Navigating the News Tok Wave: Future-Proofing Your Brand's Reach to Hispanic Youth

In the ever-changing realm of social media, where trends surge and cultures merge, Gen Z is turning to platforms like Instagram and TikTok for their daily dose of news. With the emergence of "News Tok," bite-sized informative videos, a Pew Research Center 2023 study revealed that approximately 30% of adults under 30 rely on such content to stay informed.

Content creators like @UnderTheDeskNews are crafting content that feels like you're watching the 6pm news without the formality. The content is short, to the point, and easy to digest – exactly the type of content the younger generations seek to consume daily. The rise of News Tok has raised important questions for the Hispanic market regarding engagement and participation.?

To fully comprehend the future impact of media relations for the Gen Z Hispanic market, it's essential to grasp where young Hispanic consumers get their news from. It’s common for first or second generation Hispanics to inherit their source of news from their parents, abuelos, tias and tios. Therefore, it’s likely that powerhouse broadcasting networks like Telemundo and Univision continue to dominate homes where young Hispanics reside. But will these trusted networks remain to be the primary source of news for Hispanic Gen Z??

Where to Reach the U.S. Hispanic Gen Z Audience

We are beginning to see a shift in how young Hispanic adults consume their news through creators like @BiancaGraulau [703.3K followers] and @NoticiasIlistradas [1.1M followers]. These two are a part of the very few Hispanic creators whose channels are dedicated to global AND Hispanic news. @BiancaGraulau highlights American political initiatives and events, but emphasizes her content on her native country of Puerto Rico. Her content follows the style of a news anchor, but speaks in colloquial terms making her reporting easy to understand. @NoticiasIlistradas on the other hand, takes a different approach by informing his followers of global events and history through animations while talking to the camera. This unique style of news has captured over 18 million likes, showing how much Hispanics want news that speaks to them.?

Beyond news coverage, creators like @Fernanda Cortez [990.7K followers] and Adam Barrera also known as @Adamtheflop [1.4M followers], thrive by delving into Hispanic and American pop culture on TikTok. This diversification highlights the evolving nature of news consumption among Gen Z Hispanics.

A Shift in Media Relations

The rise of News Tok represents a significant shift in how young adults, particularly Hispanics, consume news content on social media. While traditional outlets still hold influence in many Hispanic households, the emergence of News Tok creators signals a compelling need for change.

These Hispanic TikTok creators are not only bridging the gap between global and Hispanic news but also addressing the lack of representation in mainstream media by delivering news in accessible formats and speaking directly to their audience's cultural experiences. They leverage their platform to discuss topics ranging from pop culture to gaming, thus further diversifying the news content available within one source.

What does this mean for brands wanting to reach the U.S. Hispanic youth? We’re seeing media outlets tailoring towards a younger audience via “edutainment” videos on TikTok and text-based carousels on Instagram. Due to the risk of misinformation, we do recommend to stray on the side of caution when engaging News Tok creators, utilizing them as a source to amplify news versus delivering as a primary source.?

Future-Proofing Your Brand’s Media Relations Approach

Looking ahead, it's clear that the News Tok phenomenon has the potential to inform and empower young Hispanic audiences, providing them with a voice and representation in the evolving digital media landscape. Even with the question of TikTok hanging in the balance, Gen Z will continue to lean on social media to acquire bite-sized and digestible news sources.?

Gen Z has an insatiable appetite to learn more about culture, global news and how they can make an impact. This provides brands the unique opportunity to curate more educational content to reach this audience. Young U.S. Hispanic consumers are truly at the intersection of consuming traditional and social media. Brands who are able to meet them where they are at, will increase affinity. As brands engage with diverse Gen Z, it's important to embrace these passion points and celebrate Hispanic cultural drivers like News Tok. If you want to learn more about tapping into Hispanic young audiences, reach out to speak to one of our BODEN social media experts!