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.
The content in this newsletter is a collection of media literacy related news and information from a wide range of sources and inclusion does not imply the endorsement of Media Literacy Ireland.
This Month in Media Literacy
2026 is off to a strong start with lots of media literacy related news, events and information to share. MLI is delighted to announce the launch of a new signposting service to media literacy trainers on the MLI website. The start of a new year always means that Safer Internet Day is fast approaching. The theme this year is about being AI aware. See below for ways to get involved. There are also lots of upcoming events for your diary and calls for papers and proposals for a range of conferences that will take place during the year.
Announcements
Media literacy trainers page launched
As demand for media literacy related training grows, MLI is pleased to announce a new signposting service for MLI Certified Trainers. If you are looking for a trainer or speaker for your group or organisation, you can view the training profiles on the MLI website and select the trainer that best meets your needs using the Trainer request form. With diverse backgrounds in different aspects of media, the trainers listed are independent professionals who are well-placed to provide training on a range of media literacy topics.
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Safer Internet Day 2026
Safer Internet Day 2026 takes place on Tuesday, 10 February, and this year the global celebrations will be based around the theme AI Aware: Safe, Smart and in Control. Safer Internet Day 2026 will explore the benefits and the risks of AI technologies and ways to empower children and young people to use AI safely and responsibly. You can get involved by sharing resources, hosting an event or spreading the word.
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Nudification Apps – Information and guidance for parents and schools
Experts have raised serious concerns over the availability of tools or apps that use artificial intelligence (AI) to digitally remove clothing from photos, creating fake nude images. Webwise has produced some key information for concerned schools and parents/guardians and potential victims.
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Learning Waves’ TY Media Week 2026
Learning Waves’ award-winning TY Media Week is back for 2026, offering Transition Year students across Ireland the chance to step inside a real radio station and get hands-on experience creating content for broadcast. TY Media Week is a former winner of Best Youth-Led Media Literacy Intervention at the 2023 Media Literacy Ireland Awards and is funded by Coimisiún na Meán.
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UNESCO MIL Alliance’s newly elected Global Board
The results of the election of the first UNESCO MIL Alliance Global Board have now been finalised. The UNESCO MIL Alliance promotes international cooperation to ensure that all citizens have access to media and information literacy (MIL) competencies. The Global Board will serve as the main decision-making and coordination body of the Alliance and will lead joint initiatives that advance MIL policy, research and practice worldwide.
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Ofcom’s Media Literacy Delivery Plan December 2025–March 2027
A delivery plan that sets out the work of Ofcom’s Making Sense of Media (MSOM) programme over the coming 15 months has been published. The plan details how MSOM will continue to support specific communities and cohorts to develop media literacy knowledge, skills and behaviours, and work with online and broadcast platforms to encourage them to promote media literacy through their design and decisions.
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Tips for identifying solar misinformation
Solar Ireland, the industry representative body in Ireland for the solar energy industry, has identified a growth in the spread of mis- and disinformation around solar energy, and has put together a set of tips to help people spot potentially misleading information about solar energy.
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TikTok’s Media Literacy by Design Self-Assessment
Ofcom has reported that TikTok has signed up to adopt its Best Practice Principles for Media Literacy by Design. Among other things, Ofcom’s principles are designed to help platforms to become accountable for making media literacy a priority and increase transparency surrounding the development and impact of media literacy interventions. As part of its pledge to adopt these principles, TikTok provided examples of how it is implementing media literacy by design on its service.
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Calls to the Media Literacy Community
Call for proposals: IAMCR Conference 2026
The International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) invites the submission of abstracts for its 2026 conference. Hosted by the University of Galway, the conference will take place from 28 June–2 July. The central theme for the 2026 conference is Peripheries and Connections: Media, Communication, and Transformation, addressing the complexities of contemporary media systems in a polarised and interconnected world. The deadline to submit proposals is 3 February 2026.
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Funding call: Civic Innovation Fund
The Civic Innovation Fund (CIF) has launched a new call for projects that connect civic education and democratic participation with financial and economic literacy. The call is particularly aimed at young NGOs and youth-led organisations and each selected project will receive between €10,000 and €12,000 to support piloting, incubation, and scaling activities. The application deadline is 16 February 2026.
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Call for proposals: #DISINFO2026
EU Disinfo Lab’s next annual conference will take place on 6–8 October 2026 in Vilnius, Lithuania, and the call for proposals is now open. Anyone with a publication or an idea for a talk addressing disinformation is invited to make a submission, and proposals are also sought for a half-day workshop on 6 October. The deadline for submissions is 27 February 2026.
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Call for entries: MEDEA Awards 2026
Submissions are now invited for entries for the MEDEA Awards 2026. The submission deadline is 28 February 2026 and all shortlisted finalists will be notified in April. Finalists will be invited to take part in the Awards Ceremony, which will be held during the 15th Media and Learning Conference, 18–19 June, in Leuven, Belgium, where the winners will be announced.
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Funding call: Creative Europe funding available
The Media Literacy Call 2026 from Creative Europe supports innovative cross-border media literacy projects and practices across Europe. This funding aims to address the challenges of the continuously changing digital media landscape. The deadline for applications is 11 March 2026.
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Research and Reports
New report: News media, pluralism and journalism in the digital age
Last month, the European Audiovisual Observatory, part of the Council of Europe, released a major new report that explores the sweeping digital developments transforming Europe’s news media sector. Drawing on contributions from twelve experts, the study examines how technological changes, market dynamics, and evolving regulatory frameworks are redefining journalism and media pluralism across Europe.
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Ofcom report: Children’s Online Insights Panel
At the end of last year, Ofcom released the findings of the first two waves of research (from March to August 2025) from its Children’s Online Insights Panel, which is comprised of children and young people aged 8 to 17 years. The report focuses on the online features, functionalities and content the children have been engaging with, as well as some of the actions they have taken in response. A full report will follow next year.
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Nordic Media Literacy Survey
Common comparable data on media literacy in the Nordic countries is now available for the first time thanks to the Nordic Media Literacy Survey – a new study by the Nordic Council of Ministers carried out by the media authorities in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Just over 12,000 people took part in the survey, and the results show that although media knowledge is good, there are huge differences in knowledge between different age groups.
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UNESCO World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development Report
UNESCO’s World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development Report 2022-2025 reveals a 10% decline in freedom of expression worldwide since 2012 – a level not seen in decades. The report also finds that, in the same period, self-censorship increased significantly among journalists, rising 63%, at a rate of about 5% per year.
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Study: Bystander behaviour online among post-primary school students in Ireland
Educational Review has published the results of a study investigating the differences between online bystanders and non-bystanders in intervening in online bullying when it is witnessed online. An online survey of 225 post-primary students in Ireland examined their behaviour when witnessing cyberbullying incidences and the impact of anti-cyberbullying self-efficacy beliefs.
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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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Updates
EDMO Ireland researcher Dr Shane Murphy spoke to Shamim Malekmian at The Dublin Inquirer for her article on trust in Irish charities declining on the back of right-wing attacks on NGOs. EDMO Ireland has collaborated with The Wheel and Public Participation Networks to investigate the impact of disinformation on the day-to-day practices of charities and community organisations. The report will be published in the coming months and give further insight into media literacy needs (and limits) across the country.
In December, EDMO Ireland was delighted to support Dunboyne College’s training day on a cross-sector approach to media and digital literacy. For the QQI Level 5 Communications module, teachers and students are now asked to explore misinformation, digital ‘responsibility’, and fact-checking. However, as many educators may have little experience in digital media literacy, Dunboyne College is establishing a community of practice to support training and exchange of ideas.
Events
News Literacy Project webinar: Influencers, AI, and Credibility: Teach Students about the Information Ecosystem – 3 February
In the age of AI, it’s not easy to know what to trust. As part of National News Literacy Week, which runs 2–6 February in the US, an edWebinar on 3 February 2026 will explore teaching strategies and resources to help students distinguish between different kinds of content on social media.
Register here.
National Forum on the Future of Screen Industries for the Next Generation – 10 February
IFI, in association with Screen Ireland, is hosting a National Forum on the Future of Screen Industries for the Next Generation (15–19 years). This event, taking place on 10 February in Dublin or online on 18 February, will bring together individuals and organisations who develop, support and inspire young filmmakers, creatives and audiences. If you are interested in attending, please email ctobin@irishfilm.ie
The European Audiovisual Observatory’s Brussels Conference – 5 February
The European Audiovisual Observatory will hold its public conference in Brussels on Thursday, 5 February 2026 where attendees will explore the evolving legal and market challenges for Europe’s audiovisual services. Participation is free but attendees must register here.
The Children’s Media Summit ’26 – 16 February
Organised by the Children’s Media Foundation in partnership with BAFTA, the Children’s Media Summit will take place in London on 16 February and will welcome delegates from children’s advocacy bodies, broadcasters, producers, researchers, the new platforms, regulators and policymakers. The aim will be to discuss and develop actionable proposals for change in order to build a better viewing experience for children and young people.
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Media & Learning webinar: Verifying what we see: introducing VISAVIS on visual misinformation – 18 February
As AI-generated images, edited videos, and misleading visuals circulate more easily than ever, individuals and educators face growing challenges in verifying what they see online. This webinar will look at the VISAVIS Project, a European initiative designed to strengthen people’s ability to detect manipulated or out-of-context visual content.
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Voices – European Festival of Journalism and Media Freedom – 10–12 March
In a world where information is in abundance, but accurate news is not always easy to find, Voices seeks to bring citizens, journalists and media professionals together to celebrate the pivotal roles journalism and the informed public play in societies while fostering critical thinking around disinformation. The European Festival of Journalism and Media Freedom will take place in Florence 10–12 March 2026. Register for your free ticket now.
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Annual Europe Digital Communications and Media Forum 2026 – 17–18 March
The International Institute of Communications will hold its annual Europe Digital Communications and Media Forum in Brussels on 17–18 March 2026. Key discussion themes will include EU economic growth, regulatory simplification and the EU Digital Omnibus package; the EU Consumer Agenda 2030 and the Digital Fairness Act; protection of minors and age verification; and the EU Digital Identity Framework.
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A&SL Conference 2026: Reimagining Librarianship: Purpose, Practice, and Possibility – 24 March
The Library Association of Ireland Academic & Special Libraries Annual Conference will take place on Tuesday, 24 March 2026 in the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin. This year’s theme, Reimagining Librarianship: Purpose, Practice and Possibility, explores the why, the how and the what next of the library profession.
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In Case You Missed It
EU Disinfo Lab webinar: Are platforms curbing disinformation? Scientific, cross-platform evidence from six VLOPs – 11 December
Last month, a webinar introduced the first results from SIMODS – Structural Indicators to Monitor Online Disinformation Scientifically, the first project to measure mis- and disinformation prevalence scientifically across platforms and languages. Among other findings, this research noted that repeat misinformers receive far higher engagement per follower than credible sources on nearly every platform examined.
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MLI appears at Joint Oireachtas Committee meeting – 14 January
MLI Co-chair Dr Eileen Culloty and MLI National Coordinator Martina Chapman participated in a Joint Oireachtas Committee meeting discussing the regulation of online platforms and supports to improve online safety and participation. Other witnesses included, An Garda Siochána, the Hope and Courage Collective and the Institute of Strategic Dialogue. A record of the discussion is available.
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IIEA event: Strengthening Resilience to Disinformation – 15 January
The Institute of International and European Affairs, in conjunction with the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Dublin, hosted a panel discussion this month on the theme of Strengthening Resilience to Disinformation. Speakers on the panel included Lubna Jaffrey, Minister of Culture and Equality of Norway; Mari Velsand, Director General of the Norwegian Media Authority; and Martina Chapman, National Coordinator at Media Literacy Ireland. A recording of the discussion is available.
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EU Disinfo Lab webinar: Pop Fascism: memes, music, and the digital revival of historical extremism – 15 January
A webinar recently explored ‘pop fascism’, a disinformation strategy that makes extremist narratives feel harmless, funny and increasingly acceptable. Using this strategy, fascist symbols and dictators are smuggled into pop culture through memes, music and AI-generated videos. These formats are designed to evade moderation, trigger emotional engagement and resonate with young audiences.
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European Commission invests in training young journalists – 20 January
A training seminar took place recently at Europe House in Dublin where RTÉ broadcasters Miriam O’Callaghan and Florence Okojie shared their professional experiences and tips with aspiring student journalists. The training targeted student journalists hoping to compete and win the European Commission Award for Journalism Relating to European Issues at the 2026 Student Media Awards later this year.
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Resource of the Month
Lesson plans: Analysing Contemporary Propaganda
The Media Education Lab has provided a series of lesson plans to explore the complex role of propaganda in contemporary society. Part of the Mind Over Media online platform, www.mindovermedia.eu, these activities are designed to help learners recognise propaganda techniques, apply critical thinking and creativity, and deepen their sense of social responsibility.
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Looking for media literacy resources?
The resources section of the MLI website provides easy access to a variety of resources on a wide range of media literacy topics. You can now filter by topic, target audience and resource type. If you would like to submit a resource for inclusion in this library, please complete this form.
Thanks for reading!
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Kind regards,
The MLI Team
