A new collaboration between Australian Associated Press (AAP) and TikTok is recruiting content creators across diverse subjects such as LGBTQI+ history and astrophysics and training them to spread positive media literacy messages.
The pilot project, coinciding with Global Media and Information Literacy Week (October 24- 31), teaches TikTok creators to recognise and avoid misinformation, supporting them to share those lessons with their own audiences.
The five Australian and New Zealand TikTok creators chosen for the pilot program represent a broad range of topics and audiences.
TikTok creators:
• Kirsten Banks @astrokirsten
• Rainbow History Class @rainbowhistoryclass
• Byron Dempsey @byrondempsey
• Celia Gercovich @celia.gercovich
• Nixon Stoddart @nixonsto
The creators received tailored training from AAP FactCheck in recognising misinformation and disinformation, habits to adopt for improved media literacy, and basic fact-checking and online verification skills.
The five creators were then supported to produce three videos each in their own distinct style, dealing with their choice of messaging about the misinformation problem and basic fact-checking.
AAP Director of editorial partnerships Holly Nott said: “AAP has always provided fact- based and objective journalism, and through AAP FactCheck we are also debunking misinformation on TikTok and other platforms. This pilot project is an exciting, pro-active way to expand the impact of our relationship with TikTok and support creators to share responsible, accessible messages about media literacy.
“AAP is committed to addressing the problem of misinformation from as many angles as we can, and this pilot project gives us another avenue to explore.”
The training builds on AAP FactCheck’s successful Check The Facts social media campaign launched during last year’s Global Media and Information Literacy Week.
The recent Reuters Institute Digital Media Report 2022, based on a poll of 93,000 respondents in 46 markets, showed trust in the news had declined in 21 markets. More than half the respondents (54 per cent) were also worried about not being able to tell the difference between what is true and false online.
Brent Thomas, director of public policy, AUNZ at TikTok said: “Our mission at TikTok is to inspire joy and creativity. Our Community Guidelines clearly outline that we do not allow harmful misinformation, and we will, and do remove it from the platform.
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“Partnering with AAP helps us to educate both our community and creators, which is vital in ensuring that mis and disinformation is not spread on our platform.”
TikTok creator Kirsten Banks added: “This collaboration with the AAP supported by TikTok has been really beneficial for me and my community. There’s lots of misinformation about space on the internet and the tools I’ve learnt about from the AAP and shared with my audience will help everyone combat misinformation online.”