On behalf of the Central Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, I warmly welcome you all—senior journalists, media educators, media researchers, students, my colleagues at the department, and the officials from TikTok: Mr. Emad Zafar, Mr. Karan Parihar, and Ms. Asma Anjum—to this important workshop focused on the compelling theme: “Creating Content Responsibly on TikTok and Combating Misinformation and Disinformation.”

We are privileged to host this workshop in collaboration with the Digital Media Society. I extend heartfelt thanks to senior journalist Mr. Pratik Pradhan and all the organisation's friends for their support. I would also like to express sincere appreciation to Mr. Shekhar Kshetry and his dedicated team—Srijan Nepal, Luna Maharjan, and the entire Learning Curve community—for their hard work in making this event possible.

As an institution that not only teaches the philosophies and theories of communication but also imparts practical skills across various media platforms, we place strong emphasis on ethical media use. We believe workshops like this are instrumental in encouraging users to stay within ethical boundaries while expressing themselves online.

When the government imposed a ban on TikTok in November 2023, we raised our voices in support of freedom of expression. At the same time, we emphasised the importance of responsible and ethical use of the platform. As TikTok expressed its commitment before the lifting of the ban, we also called upon the platform to be accountable for its societal impact. With the ban lifted in August 2024, we are encouraged to see TikTok’s renewed efforts to address accountability while promoting Nepali culture and tourism.

We hope that this workshop will further strengthen the ethical and constructive use of TikTok in Nepal. Platforms like this should serve as tools for creativity, social harmony, and economic opportunity, not sources of division or misinformation.

Once again, I thank the TikTok officials for being here today—for engaging with users, respecting their creativity and passion, and reaffirming TikTok’s commitment to amplifying Nepali voices and stories to the world.

With that, I wish great success to this workshop: “TikTok 101: Creating Content Responsibly & Combating Misinformation and Disinformation.” I am confident it will be a valuable opportunity to boost advanced-level media literacy among users. If you are interested in joining hands with our department for media literacy initiatives, your support would be deeply appreciated.
 

The speech was delivered during the TikTok 101 Workshop, organised by the Central Department of Journalism and Mass Communication (CDJMC), Tribhuvan University, in collaboration with the Digital Media Society and managed by Learning Curve.