THE JOURNAL HAS joined content app TikTok as it kicks off its participation in this year’s Be Media Smart campaign. 

The news and FactCheck teams at The Journal will be creating videos across the next four weeks which will help users recognise good information, while being wary of mis- and disinformation. 

Launching today to mark UNESCO’s Global Media and information Literacy Week, the Be Media Smart campaign will run across the remainder of October and November. It will encourage people Stop, Think and Check that the information that they are getting, from whatever source, is accurate and reliable.

As well as partnering with TikTok on the campaign, journalists at The Journal will be heard across local radio networks giving tips on factchecking and media literacy, while assistant news editor and FactCheck lead Stephen McDermott will feature on the Be Media Smart website as a resident ‘ask the expert’. 

The Be Media Smart campaign is an initiative of Media Literacy Ireland (MLI) and is supported by a wide range of members including media, civil society organisations, libraries, educational, training and research institutions.

A key part of this year’s campaign is a new training programme which is expected to upskill over 100 community-based leaders, coaches, and librarians to deliver the Be Media Smart workshops in their own communities across the country, in English and in Irish.

Created in conjunction with EDMO Ireland, of which The Journal FactCheck is a member, the programme is designed for people of all ages and backgrounds. 

“The importance of media literacy is widely recognised, but there is a shortage of people with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to deliver media literacy within communities,” explained Dr. Eileen Culloty from EDMO Ireland at Dublin City University. 

“Now more than ever, it so important for people to have confidence in the information that they encounter on a daily basis,” added Martina Chapman, the national coordinator of MLI.

“The ‘Be Media Smart’ campaign gives people tips and advice on how to Stop, Think, and Check the accuracy and reliability of information. We are privileged to have some of the leading experts in media literacy in Ireland on our ‘Ask an Expert’ panel – from academics, to journalists, to people who specialise in internet safety for children and young people.”

The campaign has also arranged webinars on media literacy in digital spaces and disinformation. Both are available and open to the public tomorrow and Thursday over Zoom. For more information on the events and the wider Be Media Smart campaign, visit the website here. 

TikTok now has over two million users in Ireland, as it inches ahead of Instagram in popularity.

Since its launch in 2018, the short-form video sharing platform has seen the creation and expansion of many businesses, movements and personal brands.

Cormac Keenan, Head of Trust and Safety at TikTok, said that the platform has “embedded itself into Irish culture”.

Find The Journal on TikTok here.