November 26, 2024
ISLAMABAD – “No one watches TV anymore” is a common statement made by various marketers in our industry. Followed by: “I certainly don’t watch it; even my mom, who is over 60 watches all her dramas on online streaming platforms.”
To say that Pakistan is facing its most turbulent time (so far) comes with an eye-opening realisation of the importance of accurate, credible and innovative journalism. However, as the number of social media users rapidly increases, there has been a rise in disinformation online, leading to an overall distrust of the news altogether. All the while, the media is trying to come to grips with a decline in readership and falling ad revenues. Internationally as well, some of the biggest news organisations to report the news in innovative ways, like Vice and Buzzfeed, have closed down and many other global newsrooms have laid off hundreds of journalists.
According to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2024, a big shift in online platforms is taking place, and X, Meta and TikTok are actively working on changing their strategies when it comes to giving their audiences what they are looking for. According to the report, “TikTok remains the most popular with younger groups and, although its use for any purpose is similar to last year, the proportion using it for news has grown to 13% (+2) across all markets and 23% for 18- to 24-year-olds.”
So what does this mean for Pakistan? Is our news media ready to embrace this rapid tide of change?
As of January 2024, there are 71.70 million active social media users in Pakistan, but there is little to no understanding by the news media about the changes audiences want to see in their social media platforms.
According to Usman Azeem, a senior policy and social media researcher, “There is a severe lack of prioritisation in terms of the content created specifically for digital audiences. Even mainstream news media platforms (like Dawn.com or Tribune.com) post only 15 to 20% original content and the remaining 80 to 85% is a regurgitation of what has already been reported on TV or [in] print.”
TikTok is a unique platform because it uses various storytelling techniques and trends to impart information. These trends may include dances, makeup tutorials, or cooking videos, and they tell a story. According to Reuters’ digital report, there has been an increase in “news influencers” who go viral for their short videos, including explainers about breaking news and current affairs. Yet, for media organisations in Pakistan, TikTok is seen as a placeholder for news and information that has already been aired on television news bulletins – a medium in which Gen Z has an increasingly low interest.
Furthermore, mainstream media in Pakistan is becoming irrelevant due to regulatory controls and many forms of censorship. According to Azeem, “Journalists who have been fired from news channels due to alleged pressure from the state have found new homes on the internet. This, of course, also leads to mis/disinformation as well, but if there is an information vacuum, someone is going to fill it.”
Although global trends show that Gen Z is consuming less news compared to other age groups, in Pakistan, young people are becoming more politically engaged because of social media platforms.
Here, it is important to keep in mind that Pakistan has the world’s largest Gen Z cohort, with 60 to 65% of its population below the age of 30 (in 2022). Yet, it also seems that in Pakistan, news organisations see young people as just a number, unlike the rest of the world, where the Gen Z demographic holds great importance for advertisers and media organisations in terms of how they tell the news.
The ability of young people to shape perceptions, trends, and policies is seen as very important, but that is not the case in Pakistan. There is no youth-centric news coverage. We spend most of our time talking at young people rather than talking to them. This is a social problem rather than just a news media problem.“
In Azeem’s opinion, Pakistani news media are adopting a one-size-fits-all approach rather than developing content for specific audiences.
As TikTok gains popularity among young people for news as well as entertainment, it remains deeply misunderstood by people in positions of influence, including government officials and media editors. TikTok is seen as a platform where people indulge in non-serious videos, yet the reality proves this not to be the case. The success of TikTok has led other platforms such as Instagram and YouTube to create their own versions of short-form news and entertainment with Instagram reels and YouTube shorts.
Azeem says that there are almost 55 million TikTok accounts in Pakistan as of January 2024 and this includes the rural areas.
In fact, politicians have used the platform to reach out to their rural constituents. “The rest of the world has understood this, and every major political leader and government body has a TikTok account. Short-form content, particularly for news media, is the new reality.” In his opinion, the issue is not that Gen Z is not consuming news; it is about the kind of news they consume.
“Social media has given rise to echo chambers, where people only consume the kind of news aligns with their worldview. Everything else is dismissed or ignored. This is the larger problem Even if young people are consuming news, is it really factual information?”
So what are Pakistani news editors doing about this? According to Abdul Sattar Abbasi, Dawn.com’s managing editor, Pakistan’s news industry is not geared up for Gen Z and their digital habits. The local news organisations that have a TikTok account only use the platform to post clips from their TV broadcasts rather than post new and engaging content. On the other hand, media organisations in the West are creating news content specifically for their audience on TikTok.
“Many people in the news media frown at the mention of TikTok. I say ignore it at your peril. Gen Z is going to force us to adapt and they will drag us kicking and screaming into the future, which is already here.”
Based on Abbasi’s experience, Pakistan’s Gen Z do not type in the name of a specific news site; rather, they consume whatever shows up on their newsfeeds. This connects to the larger issue of disinformation and misinformation.
Another issue is lack of trust. “Trust in mainstream media has eroded partly because of populist politicians attacking the integrity of the media who haven’t given them favourable coverage,” says Abbasi. “And the only way to deal with this is to continue to do what we do: present the facts. However, we can package it in a way that engages Gen Z – short-form content and fact-checks that address the disinformation.” Abbasi maintains that that way of trust can best be dealt with through factual reporting. “Visual storytelling and video are the most accessible, and if we can get their eyeballs that way, we can then also give them the facts and start to build that trust.” That said, one of the issues is finding skilled people who can think digitally – which is very rare.
In Abbasi’s view, “news media organisations are not ignoring Gen Z and many of the causes that are covered – climate change, gender equality and human rights – are close to their hearts. The difference is how Gen Z consumes current events.
“Mark Zuckerberg believes that the future will hold entire virtual Metaverses where people will spend significant amounts of their time. Imagine the falsehood that can spread in worlds that blend imagination and reality. We must prepare for that eventuality, however far-fetched it may seem now,” concludes Abbasi.
