94 Global News Post 1

TikTok is the fastest growing media application this generation has seen since MySpace and Faceboo as more people are contributing new media daily. While both the application and its users are found all over the world, it has been discovered that black content creators face lower wages, lack of due credit, and higher barriers than white content creators. An article posted to Global Voices written by Njeri Wangari highlights how one content creator living in Italy addresses these issues and uses his platform or social change.

Khabane Lame or “Khaby” is a 21-year-old Senegalese TikTok star living in Chivasso, Italy where he has lived most of his life. Surpassing 100 million followers, he holds a special outreach to a global audience through his comedic videos. While often referred to as “the Italian TikToker”, he is unable to hold Italian citizenship as the strict naturalization laws make it difficult to do so. Because of this, he is unable to travel as freely as he would like and cannot earn revenue through brand sponsorships on his TikTok videos. Using his massive platform, he hopes to bring light to the extensive Italian citizenship laws and legally represent the culture he has been a part of his whole life.

Another issue Lame highlights is TikTok’s revenue disparity between white and non-white content creators. It was found that oftentimes, a trend initiated by black content creator will quickly be adopted and overshadowed by a white content creator with no credit given or effort realized. The lack of credit given to these creators makes it difficult to grow in popularity and earn the same revenue as the white TikTok personalities that the application promotes. A movement occurred in July 2021 titled “#BlackTikTokStrike” where black content creators joined forces to shine light on the discreditation and wage disparity the community was facing. While this strike did result in TikTok creating several cash grants for South African creators, more needs to be done to ensure equality on an application used by millions.

The article posted to GlobalVoices.org uses several reliable sources throughout. Referencing interviews conducted by The New York Times and the Washington Post, the article builds rapport and gives the audience a stronger sense of security while reading. The author of the article, Njeri Wangari, is the Global Voices Regional Co-Editor for Sub-Saharan Africa. Her experience and knowledge on African culture brings a strong perspective to his article. Because the primary topic is black content creators facing racial discrimination and a lack of respect found on the TikTok platform, she is a trustworthy source to expel this information. By using both statistics and arguments for both perspectives, she creates an article that conveys a clear message and understanding. Reading on this topic was fascinating as I can personally relate to my own experience with the TikTok application and happen to be a follower of Khaby Lame.

Scholz, C. (2019). The TikTok black and white jigsaw puzzle [Photograph]. Global Voices. https://www.flickr.com/photos/140988606@N08/46945092295/