Newsjacking

Newsjacking is when a company or person hijacks a news story by inserting themselves into the conversation (typically by sharing their opinions). Social media users commonly newsjack stories, especially on Twitter, as they jump on stories by sharing them as tweets with their thoughts.

Companies and famous people, including politicians, actors, athletes, and influencers, are the most obvious examples of newsjackers since they have so many followers with which they can share their thoughts. For example, an athlete like LeBron James may retweet a breaking news story and share his perspective on it, and debate about his thoughts becomes part of the story, thus newsjacking.

Newsjacking is often done on purpose as a marketing strategy, much like trendjacking. For example, savvy social media users may start using hashtags related to a breaking news story before it peaks to get in on it during the early stages. This increases the chance that they are one of the main voices related to a trending news story on a social site like Twitter or TikTok.

Companies often employ newsjacking strategies to stay engaged with their users and promote their brands. Wannabe influencers may also use this strategy, but people often label these users as clout chasers.

Additionally, people with many followers may accidentally become newsjackers when they simply share their thoughts. In these instances, some people may take offense (because someone is always offended online) and rage tweet (if on Twitter), causing a Twitterstorm.