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
October is here which means it is UNESCO’s Global Media and Information Literacy Week. The other big news is that the MLI Awards shortlist has been announced, and the judging process is almost complete. The winners will be revealed on 11 November. Until then, there are lots of reports, resources and events to keep you occupied.
Announcements
MLI Awards shortlist announced
The shortlisted entries for the 2026 MLI Awards were announced in early October. The 29 shortlisted entries in the six categories represent a diverse range of projects from across the island of Ireland. The high quality of the entries has not made it easy for the judges, but nevertheless, the judging process is well underway, and we are looking forward to hearing the results at the 2026 MLI Awards event, kindly hosted by Virgin Media, on 11 November.
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Last call for participants in MLI media literacy training programme
Are you interested in delivering media and information literacy training to communities across Ireland? MLI, in collaboration with EDMO Ireland, is accepting applications for a new training programme designed to equip participants to respond to the media literacy learning needs within communities. Interested parties are invited to complete this ‘expression of interest’ form before 6 November.
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Global Media and Information Literacy Week
Global Media and Information Literacy Week runs 24–31 October. The annual event, which raises awareness of media and information literacy (MIL) is hosted by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The theme for this year – #WeAllPlayAPart: Media and Information Literacy for the People – aims to unite people around the world to help build a stronger information ecosystem. To find out what is going on and how to get involved, visit the UNESCO GMILW website.
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Public consultation on new Broadcasting Services Strategy
Coimisiún na Meán has launched its public consultation on a new Broadcasting Services Strategy (BSS). The BSS aims to set out a clear direction for Coimisiún na Meán’s approach to licensing radio and television broadcasting services and to inform its licensing plans over a multi-year period. The purpose of this consultation is to seek views on the future direction of licensing and the related regulatory framework.
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Power Up Parents campaign helps children stay safe while gaming online
The UK’s regulator for the communications sector, Ofcom, has launched its Power Up Parents initiative to help parents navigate the ever-changing world of online video games to keep their children safe. The campaign provides a step-by-step guide from Internet Matters showing parents how to set up controls for family devices, as well as a more general online safety guide to assist parents to monitor their children and provide resources.
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TAMeLi project connects research and practice for teachers
DCU FuJo is one of the partners in the international TAMeLi (Teacher Academy for Media Literacy in Europe) project. Designed to respond to the profound challenges that the digital revolution poses to traditional educational paradigms, the project will produce a practical design toolkit to support teachers and teacher educators in intentionally designing for digital and media literacy (DML), across subjects and educational contexts. Subscribe for updates.
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New Course: Ethical Gen AI use in teaching
The Media and Learning Association in collaboration with its partners in the TaLAI Project have launched an open online course called Hands-On Guide to Ethical AI in Higher Education for teachers. It provides practical activities, real-world examples and reflective dialogue to participants as they explore what GenAI makes possible in university teaching, and where its limits lie.
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Solar Ireland Research: Can you trust what you see?
As part of its ongoing Media Literacy series, Solar Ireland explores how images can shape the energy debate and explores the skills needed to navigate today’s information environment.
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Calls to the Media Literacy Community
Funding available: VerityED grants
VerityED, the education branch of the nonprofit Improve the News Foundation is offering 20 educators a minimum grant of $1,000 plus potential bonuses to pilot media literacy lessons for grades 7–12 covering misinformation, bias, source evaluation, and responsible AI. Educators from across the world are eligible and recipients of the grant do not need to be media literacy experts, as they will receive one-to-one coaching from VerityED throughout the process.
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Call for Safer Internet Day Ambassadors
The SID 2027 Ambassador Training Programme is a peer-to-peer programme for post-primary students. Webwise is looking for young people who have the passion to lead an internet safety awareness raising campaign in their school. Open to post-primary students across Ireland. Deadline for applications is 6 November.
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Call for contributions: From Innovation to Educational Impact Conference
The Media and Learning Association has issued a call for contributions for the From Innovation to Educational Impact conference, taking placeJune 2027 in Leuven, Belgium. Contributors are encouraged to show how things are done, what they have learned along the way, what worked – and what did not – and how these experiences can inform practice elsewhere. Deadline for submissions is 18 December.
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Research and Reports
Media literacy recommended to help to safeguard Ireland’s election integrity
A new report by the Centre for Justice and Law Reform makes eight recommendations to safeguard Ireland’s election integrity from online attacks, while respecting fundamental rights and democratic values. One of those recommendations calls for the coordination and expansion of existing media literacy initiatives.
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New Media Literacy Education Policy for Finland
Finland has updated its national Media Literacy Education Policy in response to the rise in AI, algorithms and information influencing activities changing the media world. This latest version moves towards a cross-cutting societal strategy and positions media education as a key part of comprehensive security, strengthening democracy and building trust and hope in society.
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Joint Oireachtas Committee report on Technology, Social Media and Children
A Joint Oireachtas Committee report has called for tougher regulations, safer platform design, robust age verification and a major investment in digital and media literacy. The report makes 45 wide-ranging recommendations covering legislation and regulation, approaches and measures to progress online safety, provision of resources and ensuring the voices of young people are considered when decisions are being made.
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New ISD report on Countering Hybrid Threats
Across Europe researchers are seeing an increasing hybridisation of hostile state threats and extremist violence, presenting a growing challenge to national security. The recently released report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, Lessons from Extremism Prevention for Countering Hybrid Threats: A Framework for Policy Response, considers what parts of government are best placed to address these threats and examines the legal efforts to address state and non-state threats.
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UNESCO Research: Is there a right age for AI in education?
A new United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) background paper looks at the opportunities and challenges there are around AI in children’s education. The report titled Is there a right age for AI in education? Deciding whether AI is age-appropriate and why weighs up the suitability of age-appropriate AI in education. It also calls on policymakers and educators to build a shared, evidence-based criteria for what this means in specific developmental and educational contexts.
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Key Partner Updates
EDMO is an EU-wide network of factcheckers, media literacy practitioners and researchers seeking to build resilience to disinformation. 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. Coimisiún na Meán is Ireland’s agency for developing and regulating a thriving, diverse, creative, safe and trusted media landscape. Coimisiún na Meán funds and facilities MLI and promotes media literacy initiatives for individuals, communities, policymakers and institutions.
EDMO Ireland Updates
This month EDMO Ireland’s Dr Eileen Culloty was a featured trainer at the online session Media Literacy by Design: Practical Approaches for Platforms and Users. Can We Do Better? while EDMO’s factchecking partner The Journal has been debunking claims about public sector pay increases, turf, and the budget.
EDMO Ireland’s research was also highlighted in a new report from the Law Society’s Centre for Justice and Law Reform, Safeguarding Irish Election Integrity in the Era of Emerging Digital Threats.
Coimisiún na Meán Updates
The Coimisiún na Meán website has been updated with a new step-by-step guide on how to report harmful and illegal content on Pinterest. The How to Report section also has guides for YouTube, X, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.
Coimisiún na Meán hosted the 64th EPRA meeting in Dublin in October with over 150 delegates exploring timely issues relating to media regulation in Europe, including declining trust in media and society and protecting and empowering minors online.
If you would like to receive information about future educational resources, events and updates from the Media Literacy and User Education team at Coimisiún na Meán, you can sign up using this form.
Events
From AI Policy to AI Practice: How to Comply with the EU AI Act – 3 November
Learning Waves’ From AI Policy to AI Practice: How to comply with the EU AI Act is a course that aims to help radio stations move from an industry-approved AI policy to responsible AI practice. The programme also explains the EU AI Act in clear language and uses realistic, department-specific scenarios to show how the sector’s AI policy should be applied across a radio station. Register now to secure your place.
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Media Literacy in a Time of War: Voices from Palestine – 4 November
This first session of a six-part webinar series brings educators, researchers, students and activists from around the world together with the Palestinian faculty and youth who have been building media literacy under occupation, war and displacement. Attendees will also hear findings from the 21-month Media Literacy: Critical Thinking for an AI World project. Register now to secure your place.
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The Hype around AI and its Potential for Disinformation – 5 November
This EU Disinfo Lab webinar introduces the concept of hype around AI and helps people decode the disinformation dynamics around the technology, often disguised as PR, vision statements, or forecasting, while exploring the implications for its use and regulation. Register now to secure your place.
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Access Media Session 5: Misinformation and Disinformation in the Media: The Impact on Disabled People – 10 November
Created by Disabled Women Ireland and the Disability Participation News Hub, and funded by Coimisiún na Meán, the Access Media series is holding its fifth and final session on the impact of mis- and disinformation on disabled people in November. Learn how inaccurate and damaging narratives take hold, spread, and become embedded in public understanding, and what journalists and disabled people can do to challenge them. Register now to secure your place.
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Age-Friendly AI Assembly – 17 November
The Age-Friendly AI Assembly, which takes place in Galway, is a key element of Age-Friendly AI, Ireland’s national AI literacy and dialogue initiative for older adults. Assembly participants will be asked to reflect on the process around the initiative to date and the key insights gleaned from it and help shape key recommendations for a forthcoming expert report on Age-Friendly AI. Register now to secure your place.
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Community-led approaches to building trust and digital resilience – 18 November
Part of the Media and Learning Association’s Wednesday Webinars on Digital and Media Literacy in Europe series, this webinar will try to answer the question: Who teaches media literacy when institutions don’t reach people?
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Whose Childhood, Whose Safety? Marginalised Youth and Social Media Bans – 19 November
Hosted by the Digital Futures for Children Centre and 5Rights Foundation, this in-person and online event will explore how social media bans may affect marginalised and minority youth and how a child rights-respecting approach is key to this new government policy. Register now to secure your place.
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Safer Internet Day 2027 Information Session – 25 November
Safer Internet Day 2027 takes place on Tuesday 9 February 2027 with the theme of Our Voices, Our Choices: Creating a safe, fair and trustworthy internet. On behalf of the Irish Safer Internet Centre, Webwise is hosting a short online information session next month for schools and organisations from across Ireland to discuss the collaborative plans for the day, how to get involved and supporting resources. Register now to secure your place.
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Online training: Rethinking media literacy as a family – 25 November
The EDMO Training series is holding a session titled Rethinking media literacy as a family: who is teaching whom? that explores media literacy as a shared family practice rather than an individual skill. The online course will look at how trust and misinformation circulate within households, how generative AI is creating new risks for children, and how caregivers’ own sharing habits affect children’s digital footprints. Registration details will be available soon.
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Voices European Festival of Journalism and Media Freedom – 26 to 28 November
Media professionals from around the world will gather in Thessaloniki, Greece, to celebrate journalism’s pivotal role in society, while fostering critical thinking around disinformation. This free in-person conference is designed to emphasise media freedom and media literacy as essential elements for the functioning of our societies and will consist of debates, interactive workshops, exhibitions, art, films, and more. Register now to secure your place.
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Against Disinformation – Towards Critical Thinking – 27 November
The MILES EU EDU project develops innovative approaches for teachers, students, and parents, promoting media and information literacy, introducing the concept of pre-bunking, and strengthening data and digital literacy skills. This six-hour, hybrid conference will dive into the world of disinformation and explore ways to boost critical thinking in education and connect like-minded educators and policy makers. Register now to secure your place.
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Ofcom’s Annual Media Literacy Conference – 1 December
Ofcom’s annual Media Literacy Conference will bring together stakeholders to explore the future of media literacy on Tuesday 1 December. The theme of this London-based event is Navigating What’s Next and it will address topics ranging from the evolving patterns of media consumption to questions around online participation, artificial intelligence, digital inclusion, trust and changing legal and regulatory landscapes.
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Safer Internet Forum Annual Conference – 3 December
The Safer Internet Forum (SIF) has put child safety online at the heart of its 3 December 2026 conference in Brussels, Belgium. The event, themed Balancing Protection and Empowerment Online, will reflect on the newly proposed EU KIDS Act following the recommendations of EU President Ursula von der Leyen’s Special Panel on child safety online. Register now to secure your place.
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Bringing educational media to life through storytelling – 10 December
The Media and Learning Association will host this online event to explore how storytelling can bring educational media to life and create more engaging, meaningful learning experiences. Register now to secure your place.
Webinar: AI-Literate Project – 16 December
Media and Learning Association is hosting a webinar on 16 December to share the latest results from AI-LITERATE, a European project across Italy, Portugal, Croatia, Poland and Belgium helping universities respond to the challenges and opportunities of generative AI. Using the new research the webinar will address how higher education can keep up with generative AI and the disinformation it can spread.
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AILIFE+ National Symposium – 13 January
An Inclusive AI Literacy and Workforce Readiness Framework for Disabled People in Ireland (AILIFE+) will bring together a range of stakeholders to explore inclusive approaches to AI literacy, digital rights, and workforce readiness. This Dublin-based event will showcase project findings, practical resources, and future directions for building a more accessible, AI-enabled society.
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In Case You Missed It
BECID and FACT Hub Webinar: Practical Tools for Media Literacy Education
On 28 September, 88 participants joined the Baltic Engagement Centre for Combating Information Disorders (BECID) and FACT Hub for the webinar Practical Tools for Media Literacy Education. During the webinar, the forum’s approach to education for democracy and media literacy was introduced and practical lesson plans developed as part of their work in Romania were shared. You can see a recording of the webinar here.
Better Internet for Kids Webinar
In August and September 2026, the Better Internet for Kids campaign #NotOnOurFeed brought young people, parents and caregivers, teachers and educators together to raise awareness of cyberbullying and promote safer, more respectful online experiences. The campaign provided a range of practical resources, real-life stories, youth voices, creative content and webinars designed to help everyone recognise, prevent and respond to cyberbullying. All resources remain available for reference. Watch a video here on how European helplines can help with cyberbullying.
Resilient Voices Conference: Continuing the Conversation on Women and Disinformation
The Baltic Engagement Centre for Combating Information Disorders (BECID) brought together policymakers, journalists, researchers and civil society representatives to examine how gender and identity are increasingly used to manipulate public debate. The discussions explored how gendered disinformation can silence voices, discourage participation and ultimately weaken democratic debate. Watch here.
Strengthening Europe through public libraries
Published in July, the European Commission report Strengthening Europe through public libraries looked at how sustained investment in public libraries and their multiple roles delivers social, cultural and democratic returns. The important role of libraries and library staff in the promotion of media literacy was recognised in the report.
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Resource of the Month
October’s resource of the month is Coimisiún na Meán’s How to Report Guides
Ireland’s media regulator has developed step-by-step guides on how to report illegal and harmful content to various platforms. The resource also gives detailed explanations on what illegal content and harmful content are, along with examples of them. Located on Coimisiun na Mean’s website, the guides currently deal with reporting content to YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, X and most recently Pinterest. The guides are available in a written, and in some cases, video format and will be regularly added to and updated.
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!
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
