VIRAL ENGAGEMENT STYLES AND STRATEGIES IN TIKTOK JOURNALISM

THE CASE OF METRÓPOLES

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55738/alaic.v24i50.1314

Keywords:

journalism, TikTok, engagement, Metrópoles

Abstract

This article investigates how journalism adapts to the dynamics of TikTok, a transition that entails changes in formats and strategies guided by engagement. We conducted a content analysis (Bardin, 2011; Author, XXXX) of a sample of 20 posts from the news outlet Metrópoles on TikTok over a 24-hour period, alongside a bibliographic framework based on newsworthiness criteria. The study revealed that journalism sometimes lacks guidance in balancing original and viral content, reflecting a focus more oriented toward algorithms than toward curation and commitment to journalistic quality.

Author Biographies

Raquel Ritter Longhi, UFSC

PhD in Communication and Semiotics (PUC/SP). Professor in the Department of Journalism and the Graduate Program in Journalism at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC). Coordinator of the Hypermedia and Language Research Group/CNPq and the Center for Hypermedia Studies and Production Applied to Journalism/UFSC.

Mariela Cancelier, UFSC

Master’s student in the Graduate Program in Journalism at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC). Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from UFSC. Researcher at NepHijor (UFSC). FAPESC scholarship holder (2025) and currently a CAPES scholarship holder.

Lara de Souza Hinkel, UFSC

Master’s student in the Graduate Program in Journalism (PPGJOR) at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) and CNPq scholarship holder. Specialist in Digital Journalism from PUC Minas. Has experience in online journalism, journalism and social media, and digital marketing, which are also the focus of her research interests.

Ana Luiza Duarte, UFSC

Master’s student in Technologies, Languages, and Innovation in Journalism at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC). Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University Center of Brasília (CEUB). CAPES scholarship holder.

Published

05/28/2026

How to Cite

RITTER LONGHI, R.; CANCELIER, M.; DE SOUZA HINKEL, L.; DUARTE, A. L. VIRAL ENGAGEMENT STYLES AND STRATEGIES IN TIKTOK JOURNALISM: THE CASE OF METRÓPOLES. Revista Latinoamericana de Ciencias de la Comunicación, [S. l.], v. 24, n. 50, 2026. DOI: 10.55738/alaic.v24i50.1314. Disponível em: https://revista.pubalaic.org/index.php/alaic/article/view/1314. Acesso em: 15 oct. 2026.