
You've probably seen it.
A short, snappy video starts playing: a headline flashes across the screen, a screenshot of a news story lingers in the background, and a person steps into frame, ready to break it all down. Sometimes they’re enthusiastic, sometimes outraged, but they're always opinionated.
This style of storytelling didn’t exist a few years ago. But now, it dominates TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, especially among Gen Z and millennials with ever-shrinking attention spans. The days of reading in-depth print stories have been replaced by content that gets straight to the point and quickly.
There’s a certain appeal. These digital explainers simplify complex issues. They make the news digestible. Instead of reading a 2,000-word article, we watch a 90-second video that tells us “what we need to know.”
The creators often bring passion, personality, and humour. For a generation constantly scrolling, it works.
But here’s where it gets murky. Many of the people narrating these stories don’t have journalistic training or editorial oversight. They may not verify sources, follow ethical guidelines, or even attempt to remain neutral. And yet, we eat it up because it’s quick, convenient, and often aligns with our worldview.
The Pros:
Accessibility: Bite-sized content breaks down complicated news for people who may not have the time or background to dive into lengthy reports. It lowers the barrier to entry.
Engagement: The format encourages conversation and interaction. People feel more connected to the storyteller than to a byline on a broadsheet.
Awareness: In some cases, this content raises awareness of issues that mainstream media hasn't covered in detail — or at all.
The Cons:
Oversimplification: Important context is often lost in short videos. Stories are trimmed, flattened, or distorted to fit the format and basically do anything that feeds the algorithm.
Credibility gaps: Not every creator is a journalist. And not every viral video is based on facts. We must be cautious about where we get our news and who we trust. Otherwise, we risk reels and shorts becoming our version of Facebook and WhatsApp with misleading content and fake news.
Echo chambers: Algorithms feed us content we already agree with. That means we see more of the same perspectives, which can distort our sense of what’s happening in the world.
Information overload: With a constant stream of content, from the Diddy trial to global crises to culture wars, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and mentally exhausted.
Ultimately, we are in the midst of a media shift. Social media is shaping how stories are told, who tells them, and how they’re received. The lines between journalist and influencer, news and opinion, fact and feeling, continue to blur.
So what can we do? Enjoy the short-form explainers, sure. But supplement them with credible sources. Read widely. Think critically. Because even in a world of 15-second summaries, thoughtful engagement still matters.