The Daily Mail, Britain’s most notorious right-wing newspaper, is now the most-engaged news brand on TikTok in America.
Every now and then, a news item forces a double take, and this one certainly qualifies. The Daily Mail, Britain’s most notorious right-wing newspaper, is now the most-engaged news brand on TikTok in America.
According to Chaotic Era, an independent newsletter covering politics and media in the digital age written by Kyle Tharp, the 120-year-old publication has cracked the code for Gen Z engagement. The Mail’s main TikTok account now boasts over 23.2 million followers, gaining more than 10 million in the past nine months alone, with its posts racking up more than 2.9 billion likes and over a billion engagements last year. Its gravitational pull on the platform is so strong that one analyst likened it to “a neutron star” in the TikTok news universe.
Who would have thought that the newspaper beloved by delusional right-wing Boomers, the ones cheerfully voting for policies that undermine their own grandchildren’s future, would somehow reinvent itself as a viral hit among Gen Z?
On the surface, it looks like a savvy digital transformation. Nathan Giannini, the Mail’s deputy head of social video, explains: “[Tiktok] offers incredible reach with an audience that likely doesn’t already engage with the Daily Mail on a regular basis. TikTok has been around for almost a decade, so even if someone signed up in high school, now they could be in their late 20s. That informs some of our coverage decisions. It’s not all viral dances and trending audios — we treat our audience like grownups, because they are. That means covering things grownups care about: the US presidential election, war in the Middle East, as well as some lighter fare.”
It’s certainly a curious ideological mismatch. TikTok’s user base is typically young, diverse, and politically progressive, a demographic seemingly at odds with the Mail’s editorial stance. But by leaning into fast-paced, visually polished content and downplaying its more overt political leanings, the news brand has managed to appear fresh, relevant, and even, dare we say it, apolitical.
But scratch the surface and the cynicism becomes hard to ignore. The Mail’s TikTok success may be platform-optimised and algorithmically slick, but its core identity remains unchanged, rooted in sensationalism, fearmongering, and a reactionary worldview that has long polluted British public discourse.
Giannini even admits much of the content is still “bread and butter Daily Mail.”
And, a quick look at its TikTok account in the UK, and who pops up on one of the first posts? Good old Boris Johnson, beloved by the Mail and many a right-wing Boomer.
“Who benefits from the tide of migrants crossing the Channel every day? There is one ultimate beneficiary of this whole nightmare, Boris Johnson says and that is Emmanuel Macron of France. Read his column on the French president’s ‘continuing jihad against Brexit’ at DailyMail.co.uk,” read the post alongside a video of Boris himself, which has over 2100 likes.
And therein lies the danger: behind the slick video production and “grown-up” tone lies the same relentless, sensationalist machinery that’s defined the Mail for decades.
Elsewhere in the UK media, some attempt at balance exists. The Mail’s parent company has invested in more centrist or non-partisan brands like Metro and The I, perhaps in an effort to hedge against the increasing scrutiny of its flagship brand?
Who knows. But one thing’s clear: you can rebrand the wrapper, tweak the tone, and chase the algorithm, but underneath it all, the Daily Mail is still the Daily Mail.
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