Question Everything with Brian Reed

The News is Coming from Under the Desk… on TikTok (live from On Air Fest)

Mar 6, 2025

V Spehar is a dynamic social media content creator known for their engaging TikTok channel, Under the Desk News, where they deliver news in a relatable format to millions. In this discussion, V dives into the friction between traditional journalism and new media influencers, sharing insights on their recent conflict with NPR. They explore how platforms like TikTok are reshaping news consumption and trust, and emphasize the importance of personal storytelling in news reporting. The conversation highlights the evolving landscape of media and the role of audience connection.

52:18

Episode guests

V Spehar

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

The rise of social media influencers like V Spehar shows a significant shift in audience trust towards non-traditional journalism methods.

The incident with NPR highlights ongoing tensions regarding the legitimacy and classification of modern journalists versus traditional media outlets.

V Spehar's unique storytelling approach emphasizes relatability and engagement, reshaping how news is delivered and consumed in today's society.

Deep dives

Exploring New Media Dynamics

The conversation highlights the significant shift in how news is consumed, with a growing number of people turning to social media influencers for information. Notably, V Spear, a TikToker and self-proclaimed newsfluencer, has garnered millions of followers by delivering news updates from under a desk, a unique style that contrasts sharply with traditional journalism. A Pew Research survey reveals that many young adults associate V with trust in news, even ranking them above established figures like Joe Rogan. This suggests a fundamental change in audience perception and trustworthiness, as conventional news outlets struggle to retain credibility.

Intro

2min

Frustrations of Editing and Identity in Journalism

2min

Navigating Media's New Frontier

13min

Cynthia Erivo in the Spotlight Amidst Political Turmoil

2min

Redefining News Reporting

5min

The Balance of Truth and Trust in Journalism

4min

Navigating Media Integrity and Audience Connection

23min

As trust in traditional journalism plummets, social media content creator V Spehar of Under the Desk News is ascendant, with over 3.4 million TikTok followers. But recently, V found themself in a public dustup with NPR over, in part, how the outlet had classified V in an interview. In this special episode of Question Everything–largely recorded live at On Air Fest–Brian and V take the stage to explore the tensions between traditional and non-traditional journalism, and what the two can learn from each other.

Since talking off the cuff live on stage doesn’t always result in the most precise utterances, here are a few additional corrections and clarifications we didn’t address directly in the episode:

While live on stage, V said that TikTok is owned “mostly by the richest man in Philadelphia, Mr. Jeffrey Yass.” In fact, Yass’ personal share in TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, is 7%, worth roughly $21 billion.

Regarding the stat in the Under the Desk News video stating “every school in America gets about 20 percent of their total school budget from the federal government,” in reality, public schools may get as little as 0% or as much as 75% of their funding from federal sources, depending on the district.

The Pew Research referenced in the conversation shows that 1 in 5 Americans get their news from online news influencers, and 54% of Americans get their news at least sometimes from social media.

In on of the Under the Desk News TikTok videos we played, when V's talking about possible effects on taxes as a result of cutting the Department of Education, they said "I don't know a whole lot of people who can afford for their mortgage to go up 20%." However, we'd like to clarify that a 20% rise in property tax does not necessarily mean a 20% rise in mortgage.

And lastly: Senator Tammy Duckworth has fought for about a dozen federal employees fired from the Veteran’s Crisis Line to get their jobs back, and not employees solely from her state, Illinois.

We reached out to V’s father to confirm their conversation about the possible effects of cuts to the Department of Education, but he didn’t want to comment.

“Question Everything” is a production of KCRW and Placement Theory.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts

Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.

Question Everything with Brian Reed

The News is Coming from Under the Desk… on TikTok (live from On Air Fest)

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Exploring New Media Dynamics

The NPR Controversy

Audience Connection and Performance

Navigating Journalistic Standards

Adapting to Evolving News Landscapes

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts