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
The unprecedented rain this month could not dampen the spirits and productivity of the media literacy community. Safer Internet Day took place on 10 February with the theme AI Aware: Safe, Smart and in Control and, to mark the day, events and activities were organised around the country. March looks set to be just as busy with lots of upcoming events for your diary highlighted below, as well as details of some events that you might have missed.
Announcements
Webwise launches A Parents’ Guide to Generative AI
Safer Internet Day 2026 focused on the theme of being AI Aware and, among its many activities to mark the February event, Webwise published a useful new resource for families. A Parents’ Guide to Generative AI, developed in collaboration with the ADAPT Centre and the National Parents Council, supports parents by providing practical advice and guidance on helping their children to safely, responsibly and confidently navigate Generative AI. You can find this new resource here and in the resources section of the MLI Website.
Cybersafekids’ Same Rules Apply Campaign
Ireland’s online safety charity CyberSafeKids has launched its fifth Same Rules Apply parental awareness campaign, designed to empower parents with essential knowledge and resources to help safeguard their children online. The Same Rules Apply campaign highlights the need to approach parenting children online in the same way that we approach parenting them offline. The campaign also includes a video and an updated Essential Digital Parenting guide.
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Virgin Media News launches Truth Matters project
Virgin Media News has launched a new strand in its reporting, looking at the pros and cons of living in a world that’s rich with information. Truth Matters is a short‑form series designed to help Irish audiences recognise and navigate misinformation, disinformation and AI‑generated content.
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Media Matters – a new media‑literacy resource for primary school children
Media Matters is a ten‑part media literacy series running from February to November 2026 in The Primary Planet, one of Ireland’s leading educational magazines. The series is a collaboration between Coimisiún na Meán and News Mag Media, publisher of The Primary Planet, and it is designed to support 4th–6th Class students and their teachers as they explore key themes in media literacy and build essential skills for questioning, understanding and navigating an increasingly complex media world.
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National Citizens’ Parliament calls for media literacy campaigns
A National Citizens’ Parliament on Media and Democracy, held in Limerick in spring 2025, expressed strong interest in media literacy and a belief that it could be key to protecting the future of democracy. Four of the 22 resolutions passed by the parliament call for media education and these resolutions have since been presented at local, national and international level, including to the EU Parliament.
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Age-Friendly AI is coming to a library near you in 2026
Age Friendly AI, an initiative led by TU Dublin and the Research Ireland ADAPT Centre, is launching Age-Friendly AI Training, a co-created training programme with and for older adults. This training programme will be rolling out to public libraries across Ireland under the umbrella of the national Skills for Life programme and dates are currently being finalised.
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Litterweek Digital Skills Training Programme
LitterWeek is a One-Week Any-Week Digital Skills Training Programme in which participants collect litter data safely, learning how their smartphones capture location, time and information – and turning actions into datasets.
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YSTE winning project: The Mask of Masculinity
The Coimisiún na Meán Award at the Stripe Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition 2026 was won by a project called The Mask of Masculinity, which explored how toxic masculinity presents itself in the lives of young people and the impact of social media. You can read about the project and its findings here.
Ofcom’s updated media literacy evaluation toolkit
Ofcom has republished and updated its toolkit, which is aimed at helping organisations plan and evaluate their media literacy activities. The new document now includes three new outcomes – two related to news and one to AI.
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Calls to the Media Literacy Community
Call for entries: MEDEA Awards 2026
Submissions are being invited for entries for the MEDEA Awards 2026. The submission deadline is 28 February 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.
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Research and Reports
Enforcing rules on illegal content and disinformation online
A new report published by the European Audiovisual Observatory (part of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg) offers a comprehensive and timely analysis of the enforcement of European legal frameworks against illegal content and disinformation online. The report examines how legislation can be enforced at European and national level and how to strike a balance between freedom of expression and the protection of democratic values.
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National Digital and AI Strategy
The updated National Digital and AI Strategy, Digital Ireland – Connecting our People, Securing our Future, sets out the government’s ambition and vision to 2030 to ensure that Ireland remains a digital leader in an increasingly competitive global environment.
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AI Advisory Council publishes new recommendations in response to so-called ‘nudify apps’
The AI Advisory Council has made a series of recommendations to government regarding alleged creation and public dissemination of AI-generated non-consensual intimate images, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
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European children’s use and understanding of Generative Al
Based on data from 20 countries, including Ireland, a new EU Kids Online report on children’s use of Generative AI across Europe explores the risks, opportunities, and policy implications. The report seeks to map children’s access to, use of and experiences with GenAI across Europe, and to examine if and how GenAI is becoming part of their everyday digital lives.
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PISA 2029 Media and Artificial Intelligence Literacy
The PISA 2029 Media and Artificial Intelligence Literacy (MAIL) assessment will seek to shed light on whether young students have had opportunities to learn and to engage proactively and critically in a world where production, participation and social networking are increasingly mediated by digital and AI tools. The first draft of the PISA 2029 MAIL Assessment Framework has been issued and will be subject to revisions before the official version is released.
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Ofcom’s Learning Together report
Ofcom’s Learning Together: Supporting greater transparency around challenges, ‘failures’ lessons learned in media literacy delivery report identifies barriers to media literacy evaluation and proposes a range of conditions required for greater transparency and openness between organisations to improve future interventions and activities.
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Consumer Awareness and Understanding of Influencer Marketing
A research report by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority and Committee of Advertising Practice examines how people recognise influencer advertising on social media and what that means in practice. The research shows that, in fast-moving social media feeds, many people find it difficult to tell when influencer content is advertising.
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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 and the DCU FuJo Institute are participating in a new media literacy project aimed at young adults aged 18 to 30. DCU FuJo will host a media literacy incubator where approximately 30 young adults will gain insights into disinformation and receive training in media literacy from EDMO Ireland and its partners.
Four participants will be selected to travel to Brussels for additional training on campaign development and policy engagement. Towards the end of the year, the group will present their work and insights at a town hall event in Ireland.
An open call for participants will be announced in the coming weeks.
Events
Webinar: Media Literacy for Seniors – 2 March
Technology companies rarely design with older adults in mind, yet seniors face increasingly high-stakes digital challenges. A Media Education Lab webinar on 2 March will look at practical strategies educators can use to support older family members, friends and neighbours, while making the case that media literacy education isn’t just for students – it’s a critical life skill for adults of all ages.
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DLP Hub focuses on online safety – 3 March
An initiative of the National Youth Council of Ireland, the DLP Hubs are designed to support and empower Designated Liaison Persons (DLPs) and Deputy Designated Liaison Persons (DDLPs) working across the youth sector. An upcoming event will focus on the theme of online safety and will take place in Dublin on 3 March.
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Webinar: Synthetic Friends: AI Companions and the Future of Disinformation – 5 March
AI is moving from content generation to relational interaction in the form of AI companions, which may signal a structural shift in the future of disinformation. An EU DisinfoLab webinar on 5 March explores how relational AI infrastructures may challenge existing counter-disinformation approaches and raise new governance dilemmas.
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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. Register for your free ticket now.
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Experience AI: Upcoming training days – 10 March–30 April
An initiative by education-focused social enterprise Kinia, Experience AI is an educational programme that offers free resources on AI and machine learning for teachers and students. The resources include lesson plans, slide decks, worksheets and videos, and there are also a number of training events taking place over the coming months.
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CCPC launch of Global Money Week 2026 – 11 March
As part of the National Financial Literacy Strategy, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) will launch the national 2026 Global Money Week campaign on 11 March ahead of the official OECD launch on 16 March. At the event, the CCPC will highlight its Our Money Our Future initiative, a sponsorship programme to support schools and Youthreach centres to deliver student-led financial education initiatives. Global Money Week will run 16–22 March; more on the CCPC’s Our Money Our Future programme can be found here.
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. 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 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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Webinar: Media Literacy in Action: Producing Radio and Podcasts for Young Audiences – 22 April
A webinar on 22 April will demonstrate how creating and producing radio shows or podcasts can help young people critically analyse media content, understand responsible communication, and develop both creative and technical skills. The webinar will feature practitioner case studies, examples of ongoing initiatives, and practical guidelines.
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Online course: Media Literacy – Research, Rights and Reality – 22 and 24 April
This online course offers an overview of the essential tools, practices and considerations for those developing a documentary, investigative story or historical project, and will look at best practices for verifying sources to avoid deepfakes, misinformation and other credibility risks. It takes place on the 22 and 24 April and, as a paid-for course, the deadline for early discounted registration is 11 March.
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2nd European Forum on Digital Citizenship Education – 27–29 May
The Council of Europe’s 2nd European Forum on Digital Citizenship Education will take place in Strasbourg, France, between 27–29 May. As digital transformation and AI increasingly shape our societies, this Forum will convene stakeholders from across Europe to share best practices and co-define the future of digital citizenship education. Prospective participants can register for the event here by 22 March.
In Case You Missed It
The European Audiovisual Observatory’s Brussels Conference – 5 February
The European Audiovisual Observatory held its public conference in Brussels on 5 February, where attendees explored the evolving legal and market challenges for Europe’s audiovisual services. Recordings of the event are available to view here.
EU DisinfoLab webinar: Who is most vulnerable to AI-generated mis/disinformation? – 5 February
As AI-generated content becomes harder to distinguish from real information, it is increasingly important to understand why some people are more vulnerable to misinformation than others. A recent EU DisinfoLab webinar explored the psychological factors that shape how people respond to false or misleading content, with a particular focus on AI-generated and online misinformation.
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MLI gives evidence at Joint Oireachtas Committee Meeting – 10 February
MLI National Coordinator Martina Chapman participated in a Joint Oireachtas Committee meeting discussing Artificial Intelligence, Truth and Democracy recently. Martina was joined by MLI Co-chair Dr. Eileen Culloty who was representing EDMO Ireland. Other witnesses included the National Union of Journalists and NewsBrands Ireland. A record of the discussion is available.
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EU DisinfoLab webinar: Scroll, stop, verify. How the EU is bringing climate facts forward – 12 February
The rise of disinformation is a major challenge for Europe, with 71% of people reporting being frequently exposed to disinformation. At a recent EU DisinfoLab webinar, the European Commission’s newly launched campaign #ClimateFactsMatter was introduced and climate disinformation trends and solutions were discussed.
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Resource of the Month
VISAVIS project
The VISAVIS project, funded by the European Media and Information Fund, is an initiative designed to help people counter visual mis/disinformation via skills and tools to verify visual information and content. The project included a campaign and training programmes across Belgium and Sweden, as well as the development of insights, analysis and open verification tools which can be accessed in English here.
There is also a practical guide including tips for working with older people and analysing images and a step-by-step guide for fact-checking images, as well as interactive quizzes. Other resources include the Learn & improve – VISAVIS Platform and downloadable campaign resources.
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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
