TikTok Camp: I Explore. I Analyze. I Create. 25 Pupils Learned to Create High-Quality TikTok Content for Promoting Critical Thinking
25 lyceum pupils from Falesti, Orhei, Anenii Noi, and Comrat, accompanied by their teachers, attended the “TikTok Camp: I Explore. I Analyze. I Create” media education camp and learned how to create video content for the TikTok platform to promote critical thinking. The camp was organized by the Independent Journalism Center in Vadul lui Voda on June 13-16, 2024.
The camp was aimed at improving lyceum pupils’ media literacy skills, increasing the degree of their understanding of the importance of consuming high-quality information on social media, and helping them create high-quality video content for the TikTok platform.
For three days and a half, the participants were taking part in various interactive and instructive activities to get a better understanding of the media education sphere and to develop their critical thinking skills. Guided by the journalist Ana Sirbu, they improved their knowledge of creating high-quality video content to be distributed via the TikTok platform. Together, they considered technical aspects in the process of creating videos, discussed the clothes they should wear in front of the camera, did articulation exercises, and drafted various scenarios for video materials they had to film later.
At the camp, the participants were also visited by several guests who had relevant experience in such spheres as media education, creating video content, and promoting critical thinking via social platforms.
Together with Natalia Griu, media education expert, the pupils explored various topics to realize how important media competence is in the 21st century. “Access, analysis, creation, reflection, and action are the five steps of media literacy. Every one of you watches the news, reads newspapers, and listens to podcasts. In this camp, you are currently creating content that can help you act on the social level and become an influential person. You can publish some posts which draw the public’s attention to a certain issue in your community, and create some content to make people more active and take action. By creating high-quality media products, you learn how to make your voice heard,” Natalia Griu told the participants, saying they should improve their critical thinking as the 21st-century competence.
Catalin Lungu and Radu Sarbei, the authors of the ZeroDoi project, shared their experience of creating content for the TikTok platform, interacting with the audience, and increasing the number of followers. They also gave the participants some useful tips on creating videos and instructed them how to implement them immediately. Therefore, the teams participating in the camp initially drafted scripts for short videos, filmed their lines, and then edited the content. Finally, the two guests encouraged the participants to do what they like regardless of the job they would choose for the future. “It is immensely important to do the things you enjoy. We have chosen the creative sphere, and we do what we like,” the guests said.
Ecaterina Buruiana, who is in charge of the TikTok account of the Moldova.org newsroom, shared her experience related to developing the Moldova.org TikTok account, which currently has several 51 thousand users and an average of circa 700 thousand views per month. They also analyzed the way disinformation works on TikTok and other websites, how safety should be provided, why having responsible content creators is important, and why getting as many views and likes as possible does not work as a long-term solution.
Oxana Iutes, Internews director in Moldova, who has vast experience in the sphere of journalism, spoke to the participants about ethics in journalism and how important it is to ensure that any content published on social networks or broadcast on TV is exclusively of public interest. “Before filming something outside and posting it on the networks, first think whether it is important to you or your followers. Even if you get fewer likes or views, I’d like to assure you that you’ll have more moral satisfaction that you have not breached certain ethical provisions,” Oxana Iutes mentioned.
The surprise guest at the camp was Pasha Parfeni, the musician who played the guitar, encouraging the pupils to sing along and also to shoot videos for social networks together.
In the end, the participants said that the camp was an opportunity to find new acquaintances, learn useful things related to media education, create high-quality content, and spend their time actively.
Ion Mariniuc, a pupil from Onisifor Ghibu Theoretical Lyceum, Orhei Municipality, learned that “in a team, it is extremely important to have coordination, productive discussions, and parts should be divided to avoid chaos,” and Otilia Domenco from the same educational institution appreciated “the importance of making new acquaintances with the participants, which helped them share new experiences usefully.” For Cristina Mironiuc from Ion Creanga Theoretical Lyceum in Falesti Town, it was important to learn “how to stay in front of the camera to get a high-quality image,” and for Anastasia Camerzan from the same lyceum, it was useful to learn how to frame images properly or how to take care of correct articulation in front of the camera. Nichita Velijenco from Al. Puskin Theoretical Lyceum in Falesti Town mentioned that, while at the camp, he had several memorable moments. “For me, the articulation lessons where we were learning to pronounce the words correctly were the most important ones. I’d also like to mention that we had limited time at our disposal, and it helped us develop our skills of creating high-quality video content faster,” the pupil said.
Anastasia Matcin from Grigore Vieru Theoretical Lyceum in Chioselia Rusa Village, Comrat District, mentioned the importance of assigning specific roles to each member of the team while creating video materials. “I realized that, if there are no rules, there is a lot of chaos and confusion in the team, and the creative process is no longer productive. In every team, some people have certain skills such as editing, shooting, editing, or drafting scripts. If we manage to assign the roles correctly, we’ll get a high-quality final product, and the process itself will be interesting,” the pupil said.
Ionela Anton from Emil Nicula Theoretical Lyceum in Mereni Village, Anenii Noi District, enjoyed listening to the mentors and the guests as they shared their experience, and Mihaela Bruma from the same educational institution wrote down several tips for creating a high-quality product that she remembered: to have a well-formulated purpose, a short format, and a message which should be as clear as possible.
Galina Matcin, the teacher from Grigore Vieru Theoretical Lyceum in Chioselia Rusa Village, Comrat District, emphasized the fact that she used to be rather pessimistic about the content on TikTok, but currently, she realized that it was in our power to change things for the better and to create high-quality content on this platform.
Each of the 5 teams participating in the camp received such presents as a microphone to help them make high-quality video materials and tabletop games; they also received diplomas.
Until the end of August, the participants will create video content focused on promoting critical thinking. The video materials will be shared and promoted via their personal TikTok accounts and their educational institutions’ channels. At the end, each team will be awarded a $500 prize.
The media education camp is part of the Media Enabling Democracy, Inclusion and Accountability in Moldova (MEDIA-M) project financed by USAID, the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Chisinau, and implemented by Internews in Moldova, which aims to promote the development of independent and professional media and to create a media sector more resistant to political and economic pressures.
