Includes NEW community-based training programme
As part of the Be Media Smart campaign, organisations across Ireland are encouraging people to ‘Stop, Think, Check’ the information they encounter on a daily basis.
The campaign, currently running on TV, radio and in news publications across community, commercial, public service and social media – in Irish and English – aims to raise awareness of the importance of knowing how to verify information; provide tips and guidance on how to check the accuracy and reliability of information, and signpost people to additional sources of support and training.
Launching on 24th October 2023 to mark UNESCO’s Global Media and information Literacy Week, the Be Media Smart campaign will run until the end of November 2023.
The Be Media Smart campaign is an initiative of Media Literacy Ireland (MLI) and is supported by a wide range of members including media, civil society organisations, libraries, educational, training and research institutions. The new media regulator and media development agency, Coimisiún na Meán, facilitates the work of MLI.
ADAPT funded investigator Dr Eileen Culloty of Dublin City University (DCU) is Vice-Chair of MLI. ADAPT postdoctoral researcher Dr Ricardo Castellini da Silva of DCU, Media Literacy Coordinator of EDMO Ireland, has developed the ‘workshop in a box’ and the ‘train the trainer’ sessions for the campaign, and he will run some of the webinars.
A key part of this year’s campaign is the new Be Media Smart Community Training Programme. Developed in conjunction with EDMO Ireland, it will run across the months of October and November. This new programme is expected to train and upskill over 100 community-based leaders, coaches, and librarians to deliver the Be Media Smart workshops in their own communities across the country, in English and in Irish.
The Be Media Smart website, available in Irish and English, includes an updated FactCheck section and a new ‘Ask an Expert’ section, where members of the public can put media literacy related questions to a panel of experts.
In addition to the community-based training programme, a series of public-facing online events have also been arranged including a webinar on media literacy in digital spaces (October 25th) and another on disinformation (October 26th).
Be Media Smart campaign activities are expected to continue until the end of the year at least and information about activities and events, including a number of roadshow events across the country, may be accessed on https://www.bemediasmart.ie/be-media-smart-events/
Visit www.bemediasmart.ie for further information.
About Media Literacy Ireland:
Media Literacy Ireland is an informal alliance of organisations and individuals who are working together on a voluntary basis to promote media literacy in Ireland. Facilitated by Coimisiún na Meán, as part of its commitment to promoting media literacy, MLI brings together a wide range of members from sectors such as the media, academia, online platforms, libraries and civil society.
The Be Media Smart campaign is an initiative of Media Literacy Ireland (MLI) and aims to raise awareness of the importance of knowing how to verify information; provide tips and guidance on how to check the accuracy and reliability of information, and signpost people to additional sources of support and training.
