Ministers in the Legault government have started producing content on TikTok with a stated aim of reaching young people, a practice that audience fragmentation has said is made necessary.
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“It’s hard to imagine yesterday’s politicians using these platforms,” noted political scientist Philippe Dubois. But if elected officials are using it today, it’s because they believe it can be effective.
“Using only television and newspapers is no longer possible. The audience is too fragmented. Every politician has to think strategically to reach the segments of the electorate that they want to target,” he added.
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In fact, French Language Minister Jean-François Roberge is using TikTok to “reach a different audience, not necessarily following traditional media, to raise awareness among young people about the situation of French,” his company explained.
To that end, Mr. Roberge’s team sometimes produces “serious” content and sometimes more “gambling” content.
Baldness and National Awakening
For example, in one of his publications, Mr. Roberge shows his mischievous side by mocking the baldness of First Nations Relations Minister Ian Lafrenière in the aisles of a grocery store.
While some TikTok users appreciated the lightness of this joke, emphasizing its humor and refreshing side, others gave a harsher verdict, some even calling the initiative “stupid.”
@jeanfrancois.roberge
There is a Saturday at work. 😅 Sometimes we don’t take ourselves seriously and subordinate ourselves. 🤷🏻♂️ Many thanks to my colleague Ian Lafrenière, Secretary of State for First Nations and Inuit Relations, for making himself available for the game. 😂
♬ Coco de Cuir – Blue denim blue
“It’s outrageous that two ministers are doing such stupid things,” remarked one of them.
In fact, in another excerpt, the minister argues the importance of a “national awakening” to stem the decline of French.
As of this writing, the playful video has garnered over 14,300 views, almost double the more serious snippet, which has just 7,235 views.
Conversations with young people in stockings
Other prominent members of the Legault government are playing the same game: Youth Minister Mathieu Lacombe, in one excerpt, confides that he “often works at the bottom”.
“I’ve been scolded for that, but sometimes you have to break the rules,” he said, showing off his socks before expressing that working barefoot makes him “a more comfortable minister.”
When a subscriber calls to say that it is indeed more comfortable to work in stockings, Minister Lacombe adds: “especially when you have a nice carpet on the floor”.
Note that like Mr Roberge, Mr Lacombe also produces more serious content, including a short interview with former Culture Minister Liza Frulla.
When asked about the reasons that led Mr Lacombe to open an account on the Chinese platform, his cabinet recalled that it was important for the youth minister to “talk directly to those affected”.
“In this way, the minister can challenge young people on all sorts of issues, but also invite them to understand the corridors of power. It is important to raise awareness of the issues because better informed young people are more likely to want to get involved,” said Mathieu Lacombe’s spokesman.