TikTok as a communication and information tool for Spanish local councils

Abstract

TikTok is a fast-expanding video clip platform, currently ranked as the sixth most popular social networking site as to user numbers. Public administrations can use this platform to promote dialogue with the citizenry as regards transparency, accountability and territorial management. As this is a recent object of study, an exploratory analysis is performed here on the use to which Spanish local councils put TikTok, with an eye to exploring how they leverage it as a communication and information tool when attempting to promote interaction with their audiences. The study sample was created by running keyword searches on the platform. A content analysis was then performed on a corpus of 84 accounts and the 61 most viewed videos. Judging by the number of accounts created and videos posted during the study timeframe, Spanish local councils seldom use TikTok. Broadly speaking, neither do the videos created by them have a high impact, in view of the quantitative indicators, nor do they adopt policies aimed at encouraging citizen participation and generating a dialogue with the citizenry in different contexts, such as posing discussion questions or resorting to citizens as an information source.