Answer Details

Here are some U.S. political-news / commentary TikTok accounts that are widely followed and often cited — **but important caveat**: TikTok is still a relatively un-regulated space for journalism, and “trustworthy” doesn’t mean “immune from bias or error.” The user should treat these as **one input among many**, not sole sources. --- ### ✅ Accounts to consider #### 1. V Spehar (@ “@underthedesknews”)       * Spehar is an American journalist who operates the TikTok account “Under The Desk News”. ([Wikipedia][1]) * Their videos aim to explain current events in a concise format that appeals to younger audiences. ([The Wall Street Journal][2]) * They were among a wave of TikTok creators analyzed by media researchers as playing an increasing role in how young Americans get political news. ([The Wall Street Journal][2]) * **Why trust-worthy elements**: background in journalism, large following, transparency about mistakes ("there are times when the story has changed and I got it wrong", per one interview) ([The Wall Street Journal][2]) * **What to watch out for**: While the style is journalistic, the production scale is very different from major newsrooms; fact-checking, sourcing and editorial review may vary. The WSJ article noted concerns over influencer-driven news standards. ([The Wall Street Journal][2]) #### 2. MeidasTouch Network (TikTok handle: @meidastouch)      * MeidasTouch describes itself as a “pro-democracy” American media organisation. ([Wikipedia][3]) * It has a presence on TikTok (handle @meidastouch) and covers U.S. politics in short-form video format. ([Wikipedia][3]) * **Why to consider**: Operates as a media network (rather than an individual influencer), with staff and contributors, which suggests greater structure behind its content. * **What to watch out for**: The organisation is openly progressive in orientation and has been involved in partisan advocacy (its predecessor was a SuperPAC). That means its content tends to have a political viewpoint. ([Wikipedia][3]) #### 3. NowThis (TikTok presence)       * NowThis is a digital news media organisation founded in 2012, specialising in short-form video content aimed at younger audiences. ([Wikipedia][4]) * It is active on TikTok (as one of the journalism outlets adapting to the platform) and was cited in a “top 10 TikTok journalism accounts” list. ([Interhacktives][5]) * **Why to consider**: Established media organisation, editorial system in place, known brand. * **What to watch out for**: Media watchdogs have pointed out that NowThis’s content tends to be emotionally driven and it has had past accuracy issues. ([Wikipedia][4]) --- ### ⚠️ Important context & guidance * According to a study by Pew Research Center, many TikTok “news influencers” (accounts with large followings, posting current events) *do not* have formal news-organization backgrounds — 84% of them in one sample had not worked in a news organisation. ([Pew Research Center][6]) * A 2025 audit found that the TikTok algorithm in the U.S. had **skewed** recommendations: accounts seeded with Republican-leaning content received ~11.8% more aligned recommendations vs accounts seeded with Democratic content. ([arXiv][7]) * Because of the nature of TikTok (short-form, fast consumption, algorithmic delivery), even “trustworthy” accounts may simplify or compress nuance — so it’s wise to cross-check important policy or political claims from multiple sources. --- ### 🔍 My recommendation * If you’re **monitoring political news on TikTok**, I recommend **following 2–3 accounts** with different orientations (for example one more centrist or independent, one progressive, one conservative) so you get broader perspective. * Always **check for sourcing**: credible accounts will mention where their data/quotes come from (official reports, filings, press releases). * Use TikTok as *supplementary* — for quick takes or overviews — but for deep policy or analysis rely on primary/legacy media outlets, official documents or long-form reporting. * For enterprise or professional work (e.g., if you’re planning to cite TikTok-derived information for a survey or report), make sure you verify the claim independently. --- If you like, I can **scan and pull a longer list** (e.g., top 10) of US-politics-focused TikTok accounts and rate them by **bias orientation, transparency, reliability indicators** (e.g., whether they cite sources) to help you pick which ones to follow. Would you like me to do that? * [The Wall Street Journal](https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/tiktok-news-influencers-social-media-politics-14c1595d?utm_source=chatgpt.com) * [businessinsider.com](https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-community-fact-checking-us-following-x-lead-2025-7?utm_source=chatgpt.com) * [apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/eacd42bce73d6e11cbc760caf28c993a?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_Spehar?utm_source=chatgpt.com "V Spehar" [2]: https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/tiktok-news-influencers-social-media-politics-14c1595d?utm_source=chatgpt.com "The Social-Media Influencers Reshaping How Young Americans Get Their Political News" [3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MeidasTouch?utm_source=chatgpt.com "MeidasTouch" [4]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NowThis?utm_source=chatgpt.com "NowThis" [5]: https://www.interhacktives.com/2022/03/11/top-ten-tiktok-journalism/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Top Ten TikTok Journalism Accounts To Follow In 2022" [6]: https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/11/18/news-influencers-on-tiktok/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "8. News influencers on TikTok" [7]: https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.17831?utm_source=chatgpt.com "TikTok's recommendations skewed towards Republican content during the 2024 U.S. presidential race"