Abstract
The Tik Tok social network has been widely spread among the Generation Z in Albania, following the same trends happening everywhere in the world (Reuters Institute 2022). The users of this video-sharing platform have created a new culture of expression and articulation in the public sphere, which is based on the performing act of the Tik Toker. Creators mainly convey messages through their body language and other visual elements that complete the video production. The aim of this paper is to identify the critical social approach by analyzing body language codes according to the Albanian anthropological model. This paper raises several research questions: What is the meaning of the performing act, mimes, gestures, clothing, make-up of the Tik Tokers and do youngsters in Albania manage to articulate criticism through body language? Do they possess enough skills and semantic concepts to express criticism on various topics that concern the public opinion through this new culture? What is the impact of the messages produced by these videos? This study employs a qualitative and quantitative method aimed at highlighting the quality of the visual rhetoric of 366 Tik Tok videos, produced by Tik Tok Corruption newsroom in Albania, part of MediaLook Center. The videos were published on the platform during a seven-month period from May 1 to November 30, 2020 during the Covid-19 health crisis in Albania.
Presenters
Elvin LukuLecturer of Journalism and Communication, Department of Journalism & Communication, Faculty of History and Philology, University of Tirana, Albania
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Visual Rhetoric, Tik Tok, Body Language Codes, Critical Social Approach
