Welcome to the MLI Monthly Update!
Have something you want to share with the membership? Tell us about it by emailing us at info@medialiteracyireland.ie. We are particularly interested in including your resources in the Training and Development section of the MLI website.
This Month in Media Literacy
It’s been another busy month for media literacy! Thank you to everyone who entered the MLI Awards. We hope to announce the shortlisted entries in next month’s newsletter. There’s less than a month to go to Global Media and Information Literacy Week and the events are piling up. Speaking of events, check out the draft agenda for the MLI Annual Conference and make sure to register to secure your place on 4 December in The Foundry in Dublin.
Announcements
MLI Awards – Could you be an MLI Award judge?
The 2024 MLI Awards are now closed for applications and the eligibility checks are taking place. Judging of the entries will take place across October via online meetings. If you would like to be considered for one of the judging panels, please complete this short form.
New body with responsibility for media literacy in Greece
Creative Greece is the new body responsible for the development of educational, vocational training and skill development actions for the audiovisual and creative sectors in Greece. Creative Greece is the result of the merging of EKOME and GFC, and is now open to synergies on media literacy around designing actions and targeted interventions aimed at strengthening children and young people’s skills on critical thinking, content management and well-being in relation to the use of digital media and visual culture. More
Social media platforms urged to help combat academic dishonesty
The Global Academic Integrity Network (GAIN), representing 40 education regulatory bodies from around the world, is calling on major social media and online platforms to take a stand. In an open letter, GAIN asks these platforms to join the fight against academic dishonesty by taking action to stop the advertising of contract cheating services. More
Ofcom publishes report on ‘What works in delivering media literacy activities’
This report presents the findings from an 18-month project exploring how 13 organisations tested and evaluated different approaches to improving media literacy skills. The report summarises the main challenges and lessons learned in terms of evaluating media literacy interventions, and invites delivery organisations, commissioners and funders to find the approach that works best for the people they aim to support. More
Call for proposals to support independent fact-checking organisations
The European Media and Information Fund ’Boosting Fact-checking Activities in Europe’aims to support independent fact-checking organisations, which play a key role in limiting the negative effects of disinformation on the public discourse and democratic processes. The ninth funding round of this Call is open until 31 October. More
Register your Global Media and Information Literacy Week event
Global Media and Information Literacy Week will run from 24 to 31 October. The theme for 2024 is ‘The New Digital Frontiers of Information: Media and Information Literacy for Public Interest Information’. Partners from across the globe are invited to lead regional celebrations and events, and to register those events with UNESCO. More
Media-literacy-related PhD opportunity
A funded PhD opportunity related to media literacy is available at South East Technological University. ‘Exploring Together: Teenage Girls Co-crafting a Social Media Literacy Programme’aims to empower teenage girls (13–17 years old) in Ireland to develop a social media literacy programme. The research project will explore teenage girls’ perspectives/suggestions on how to develop a social media literacy programme, as well as the co-creation of such a programme through workshops and the evaluation of the programme through diary entries. More
Could you be an MLI speaker or trainer?
Due to a significant increase in the number of invitations for MLI to participate in conferences, deliver talks and provide training, we are investigating the possibility of creating a panel of MLI speakers and trainers from the MLI membership who could, on occasion, be called upon to represent MLI at events and talks. If this sounds like something that you would be interested in being part of, please complete this short expression of interest form. More
Events
Be Media Savvy Library Talks – 3, 15, 17, 22 October and 6, 13 November
A series of ‘Be Media Savvy’ Talks is planned for delivery across Dublin libraries during October and November to coincide with Global Media and Information Literacy Week.During the talks, Martina Chapman, National Coordinator of Media Literacy Ireland will highlight the important role that media has in our lives, and give tips and advice on how to manage our relationship with media. Register for the talks on the following library websites:
Tallaght Library on 3 October
Ballyroan Library on 15 October
Clondalkin Library on 17 October
Castletymon Library on 22 October
Lucan Library on 6 November
North Clondalkin Library on 13 Nov
Plugged In, Switched Off: Exploring AI with Children and Young People – 15 October
The Barnardos Online Safety Programme Annual Conference will take place online and live from The Foundry, Dublin.With support from Google.org thiswill bea solutions-based event providing advice for parents, educators and professionals alike. Registration details coming soon.
CyberBreak: Disconnect to Reconnect – 18–19 October
CyberSafeKids is calling on all families, schools and companies across the country to take a CyberBreak and disconnect to reconnect! Research has shown that spending less time online helps to reduce stress and anxiety, improves the quality of sleep, helps with low mood, and boosts mental health and wellbeing for both children and adults. CyberSafeKids is calling on people to encourage their family and friends to take a 24-hour break from their digital devices and promote a healthier online and offline balance. More
Words Matter: Promoting Best Practice in Media and Cultural Representations of Gender-Based Violence – 25 October
This one-day conference, organised by Dr Susan Leahy, will take place in the University of Limerick and will mark the launch of ‘Words Matter: Guidance for Media Reporting on Sexual Violence in Ireland’. Speakers include Prof. Karen Boyle (University of Strathclyde) and Susan McKay (Press Ombudsman). Attendance is free of charge, but registration is essential. To reserve your place, please email: Josephine.Conway@ul.ie
Media Literacy for Librarians: Skills, Strategies and Awareness Workshop – 25 October
The Career Development Group of the Library Association is hosting an in-person workshop for librarians and information professionals seeking to enhance their media literacy skills.
Accredited by the Library Association of Ireland, the workshop will feature a keynote from Martina Chapman (Media Literacy Ireland), followed by an interactive ‘Be Media Smart’ session led by Saoirse de Paor (Maynooth University Library) and Faye Carrie (UCD). It is relevant to professionals across public, academic, special libraries, and the private sector, and offers a valuable opportunity to explore the critical role of librarians in addressing media literacy, fake news, and disinformation. More
Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2024 Conference – 30–31 October
This year’s Global Media and Information Literacy Week Conference will be hosted by UNESCO and the Hashemite Kingdom in Amman, Jordan. Under the theme ‘The New Digital Frontiers of Information: Media and Information Literacy for Public Interest Information’, the event will bring together stakeholders around the globe to explore paths for strengthening collaboration and innovation to power media and information literacy. More
EMIF Winter Event – 2–3 December
The EMIF Winter Event will take place across two days at the European University Institute in Florence, where journalists, researchers, NGO workers and digital information ecosystem experts will have the opportunity to gather to discuss the intentions and results of funded projects and public policy advancements. More
MLI Annual Conference – 4 December
The 2024 MLI Annual Conference will take place on 4 December in The Foundry in Dublin, kindly hosted by Google. The theme for the conference is ‘Media Literacy for All’. Register now to secure your place and use this opportunity to share, learn and consider together what the promotion of media literacy will look like in the coming years. The keynote speech will be delivered by Professor Leo Pekkala from the Finnish National Audiovisual Institute, with more speakers due to be announced in the coming weeks. If you would like an exhibition space to show off your work, please email info@medialiteracyireland.ie More
Resource of the Month
Toolbox of individual-level interventions against online misinformation
Designed to help identify and counter false information, this toolkit includes a dynamic table that offers a conceptual overview of interventions, an overview of published evidence, examples of intervention types, as well as a world map of evidence. Targeted at everyday users, educators and policymakers alike, it offers a variety of methods to tackle false information, including fact-checking, media literacy techniques and verification strategies. Toolbox: Conceptual overview (mpg.de)
Thanks for reading!
If you have a colleague or friend who might enjoy these updates, they can register to become an MLI member or just subscribe to receive the newsletter. For any membership issues, or if you have something to include in next month’s edition of the newsletter please email info@medialiteracyireland.ie
Kind regards,
The MLI Team