%20Monitoring%3A%20Feminist%20Surveillance%20Studies%20and%20Digital%20Consumer%20Culture&amp;hl=en&amp;id=mhdYEAAAQBAJ&amp;newbks=0&amp;pg=PA368&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;source=newbks_fb#v=onepage&amp;q=Big%20Brother%20is%20Monitoring%3A%20Feminist%20Surveillance%20Studies%20and%20Digital%20Consumer%20Culture&amp;f=false\">a Big Brother-esque panopticon<\/a> where a guard in a tower can watch prisoners in cells but the prisoners in the cells cannot see into the tower.<\/p>\n<p>In social surveillance, everyone online is both a guard and a prisoner, constantly consuming online content and producing content for others to see.<\/p>\n<p>This always-on dynamic works to control behavior. Everyday people have the power to orchestrate what other users see, read and believe \u2013 not only about traditional celebrities, but also about regular everyday people.<\/p>\n<p>In the case of Gabby Petito, who went missing in September 2021, TikTokers <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vice.com\/en\/article\/pkb5j8\/gabby-petito-internet-sleuth-investigation-tiktok-instagram-spotify\">developed theories<\/a> about her dis<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>earance based on her final Instagram post and her Spotify playlists, claimed to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.insider.com\/gabby-petito-tiktok-psychics-criticism-controversy-2021-9\">psychically track her<\/a> and scrambled to be the first to report <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/discover\/gabbypetito?lang=en\">#GabbyPetito<\/a> breaking news.<\/p>\n<p>Such deep-diving into people\u2019s private lives for public entertainment is a function of social surveillance only further accelerated by the interactive features of TikTok.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%98Like_for_part_two\"><\/span>\u2018Like for part two\u2019<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>TikTok\u2019s unique features and storytelling culture make it the perfect social media platform for making everyday people fodder for tabloid-like coverage.<\/p>\n<p>First, interactive features of the platform allow TikTokers to collectively contribute to the TikTok tabloid in real time. TikTokers can directly <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.tiktok.com\/en-us\/product-tutorial-reply-to-comments-with-video\">respond to comments<\/a> with new videos, curate and follow content via <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/boosted.lightricks.com\/a-guide-to-hashtags-on-tiktok\/\">hashtags<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/creators\/creator-portal\/en-us\/tiktok-creation-essentials\/the-importance-of-sounds\/\">sounds<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.tiktok.com\/en-us\/new-on-tiktok-introducing-stitch\">stitch<\/a> videos together with other content, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.tiktok.com\/en-us\/introducing-auto-captions\">caption them<\/a> for context, and use a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.tiktok.com\/en-gb\/green-screen-effect-on-tik-tok\/\">green screen<\/a> effect \u2013 just like a real news studio.<\/p>\n<p>Second, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/later.com\/blog\/tiktok-algorithm\/\">TikTok\u2019s algorithm<\/a> serves users content based on a combination of their interests and what seems to be <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>ly trending. Watching a few videos about West Elm Caleb easily triggers a stream of West Elm Caleb content on the \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/creators\/creator-portal\/en-us\/tiktok-creation-essentials\/whats-the-for-you-page-and-how-do-i-get-there\/\">for you page<\/a>,\u201d or #FYP: the TikTok version of front page news.<\/p>\n<p>Third, storytelling practices on the TikTok platform mimic exclusive reports, hot takes and cliffhanger media. TikTokers dangle tantalizing bits of stories in front of viewers with caveats of \u201clike for part 2\u201d or by serializing their content. These stories then take on lives of their own, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1461444814535194\">becoming culturally embedded memes<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Social media <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/2057047320961562\">can be a useful mechanism for accountability<\/a>. On Twitter, for example, users voiced outrage over racist actions of the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bet.com\/article\/74a5kv\/black-twitter-ain-t-buying-nyc-woman-who-accused-black-man\">Central Park Karen<\/a> and found solidarity in sharing experiences of sexual harassment through the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/muse.jhu.edu\/article\/692140\">#MeToo Movement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But where platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook enable users to tell stories, TikTok enables users to create full-fledged narrative rabbit holes. A nugget of content can be collectively transformed into an epic drama.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_promise_and_peril_of_publicity\"><\/span>The promise and peril of publicity<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The TikTok tabloid democratizes access to fame while fueling America\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/library.oapen.org\/handle\/20.500.12657\/34636\">cultural penchant for gossip<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The TikTok tabloid may seem fun and frivolous \u2013 an entertaining live action, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/335570557_Intensified_Play_Cinematic_study_of_TikTok_mobile_app\">participatory role-play<\/a> version of TMZ playing out in real time. But there can a dark side to this form of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/the-goods\/22716772\/west-elm-caleb-couch-guy-tiktok-cancel\">public shaming<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/mastersofmedia.hum.uva.nl\/blog\/2021\/10\/29\/true-crime-tiktok-affording-criminal-investigation-and-media-visibility-in-the-gabby-petito-case\/\">internet sleuthing<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The constant churn of sensational news can take a toll on <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amity.edu\/gwalior\/jccc\/pdf\/jccc-12-19-19.pdf\">well-being<\/a>, particularly for those most <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/slate.com\/technology\/2021\/12\/tiktok-couch-guy-internet-sleuths.html\">directly involved<\/a>. In November 2021, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/culture\/culture-features\/tiktok-true-crime-conspiracy-theory-fake-1264687\/\">Sabrina Prater<\/a> became unwitting front-page news of the TikTok tabloid when her mundane dancing video spiraled into conspiracy theories of being a serial killer. She later posted a tearful video pleading for the emotional attacks to stop.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast to traditional celebrities, few everyday people have publicists, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/pa.37\">spin doctors<\/a> and social media managers who can help them handle <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/19392397.2019.1637269\">the stresses of scrutiny<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Who manages the public images of people who didn\u2019t choose to become public figures?<\/p>\n<p>It would be easy to say they should just stay off TikTok. But it\u2019s not that simple. Social surveillance ensures we all have the potential to become headline news \u2013 beholden to the TikTok tabloid taste-makers.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/175485\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\"\/><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/175485\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" class=\"\" srcset=\"\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p><em>Article by <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/jenna-drenten-422589\">Jenna Drenten<\/a>, Associate Professor of Marketing, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/loyola-university-chicago-2698\">Loyola University Chicago<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>This article is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/west-elm-caleb-and-the-rise-of-the-tiktok-tabloid-175485\">original article<\/a>.<\/em>\n                        <\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/from-couch-guy-to-west-elm-caleb-how-tiktok-replaced-modern-day-tabloids\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#How TikTok replaced modern-day tabloids&#8221; Can you believe Makayla was dropped from Bama Rush? Do you think Couch Guy was cheating? Did you see Gabby Petito\u2019s last post before she went missing? If you don\u2019t spend much time online, you may not recognize these names. But on TikTok, their stories became sensationalized, memeified, hashtagged and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":400892,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/01\/Untitled-design-17.jpg&signature=9e68911ab3e97abb8cc25ef0bb0dc9c7","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-400891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/400891","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=400891"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/400891\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/400892"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=400891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=400891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=400891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}