This autumn will see the return of a bigger and better Be Media Smart campaign to coincide with Global Media and Information Literacy Week at the end of October.
Be Media Smart is a national media literacy campaign coordinated by MLI which aims to help people ‘Stop, Think, Check’ that the information they are seeing, hearing and reading is accurate and reliable.
Every MLI member has a role to play – whether that is helping to spread the ‘Stop, Think Check’ message, sharing resources, supporting the new trianing programme, or hosting events.
Here’s an overview of what is planned for #Bemediasmart2023. Please take a look and see how you can get involved.
Media campaign
As in previous years, MLI members in broadcast TV, radio, and news publications (online and in print) have all committed to carrying the now familar ‘Stop, Think, Check’ ad across the month of October but especially from the 24th to the 31st October.
A suite of social media assets will also be available to all MLI members to use across their own networks, as well as a Be Media Smart Comms pack. In addition, we expect the online platforms that are part of MLI to offer free ad credit to MLI members who are non-profit bodies. So make sure to plan some Be Media Smart messaging into your comms in October.
Be Media Smart website
All ads and media messaging will point people to the bemediasmart.ie website which will be undergoing a revamp. We are aiming to make the updated site available as gaeilge, and have a host of new content planned – including a sign-up page for free training as well as training packs, toolkits etc. We are also planning to develop an ‘Ask the Expert’ section. So if you have experience and capacity to help populate and manage the new site please get in touch. Similarly, if you have resources, toolkits or other content that you think could be promoted on the Be Media Smart website, please let us know. Or if there is anything else to do with the website that you would like to suggest, don’t be shy.
Be Media Smart Training Programme
This year, in collaboration with EDMO Ireland, we are planning a Be Media Smart training programme for members of the public that will be delivered via trusted third party intermediairies. Our aim is to try and provide ‘train-the-trainer’ training, and resources such as a ‘workshop in a box’. So if you you have access to a network of people that might benefit from some training, watch this space for more information soon.
Be Media Smart outreach and events
We would like as many MLI members as possible to organise their own Be Media Smart events and to help, we will be putting together a Be Media Smart Comms Pack to help you promote your event. So start thinking about how you can build the Be Media Smart message and the ‘Stop, Think, Check’ call to action into your business as usual activities this October – and please tell your plans so we can help shout about it!
We will also be creating a number of MLI-led Be Media Smart events this autumn and we are actively looking for people with event management skills to help out with those events. We will also be looking for venues, speakers and panelists – so, once again, don’t be shy, get in touch with your ideas!
Evaluating Be Media Smart
An important part of the campaign this year will be building in ways to evaluate what we do, and learn lessons. So we really would like to hear from people or organisaitons with experience in carrying out evaluations who might be able to help us lay the groundwork for a coordinated approach to evalauting the campaign.
Get involved!
This promises to be the biggest and best Be Media Smart campagin yet – but we need all MLI members to get involved. So if you think there’s a way you can support the campaign, or if you have a great new idea, please let us know by emailing martinachapman@mercuryinsights.com or info@medialiteracyireland.ie
