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 our new resources section of the MLI website.
This Month in Media Literacy
It’s back to school time – and at MLI that means back to business! The shortlist for the MLI Awards 2025 has been announced and we are looking forward to the awards event in Virgin Media on 6 October, where the winners will be announced. In other big news, registration is now open for the MLI Annual Conference, so make sure to pre-book your ticket now!
Announcements
Let’s Talk about Media Literacy
The Adult Literacy for Life (ALL) National Programme Office in SOLAS marked International Literacy Day 2025 by launching a national campaign to raise awareness about the importance of media literacy. The campaign encourages people to ‘stop, think and check’ information that they see or hear in the media or online. The call to action is to go to adultliteracyforlife.ie/medialiteracy where people can test their media literacy knowledge by taking part in a short media literacy WhatsApp quiz.
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MLI Awards 2025 shortlist
The wait is over! The shortlisted entries for the Media Literacy Ireland Awards 2025 have been announced. Across the summer we have been busy shortlisting and judging the wonderful entries. With a record number of entries this year, it was not an easy task, especially given the high calibre of the entries. Thank you so much to everyone who entered this year.
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MLI Conference 2025
We are delighted to announce that this year’s Media Literacy Ireland Conference 2025 will be taking place on Wednesday, 26 November in Thomas Prior Hall, Dublin. More details to come! In the meantime, you can register for this event here.
Coimisiún na Meán Journalist Pack
Online abuse directed at journalists is a threat to freedom of expression and can undermine democracy. Coimisiún na Meán, in collaboration with the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and An Garda Síochána, has created an information pack for journalists which offers advice and support to journalists receiving abuse online.
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MLI resources
We have updated the resources section of our website to provide easy access to a variety of resources on a wide range of media literacy topics. You can now easily filter by topic, target audience, and type of resource. If you would like to submit a resource for inclusion in this library, please complete this form.
Journalism, Podcasting and Radio course
Radio Kerry and The Digital Skills Centre at Kerry College are recruiting for a one-year full-time Journalism, Podcasting and Radio course which commences in Tralee in November. Interested applicants can email jcmcgill@radiokerry.ie or drop into the Radio Kerry studio in Tralee.
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Be Media Smart ahead of the Presidential election
MLI and EDMO Ireland are encouraging everyone to Be Election Smart in the run-up to the Presidential election on 24 October. The MLI website also has a list of resources to help you make an informed decision when voting.
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Public consultation: Coimisiún na Meán Media Pluralism Policy
Media pluralism means a diversity in media ownership, media services, media content, and exposure to media. Coimisiún na Meán is welcoming the views of any interested person or organisation on the contents of its draft Media Pluralism Policy. The deadline for responses is 24 October.
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Calls for consultation: How to Promote Media Literacy
Ofcom, the UK media regulator, is seeking views on draft recommendations which set out a clear, ambitious and unified vision for how services can help people to navigate and thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. The deadline is 8 December.
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Call for proposals: International Media Literacy Research Symposium
This symposium will be held between 4–6 June in John Cabot University in Rome. The organisers are now calling for proposals and abstracts from scholars, researchers and educators at all stages of their careers. The deadline for submissions is 1 November.
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Course: Navigating Climate Information with Media and Information Literacy
This free and open online course empowers citizens to navigate today’s complex information and digital landscapes critically and ethically. The course highlights how vital media and information literacy skills (including knowledge, attitudes and skills) are in combatting climate disinformation and promoting a well-informed, proactive society to address climate challenges.
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The NewsWise Project: Empowering Older Adults in the Digital Age
This project aims to strengthen older adults’ digital media literacy skills, helping them to critically evaluate online media, thereby safeguarding their health and voice in today’s digital society. The NewsWise prototype app provides free and accessible online courses, quizzes and exercises to help older people develop their news literacy skills and build resilience online.
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Research and Reports
CyberSafeKids: A Life Behind the Screens
This report draws on responses from over 9,000 pupils aged 8–15 across Ireland, surveyed during the 2024–25 academic year. It provides a detailed account of children’s digital experiences, highlighting both widespread vulnerabilities and urgent areas for action.
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Behind the Screens report
This UNESCO report aims to provide valuable insights into the world of digital content creators. The results of this study indicate a pressing need for training and support for digital content creators.
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Ofcom’s Media Nations report
The annual Media Nations report is for industry, policymakers, academics and consumers. It aims to capture evolving consumer behaviours and key trends in the media sector, and to set out how audiences are served in the UK.
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Shine Media Monitoring report
In 2024, Shine’s Media Programme analysed over 3,000 pieces of suicide-related media content across print, online, radio and television platforms in Ireland. The results show that while the majority of media coverage was safe and followed best practice guidelines, certain patterns – particularly around helplines and language – are cause for concern.
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EDMO Updates
What is EDMO?
The European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) is an EU-wide network of factcheckers, media literacy practitioners, and researchers seeking to build resilience to disinformation. EDMO Ireland is one of 14 hubs that is part-funded by the EU. EDMO Ireland developed the Be Media Smart ‘Workshop-in-a-Box’, works on media literacy research and standards, and co-hosts the annual Disinformation Forum with MLI.
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EDMO Ireland supports media literacy trainer development
EDMO Ireland, in collaboration with MLI, is providing media literacy training to a panel of trainers. By supporting the development of these MLI-certified trainers, EDMO Ireland is helping to embed consistent, high-quality approaches to media literacy in communities across Ireland.
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Events
AI Literacy in the Classroom Workshop – 4 October
This workshop will focus on helping teachers support students in thinking critically about AI and using it responsibly. With expert speakers from ADAPT, DCU and UCD, plus a refreshed interactive programme, this year’s event promises new insights. Attendance certificate, morning refreshments and lunch provided.
Register here
#Disinfo2025 Conference – 15–16 October
#Disinfo2025 will gather leading specialists from varied backgrounds, tackling the most pressing issues in the disinformation landscape. Taking place in Ljubljana, Slovenia, it will be an opportunity to connect and learn from leading voices and stakeholders, through a programme of panel discussions, interviews, keynotes and workshops.
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No Time to Wait Conference – 15–17 October
This three-day conference in the National Library of Ireland is dedicated to exploring open media, open standards, and digital audiovisual preservation. This event is for professionals, researchers and advocates in the audiovisual archiving and digital preservation community, and may be of interest to those in the field of information literacy.
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Spot the Spin Workshop – 16 October
This interactive workshop, organised by EDMO Ireland, invites participants to navigate real-world examples of misinformation and disinformation, from viral memes to misleading headlines. This event will take place in Dún Laoghaire LexIcon on Level 3 in the Lab.
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Online workshop: Assessment in the age of generative AI – 16 October
Generative AI is rapidly changing higher education, challenging how we design assessments to ensure fairness, integrity and relevance. This session brings together higher education teaching staff, policymakers and professionals interested in assessment in the age of AI to explore guidelines from the TaLAI project and other European initiatives focused on ethical AI use and innovative evaluation methods.
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MLA4MedLit online conference – 17 October
This online conference, titled Building Societal Resilience through Digital and Media Literacy for Everyone, comes from a growing recognition that the health of democracies depends on an informed and engaged citizenry. Bringing together expert voices, it will explore the opportunities and challenges of promoting media literacy throughout society, placing it at the heart of what it means to be a digital citizen.
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CyberBreak Day – 17–18 October
CyberSafeKids is asking families across Ireland to ditch their smart devices for 24 hours, from 5 p.m. on Friday, 17 October, to 5 p.m. on Saturday, 18 October 2025. CyberBreak is open to families, schools and companies as a fun, interactive way for children, parents, teachers and adults to reflect on how much time they spend online and to promote a healthy online and offline balance.
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A New Chapter for the UNESCO MIL Alliance – 22 October
This one-day event is for members of the MIL Alliance and other interested stakeholders. It will provide a platform to present the findings of the recent consultation process, foster dialogue around key insights, and formally deliberate on and endorse the new Action Plan that will steer the Alliance’s strategic direction through 2030.
Register here
Conference: Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2025 – 24–31 October
Hosted by UNESCO and the Republic of Colombia in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, this conference will focus on the intersections of media and information literacy (MIL) and artificial intelligence (AI), exploring how AI is reshaping the information landscape and how MIL is crucial to empower individuals to critically engage with AI-driven content. The programme for the event is now available.
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IPI World Congress and Media Innovation Festival – 23–25 October
The 2025 IPI World Congress and Media Innovation Festival in Vienna will bring together the world’s leading journalists, editors and media thinkers to confront the challenges facing journalism today and chart a path forward to safeguard free media for future generations. Registration closes on 1 October.
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Barnardos Plugged In Switched Conference 2025 – 14 November
Recognising the growing influence of online technologies on children, this conference aims to empower parents and caregivers to get more involved in their children’s online lives and feel better equipped to help them keep safe online. To reserve a spot email onlinesafety@barnardos.ie
MLI Annual Conference 2025 – 26 November
Taking place in Thomas Prior Hall in Dublin 2, this annual conference will be an opportunity for MLI members to participate in insightful discussion, interactive sessions and networking opportunities with like-minded individuals passionate about media literacy. Places are limited so pre-book now to secure your seat.
Register here
Ofcom’s Making Sense of Media Conference – 3 December
This year’s conference is titled Media Literacy: Nice to Have or Game Changer? It will explore how media literacy can empower individuals and communities to navigate complex information environments, make informed choices, and build resilience across broadcast media, online platforms, and emerging technologies.
Register here
The Safer Internet Forum – 4 December
This hybrid event, hosted in Brussels, will focus on how age can impact the safety and wellbeing of children and young people in the digital world. It will bring together a variety of public and private stakeholders, including young people, to discuss the current state of play across and beyond the EU, with reference to recent political and technical solutions being implemented.
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In Case You Missed It
European Parliament Briefing on Media Literacy
A European Parliament briefing was published in May highlighting the importance placed on media literacy by the European Union as a key civic skill in a digital information environment. The work of Media Literacy Ireland was only one of three European activities highlighted in the briefing.
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Media Literacy and Democracy Education for Societal Resilience
The Media Literacy and Democracy Education for Societal Resilience conference took place in Helsinki on 18and 19 September. A recording of the full event is available.
Watch here
Resource of the Month
Scroll Smarter
The Scroll Smarter newsletter and resource from the News Literacy Project gives parents and caregivers quick, helpful tips to make sense of today’s information overload. It provides smart, family-friendly tools to help young people think more clearly about what they see online. With plenty of interactive elements, this resource could also be used in the classroom or in a workshop for young people.
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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 you’d like to include in next month’s edition of the newsletter, please email us at info@medialiteracyireland.ie
Kind regards,
The MLI Team
