Gen Z is particularly likely to get its news from TikTok. Newsrooms are taking note — not only offering their stories on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, but also inviting Gen Z members themselves to hold the mic.
The team at The Salt Lake Tribune recently reported on a program helping students advocate for their own and their peers’ mental health with a TikTok from a teen program leader explaining more about the approach. The team at Earthbeat from the National Catholic Reporter recently highlighted the diverse ways young people are finding antidotes to climate anxiety, with videos about the benefits of positive climate news and activism. And at PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs, students are producing and starring in stories about student-led solutions that range from a stress-reducing music and mentorship program to an online safe space.
These stories, supported by SJN’s Youth Mental Health Video Challenge, show us it’s not just about going viral with silly dances and memes. TikTok and Instagram can actually help young people see themselves in these solutions. And journalists can help.
