Ahead of the European Elections, EDMO and the EDMO Hubs are working together to deliver a pab-European campagin highlightig practical tips and resources to help people develop their media literacy skills and make informed decisions based on accurate and reliable information.
From April 29, for six weeks, the EDMO Hubs will be publishing a new tip and practical advice, while signposting users to a range of sources of support. For more information on the EU wide campaign, visit the main EDMO website and follow EDMO on Twitter.
TIP #1 READ MORE THAN THE HEADLINE
Life is complicated, and so is politics. Headlines are designed to catch your eye, but a headline can’t give the full story, and neither can a short social media post. If it sounds unbelievable, it probably is. So, read the whole story, not just the headline.
Headlines can be misleading without being completely false. Some headlines leave out information information that is only explained in the article. Other headlines are sensational. They grab your attention to generate clicks on the post, but the headline is not accurate. And some headlines really are untrue. They might even be accompanied by fake, AI-generated images. Don’t let media override your judgement: read more than the headline.
A selection of resources from Ireland and colleagues across Europe to help you develop awareness of disinformation and the importance of good information hygiene.
- TheJournal Knowledge Bank: TheJournal’s FactCheck team launched Knowledge Bank to host a toolkit with videos, tips, and guides on how to source reliable information and develop your skills in verifying images and online content. It also offers a background guide to key topics – climate crisis, society, migration, public health, conflict and elections – that tend to attract bad information. The site will be updated by the FactCheck team. Visit the Knowledge Bank.
- Media Literacy Ireland: Ireland’s national association for media literacy hosts an range of resources including a searchable database of training resources, a ‘workshop in box’ for community leaders, and the latest news from the media literacy community in Ireland. Media Literacy Ireland will host specific events to promote Be Election Smart. Visit Media Literacy Ireland.
- Be Media Smart: Be Media Smart is a national media literacy campaign facilitated by Media Literacy Ireland and promoted for international media literacy week in October. The website hosts accessible resources including ‘ask the expert’ Q&As, information about factchecking, and videos of previous webinars. The website is also available in Irish. Visit Be Media Smart.
- Disinfo Bulletin: This daily newsletter from the EDMO Task Force on 2024 EU Elections delivers concise updates on urgent disinformation narratives surrounding the upcoming Elections for the European Parliament, including insights from fact-checking networks and community initiatives, directly to your inbox every weekday around noon, until election day. Subscribe to Disinfo Bulletin.
EDMO Ireland is comprised of DCU FuJo, TheJournal, and NewsWhip.
