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 media literacy community had a spring in its step this month with initiatives and activities that focused on digital citizenship, tackling mis- and disinformation, and more. Read on for details of past and upcoming events along with insightful research and reports to inform and inspire your media literacy work.
Announcements
Webwise launches Switched On – A digital citizenship programme for primary schools
On 5 March, Webwise launched Switched On, a digital citizenship programme for 5th and 6th Class pupils that was developed in collaboration with and supported by Coimisiún na Meán. The programme is designed to help teachers support pupils in becoming safe, responsible and confident digital citizens as they prepare for the transition to post-primary school. A webinar for teachers to explore the new programme took place on 24 March and a recording can be viewed here.
More
Near FM launches new Mad about Media series
On 23 March, Lord Mayor of Dublin Cllr Ray McAdam launched Near FM’s new media literacy series Mad About Media. A collaboration with FET Dhúlaigh and supported by Coimisiún na Meán’s Sound and Vision fund, the series features media students discussing a wide range of topics with journalists, academics and media experts. The programmes are broadcast every Monday at 6 p.m. on Near FM and are available after broadcast as a podcast.
More
Shortlist announced for Irish Young Lions Competition 2026
Media Literacy Ireland was delighted to be the official client partner for the 2026 Irish Young Lions Competition, in which teams were asked to develop media literacy campaigns with a particular focus on tackling misinformation among the over-55 age group in Ireland. The shortlist was announced on 16 March, and an expert judging panel will decide which of the winning teams will go forward to compete internationally at the Young Lions Competition, to be held in France later this year.
More
ChangingTIDE project to empower young adults as media literacy ambassadors
DCU FUJO is part of a new European initiative, ChangingTIDE, which aims to strengthen citizens’ resilience in the face of disinformation, information manipulation, and foreign interference by promoting media literacy and empowering young people to engage in democratic processes. Implemented across six EU member states, the project officially launched on 6 March under the leadership of the Trans European Policy Studies Association.
More
FraudSMART warning – Beware of courier card scams
FraudSMART is warning consumers about a highly convincing scam where fraudsters pretend to be your bank and arrange for your bank card to be collected from your home for ‘security reasons’. These so-called courier card scams are carefully planned and designed to create urgency and fear in order to get victims to hand over their bank card. FraudSMART has provided details about how these scams work along with tips for how to protect yourself.
More
ESC-MISINFO: Escaping Misinformation, One Game at a Time
A European project co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union and running from 2025 to 2027, ESC-MISINFO (Escape Misinformation in the Library) seeks to empower young Europeans with the skills to question, analyse and navigate today’s digital media landscape with confidence, with a special focus on climate-related information. Instead of relying on traditional teaching methods, the project turns learning into an experience through game-based approaches, including serious games and escape room-style activities.
More
Looking for EU funding? Check out the EU Funding & Me app
Whether you are seeking funding for your project, partnerships, data on EU-funded results, domain expertise, or the latest events, the European Commission’s new EU funding & Me app makes finding the right information much easier. Synchronised with the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, the app is designed to be simple and accessible, offering on-the-go and easily searchable access to funding opportunities, programmes, project results, news and events.
More
Learning Waves secures Coimisiún na Meán funding for 2026
Learning Waves confirmed that it was awarded funding under the new Media Skills and Development Programme from Coimisiún na Meán to continue to deliver a comprehensive programme of training and development for the independent commercial radio sector. The funding will also be used for Learning Waves’ Journalism Graduate Programme, which provides hands-on industry training and real-world experience in commercial radio stations across Ireland.
More
Calls to the Media Literacy Community
Funding call: IJ4EU funding for cross-border investigations
The Investigative Journalism for Europe (IJ4EU) programme has opened two new calls for proposals, offering funding for ambitious cross-border collaborations on stories of public interest. Under the Investigation Support Scheme, journalistic teams can apply for grants of up to €50,000, while IJ4EU’s parallel Freelancer Support Scheme offers grants of up to €20,000 to teams made up predominantly of freelance journalists, alongside additional mentoring and training. The deadline for applications is 13 April.
More
Research and Reports
Updated European Commission Guidelines on Tackling Disinformation published
First published in 2022, the European Commission’s Guidelines for teachers and educators on tackling disinformation and promoting digital literacy through education and training have now been updated. These guidelines provide practical advice and suggestions that teachers can apply in their classrooms to help students enhance their digital literacy competences and to use these competences to tackle the ever-growing challenge of disinformation.
More
Media and information literacy for all: Closing the gaps
Despite growing recognition of the importance of MIL, reliable global data on the status of national MIL policies and the integration of MIL in school curricula has remained largely unavailable or difficult to analyse. This UNESCO research provides a critical baseline to map the current landscape of MIL adoption and integration across its 194 member states.
More
National Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Strategies report
This Council of Europe report, authored by former MLI Chair Prof. Brian O’Neill, is designed to help member states develop national MIL strategies and provide actionable steps to counter disinformation and promote information integrity.
More
Resisting Disinformation: Ten building blocks to strengthen information integrity
This report from the Council of Europe was designed to help member states translate international standards into practical national measures to counter disinformation and promote information integrity. It features Ireland’s National Counter Disinformation Strategy as one of the highlighted promising practices.
More
Building a common operational picture of FIMI
Efforts to counter foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) and disinformation across Europe are facing mounting challenges. A report, based on EU DisinfoLab’s experience facilitating a working group, introduces the Information Manipulation Sets (IMS) framework as a practical way to enhance attribution standards and bolster countermeasures.
More
What are the Ukrainian safeguards against disinformation and foreign interference?
Countering FIMI is especially complicated in a war context when there is massive use of digital platforms to spread illegal content. The European Audiovisual Observatory has published a new report that analyses Ukraine’s media sector and current media legislation with a view to countering the impact of FIMI in the context of the ongoing war.
More
Preparing young people to vote in a complex, attention-driven information environment
As the UK Government seeks to lower the voting age to 16, research suggests that, without targeted support, many young people may struggle to engage confidently or meaningfully in democratic life. A joint briefing from Internet Matters and fact-checking organisation Full Facts draws on new research and finds that young people must be empowered and equipped with the skills and knowledge to engage with the news, politics and current affairs they encounter online.
More
New insights on older adults’ robot literacy
A research project funded by the Research Council of Finland aimed to enhance knowledge about the nature, scope and practices of the media and robot literacies of people aged 65 and over living in Finland. In this research, robots are considered the next new media, as they are becoming increasingly common providers of information and services.
More
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.
More
Updates
EDMO Ireland’s Eileen Culloty appeared on Pat Kenny’s new Newstalk show to discuss how generative AI is transforming information warfare. Meanwhile, EDMO’s fact-checking partner, TheJournal FactCheck, has debunked a range of fake and recycled footage about the war in the Middle East. A link is provided here to sign up for regular updates from The Journal FactCheck.
Events
Webinar: How can civil society defend itself? The EDRN pilot story – 2 April
A joint initiative by the CyberPeace Institute and EU DisinfoLab, the European Democracy Resilience Network (EDRN) pilot is designed to support civil society actors facing hybrid threats, including disinformation, doxing, impersonation and other digitally enabled attacks. An EU DisinfoLab webinar on 2 April will provide key insights from the pilot, including the tools and support mechanisms that civil society organisations say they need to remain resilient.
More
Webinar: Civil society evidence under the DSA: lessons from AI Forensics – 9 April
The European Commission’s decision to fine X under the Digital Services Act (DSA) was strongly supported by evidence produced by civil society organisations but collecting, packaging and submitting usable evidence remains difficult in practice. In an EU DisinfoLab webinar on 9 April, AI Forensics, one of the organisations that has significantly contributed to evidence production, will share how evidence was gathered and structured, the lessons learned and what risks emerged when protections failed. This session is reserved for regulators and civil society groups working on countering disinformation.
More
Webinar: Media Literacy in Action: Producing Radio and Podcasts for Young Audiences – 22 April
A Media & Learning Association 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 session will feature practitioner case studies, examples of ongoing initiatives, and practical guidelines.
More
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. This paid-for course takes place on the 22 and 24 April.
More
Learning Waves: TY training day – 29 April
Transition Year students from across Ireland will gather at the Lighthouse Cinema in Dublin on 29 April for a day dedicated to creativity, confidence and careers in media. TY Media Day 2026, developed by Learning Waves in partnership with Coimisiún na Meán, is built around the theme Learn | Inspire | Connect and will bring together media professionals, young creators and industry leaders to share their experiences and help students explore the many paths available in today’s media landscape.
More
Experience AI: Upcoming training day – 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 training events have been held around the country over the last couple of months. You can register for an upcoming in-person training day taking place on 30 April in Limerick here.
In Case You Missed It
Media & Learning Association’s recommendations for A New Strategy for Media Literacy and Digital Learning – 5 February
Following a stakeholder meeting of the CULT Committee (Committee on Culture and Education) on A New Strategy for Media Literacy and Digital Learning, a policy statement has been issued that reflects the views and recommendations of the Media & Learning Association on behalf of its 110 members in 30 European countries, the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) and its network of EDMO Hubs. The recommendations can be viewed here.
The Children’s Media Summit 2026 – 16 February
Organised by the Children’s Media Foundation in partnership with BAFTA, the second Children’s Media Summit took place in London on 16 February and welcomed delegates from children’s advocacy bodies, broadcasters, producers, researchers, platforms, regulators and policymakers. The aim was to discuss and develop actionable proposals for change in order to build a better viewing experience for children and young people. Videos of all the sessions can be viewed here.
Voices: The European Festival of Journalism and Media Freedom – 10–12 March
The third edition of the Voices Festival of Journalism and Media Freedom took place in Florence on 10–12 March 2026. As an EU-funded initiative, Voices aims to connect journalism and media literacy communities with European citizens and promote a shared understanding of the role of information in democratic societies.
More
4th Annual Growing Up in the Digital Age Summit – 11 March
Google’s Dublin HQ acted as the global stage for the Growing Up in the Digital Age summit on 11 March with over 220 guests from more than 27 countries exploring how to support and empower young people to have safer experiences in the online world. It also marked the launch of a major teen wellbeing and digital literacy initiative from Google.org and YouTube.
More
Reuters Institute conference: AI and the Future of News 2026 – 17 March
Featuring journalists and experts from the University of Oxford and beyond, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism hosted a one-day conference on 17 March that explored how AI is changing journalism. The event included panel discussions and lightning talks on AI coverage, how AI is being used for investigations and fact-checking, and what AI means for wider society. The event can be viewed here.
Media literacy takes centre stage at Council of Europe conference – 20 March
Media Literacy Ireland was well represented at a recent High-Level Conference on Media Literacy and Information in Chisinau, Moldova, with MLI National Coordinator Martina Chapman and former Chair Brian O’Neill both participating in panel discussions about the role of media literacy in countering disinformation and FIMI.
More
AI-generated content and DSA enforcement: who is accountable? – 26 March
The Digital Services Act (DSA) is built on a distinction between services that host user content and those that create it, but systems such as ChatGPT or AI-powered search tools produce AI-generated outputs rather than merely storing or ranking third-party content. This EU DisinfoLab webinar examines whether generative AI providers or deployers can fall within the DSA’s intermediary regime, and what this means for liability, risk governance and enforcement, including in relation to systemic risks such as disinformation.
More
Resource of the Month
Algowatch
The Algowatch project has just been completed after two years (2023–2025) of intense creation of resources and dissemination in schools and museum exhibits. It was funded under the European Commission’s Creative Europe programme and focuses on educating students and citizens about the challenges of algorithms and AI in the field of information and digital citizenship, using an MIL framework and design. Algowatch won the Media Literacy Initiative for Young People award at the 2025 MLI Awards, with judges noting that the project stood out for its novelty, reach and depth. Resources include interactive quizzes, games and an MIL Competence framework in Algo-AI literacy.
More
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
