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
October is usually a busy month for media literacy because of Global Media and Information Literacy Week (GMILW). This month we are including numerous new reports and published resources , as well as an extensive list of events for you to consider. Speaking of events, there has been huge demand for the MLI Conference on 4 December in The Foundry in Dublin so make sure to register to secure your place soon.
Announcements
MLI supports libraries for GMILW
To mark Global Media and Information Literacy Week, MLI has been working with South Dublin Libraries on a series of talk for the public, and working with the Library Association of Ireland’s Career Development Group to help upskills library staff. More
Rights, Rules and Reporting Online educational resource
Coimisiún na Meán has launched a new set of resources for schools called ‘Rights, Rules and Reporting Online’. Designed to help students, teachers and parents/guardians understand the Online Safety Framework, the resources have been distributed to every post-primary school in Ireland. The aim of the initiative is to help students understand their rights online under the new rules, learn how to how to report illegal and harmful content, and to recognise the role of Coimisiún na Meán. More
MLI featured in the European MediaSmartOnline campaign
Launched across the EU on 24 October, the MediaSmartOnline initiative aims to act as a guide to media literacy initiatives in Europe. It currently has over 120 entries. Users can browse by project type, audience or country, and MLI and Be Media Smart are featured under the Ireland category. It is part of the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) initiative, in cooperation with the Insafe network of Safer Internet Centers and the Media & Learning Association. More
Webwise Online Safety Review Tool
Webwise has launched a new Online Safety Review Tool that helps schools assess and improve their online safety policy and practices. It outlines key steps for evaluating and enhancing online safety measures, allowing schools to reflect on strengths, address gaps, and access free resources and guidance. This tool supports a whole-school approach, ensuring a safer online environment for learners. More
BEAT 102 103 wins IMRO Outstanding Achievement Award
Congratulations to MLI members Beat 102 103, who were awarded the prestigious Outstanding Achievement Award at the IMRO National Radio Awards for their Digital Media Literacy initiative. Part funded by Comisiún na Meán’s Sound and Vision scheme, the ‘Digital Media & You’ roadshow brought the ‘Stop, Think, Check’ message to over 2,000 First Year students across the South East, over a period of four months. More
Ofcom enhances its Evaluation Toolkit
Ofcom has extended its Evaluation Toolkit with the addition of a bank of outcomes, indicators and survey questions. It can assist with initial planning by helping you choose appropriate outcomes for project activities, and provide inspiration for indicators and data collection. More
Media Literacy column in Critical Eye/Súil Ghrinn:
MLI member and lecturer at the School of English, Media and Creative Arts at the University of Galway, Dr Andrew Ó Baoill, has a new column in The Galway Advertiser. In his first column he explores the rhythm of our stories and looks at commercial pressures on news media, the nostalgia of repetition and the impact of framing. More
Barnardos publishes Online Safety Programme Consultation Report 2024
Each year Barnardos’ Online Safety Programme holds consultations with children and writes a report based on what children outlined about their experiences online. The topic of Artificial Intelligence was chosen for this year’s consultation report, as children increasingly spoke about AI and the role it plays in their lives during workshops across schools. More
EDMO Guidelines for Effective Media Literacy Initiatives
The European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) has published Guidelines for Effective Media Literacy Initiatives. Consisting of 12 concise principles and supported by simple, but well-tested guidelines, this resource has been designed for use by anyone involved in the development of media literacy initiatives. More
Ofcom publishes three-year media literacy strategy
Ofcom’s Making Sense of Media programme has published three key documents setting out Ofcom’s work towards its goal of making media literacy everyone’s business. The three-year strategy, A Positive Vision for Media Literacy, sets out at a high level what will be focused on by Ofcom from 2024–2027. The strategy is accompanied by a explaining the decisions they have taken and an which provides more detail on the work for the coming year.
Shining a light on Digital Literacy in Northern Europe
Google and Media Literacy Ireland recently joined forces to co-host a webinar on digital literacy, and marking the launch of the Navigating the Digital World research report by Instinctif Partners. 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
ADAPT Centre at Beta Festival 2024 – 1 to 17 November
Dublin’s Beta Festival returns from 1–17 November 2024 and this year the ADAPT Research Ireland Centre is the research partner. Contributions from ADAPT include The Ethics Studio. ADAPT will also present an exhibition called ‘The Bigger Picture: Re-imagining Images of AI’, and host ‘Facing the Future’, a citizens’ think-in public discussion on facial recognition technology. More
Be Media Savvy Library Talks – 6, 13 November
To mark Global Media and Information Literacy Week, MLI have been collaborating with South Dublin Libraries to deliver a series of ‘Be Media Savvy’ Talks to the public. Register for the talks in Lucan Library and North Clondalkin Library on the library websites.
Ofcom Online Evaluation Workshop – 6, 13, 28 November and 4 December
Ofcom is offering four free online evaluation workshops on how to use a theory of change, including integration of our new outcomes bank resource. The workshops, led by Jim Barratt and Tim Bidey, will take place on Wednesday 6 November 11–12.30,Wednesday 13 November 11–12.30, Thursday 28 November 11–12.30, and Wednesday 4 December 11–12.30
What Works in Delivering Media Literacy Activities? – 7, 21 November
The Ofcom Making Sense of Media Team are offering two opportunities to hear from experts who have delivered media literacy activities in communities experiencing financial disadvantage. The session on Thursday, 7 November from 12.30–2 p.m. will look at what works for children and young people’s media literacy. Disabled people and people with learning disabilities is the focus of the session on Thursday, 21 November from 12.30–2 p.m.
AI Literacy in the Classroom – 9 November
The AI Literacy in the Classroom initiative is providing a series of workshops for post-primary teachers. Developed by the ADAPT Centre and supported by Google Ireland, the initiative is designed to boost teachers’ AI literacy and help them empower their students to use AI critically and responsibly.
The next workshop takes place in Google HQ in Dublin. Workshops in Cork, Galway and Sligo will follow. Sign up here
Safer Internet Forum – 21 November
This hybrid conference is an important international annual conference where key stakeholders come together to discuss the latest trends, opportunities, risks and solutions related to child online safety and making the internet a better place. The theme for this year is Where’s the Harm? Protecting Children and Young People against Inappropriate Content and Bullying Online. Find out more, view the agenda, and register for online attendance here.
Good News, Bad news or No News Media Literacy Conference – 27 November
Organised by Ofcom’s Making Sense of Media, this conference will take place at The Brewery, 52 Chiswell St, London. Join the BBC’s disinformation and social media correspondent, Marianna Spring, and social psychologist, Melia Basol, for a day of knowledge-sharing and networking, exploring all things mis- and disinformation, news and elections. Please register using this link, and indicate your workshop preferences.
EMIF Winter Event – 2 and 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
Voices: The European Festival of Journalism and Media Literacy – 28 February to 1 March
EAVI has announced its upcoming Voices Festival, which will take place in Zagreb in 2025. This event aims to celebrate individuals, projects and organisations that have made significant contributions to media literacy. More
In Case You Missed It
Plugged In Switched Off 2024 – 15 October
The Plugged In Switched Off 2024 seminar focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its current usage and understanding among children and young people. The event featured an address from Dr Susan Leavy (UCD & AI Council of Ireland) and Ryan Meade (Google.org Public Policy and Government Relations Manager). Watch again
MLI gives evidence at Joint Oireachtas Committee meeting – 16 October
For the second time this year, MLI gave evidence to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media, looking at the topic of the State’s response to online disinformation and media/digital literacy, including social media and fake news. More
Over 400 students attend Media Literacy Conference – 16 October
Waterford Slí, the Waterford Youth Information Centre, Waterford City Libraries and the Europe Direct Centre joined forces to bring together over 400 secondary school students for a media literacy conference entitled ‘Managing the Noise’. More
Resource of the Month
Election Check 24
MLI member, The Journal FactCheck, has announced a new partnership with PA Media aimed at tackling mis- and disinformation ahead of the Irish general election. The Election Check 24 initiative will see fact checks produced by The Journal FactCheck and the PA News’s in-house fact-checking team offered to all participating news partners as free, ready-to-publish fact checks in the run-up to the general election. More
Thanks for reading!
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Kind regards,
The MLI Team
