As of November 2022, a Marquette University alum named Gina DiVittorio has grown a following of over 325,000 on TikTok and has reached a like count of over 6 million. The achievements of her Twitter and Instagram accounts follow close behind.
The Pocket Report was started in 2020. With the slogan, “Bringing you a sub-par look at news in a timely fashion,” The Pocket Report social media accounts recap and comment on the latest updates in politics through the lens of DiVittorio, a 27-year-old writer and comedian.
DiVittorio graduated from Marquette in 2017. She said that her inspiration to create this account drew from the downtime she experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
“My two main interests were public policy and comedy,” DiVittorio said. “During that first COVID-19 winter, I decided to start The Pocket Report to entertain both these interests and as a release to do something that felt somewhat productive.”
Allison Dikanovic, a 2017 Marquette graduate and former classmate of DiVittorio, said that she is not surprised by the following that DiVittorio gained.
“Gina has always been brilliant, strategic, hilarious and compassionate,” Dikanovic said. “She is such a talented writer and she works harder than anyone I’ve ever known.”
Despite its current status, DiVittorio said that The Pocket Report did not start off as an immediate success. Instead, DiVittorio had to post numerous times before the content resonated well with her viewers.
“Honestly, my first few episodes were not good at all,” DiVittorio said. “Not only did they barely receive any views, but the writing and the lighting also just needed a lot of improvement until I was really satisfied with it.”
Since then, DiVittorio said that she has become more confident and proud of the content that she puts out to her viewers.
DiVittorio also said she hopes that The Pocket Report is able to connect people of all ages with each other.
“I want The Pocket Report to bridge the gap between the younger generation and late-night TV, which has kind of lost a large amount of its younger audience,” DiVittorio said. “I also know there are many people who are exhausted with today’s political media, so I want the Pocket Report to be something that everyone is actually excited and willing to engage in.”
For Nicole Rizzo, a 2017 Marquette graduate and former roommate of DiVittorio’s, The Pocket Report delivers information to people in a way that is relevant to today’s society.
“The Pocket Report dips into both camps of information and humor, and it perfectly reaches folks in a digital age where news is accessed most broadly from quick, easy and digestible clips,” Rizzo said in an email.
As someone who spent her college years becoming accustomed to the Jesuit principles that Marquette promotes, DiVittorio said one of those principles has especially stuck with her since creating The Pocket Report.
Cura personalis is Latin for “care for the entire person,” and it is a hallmark of Ignatian spirituality.
DiVittorio said that the concepts surrounding the idea of cura personalis are what she often turns to in order to guide herself when creating content.
“Similar to how Marquette talks about caring for the entire person, when I present political issues online, I try to do it in a way that considers the entire problem,” DiVittorio said. “I try to always look at underlying policies, how something is being funded and the historical significance behind it.”
For those interested in potentially pursuing a career in social media similar to her own, DiVittorio said that it is most important to stay committed to being one’s self, even though it may become difficult.
“I would really encourage someone to not attempt to build their following by imitating what they see,” DiVittorio said. “Instead, I always say that I think it will be way more sustainable and meaningful for the creator to be their genuine, authentic self at all times.”
This story was written by Erin Howard. She can be reached at e[email protected]
