Blog #2 Favorite TikTok journalist

 TikTok is often not an app associated with hard hitting journalism, nor is it an app whose user base is believed to have above average analyses on concurring social issues. Even if there is accuracy to that assessment exceptions to the rule always exist, if you look long enough you will find tiktokers who have amassed significant followings pandering to those very social issues / what happens in the field of journalism. One such Tiktoker who I am fond of goes by the name JD delay, he is a former addict and convicted felon who has become a rehabilitation therapist and motivational speaker after attaining his own sobriety. Not only does JD cover very relevant and current issues which many people in all sources of media would find difficult to cover, he provides a very unique insight that would be hard to gain without his history and time spent incarcerated/working through his addiction. An issue certain people have with JD is he has very limited filter and has absolutely no sensitivity for people who have committed certain indecent acts (specifically pedophelia) and believes society has absolutely no place for people who possess that sickness. He is a very big personality and certainly not for everyone but in my opinion a great change of pace from the dance trends and pandering tabloid information were all normally drawn too on that app. 

       JDs videos are almost exclusively focused on the criminal Justice system, he often alternates between stories of his time incarcerated or as an addict, stories of inadequacies within the criminal Justice system itself, motivation for people going through rehabilitation and concurring news related to criminal stories and investigations. He also collaborates with a network of other former convicts turned counselors and community leaders who share their stories and combine to do a lot of great work for the community. His image alone has immense power in my opinion, he often records his videos shirtless showcasing his array of tattoos and his large figure, it’s a constant reminder that people who look like him can’t be pinned down so easily. A lot of jobs still wrongfully discriminate against workers on the basis of tattoos in places that are hard to cover up, but when you see a man who has those tattoos, isn’t afraid to show them off and can still speak with intellect and importance to a committed following it has more power than the content of his videos itself. His videos are a constant reminder of how far people can come and how much the human body can endure, with the increase of technology allowed within prisons themselves I like to think his presence shows people there are additional outlets to let out anger and aggression. I think it’s important to his personality and the people who watch that once in a while he goes a little crazy in his videos to let out his anger and to vent his frustrations, it’s important to show people the solution isn’t to never get angry, it’s to find proper outlets! 

     JD also manages to deliver important content in a way that makes people genuinely want to listen. As a society it is clear we greatly ignore the plights of many incarcerated individuals, but his videos manages to get millions of views and incredible user engagement. Certain issues are better expressed through statistics and elegant writings, but certain issues are more influential when they aren’t danced around and can show the emotion of the user. One way to get people to care about an issue is to have them see first hand how impactful the issue is through emotion and personal experience/ perspectives. Invoking the name of the late Malcolm X always seems cliche, but he certainly didn’t rally a group of people around an issue by staying composed and mellow 100% of the time, rather showing the immense pain caused by the situations at hand and letting the audience know how he felt along the way. Some may say the way he speaks is slightly crass and lessens his message, but I think that is the reason he draws people in, the only reason someone would speak with the passion is if they genuinely cared about the issue, if you are hearing about an issue from someone who cares about it Vs someone who seems neutral it can greatly influence how much you care. A lot of people get their first looks at ongoing criminal investigations through his page and it expands their knowledge of the system in general all because they like listening to him, likely not due to them caring about the system so much beforehand. 

      The content itself is also incredible beneficial at times and can give great insight into current events. Events such as the Danny Masterson case, the current Russel brand allegations and other ongoing issues are often discussed on his page. As a society I tend to think we have a tendency to be far too lenient towards illegal actions carried out by celebrities due to our infatuation with them, it is refreshing to see a page who doesn’t put celebrities on a pedestal rather takes time to show people they are often not people worth looking up too. Hollywood, the Catholic Church and other institutions that have been known to have power discrepancies have been discussed on his page as well. He points to the ongoing patterns that exist within many groups / organization we love and refuse to reassess. I also think his review of such flagrant cases helps addicts to acknowledge their actions were not nearly as bad as other have been and addiction is something you can return from and become a decent/ productive human unlike other  unforgivable indiscretions people commit. And as always he has a link to his health counseling program in his YouTube page which is always available and a constant reminder he stands with those who were in a position similar to his own.