MediaSmartOnline: spotlighting media literacy initiatives in and beyond Europe
The Better Internet for Kids (BIK) initiative is launching the MediaSmartOnline campaign in three European countries: Czech Republic, Ireland, and Poland. The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness about all the media literacy actions and initiatives that are currently available for children and young people, and those who are working to upskill them (parents and caregivers, teachers and educators). It is rolled out in cooperation with the Insafe network of Safer Internet Centres and the Media & Learning Association.
Empowering children with the skills and knowledge they need when they go online is a key priority of the BIK+ strategy, Pillar 2. In the strategy, the European Commission seeks actions to improve the educational opportunities and the media literacy of children and young people to support Pillar 2, allowing them to become more critical users of online content and services. Dedicated campaigns should be specifically designed to raise awareness of key issues such as disinformation and misinformation, and generally to enhance media literacy skills among children and young people, while also better upskilling those that support them (such as parents, caregivers and teachers).
Digital empowerment has long been recognised to be one of the most effective ways to support children and young people in their digital activities. Protection on its own is not sufficient to guarantee children gain the benefits from the digital environment and, indeed, prioritising safety and protection over and above participation restricts children from making best use of the many opportunities the digital world offers.
However, it has become apparent that the current state of play of the EU media literacy campaigning landscape, which is characterised by a wide variety of different players and activities, some based on very local, small-scale initiatives while others represent significant ongoing efforts on the part of governments and other agencies. This landscape also reflects the various positions and understanding that people have of the very term ‘media literacy’ and the fact that those active in the field have often operated in different ‘silos’ related to their specific interests. This lack of a common approach to promoting media literacy stems largely from a very mixed view of what constitutes media literacy. The ongoing debate about defining media literacy also points to a discussion as to who exactly is responsible for raising the level of media literacy across society, one that is becoming increasingly critical as we face the ever-rising tide of disinformation.
With this BIK+ media literacy campaign in collaboration with the Insafe network, we aim to spotlight the existing media literacy initiatives and activities in and beyond Europe to build synergies and opportunities for collaboration whenever possible.
Mapping the current EU landscape of media literacy initiatives
To counteract the fragmentation of the current EU media literacy landscape, Better Internet for Kids and the Media & Learning Association conducted an extended mapping exercise, between September and December 2023, with the aim to identify as many as possible media literacy initiatives, resources, tools, key organisations and driving factors from all around Europe and beyond. The Insafe network of Safer Internet Centres (SIC) was also consulted to help map the current EU media literacy landscape and collect suggestions on priorities for an EU-wide media literacy campaign.
You can read and download the results of the mapping exercise of the current EU landscape of media literacy initiatives here.
What’s next?
If you would like to follow along the campaigning activities, keep an eye on #MediaSmartOnline on social media, and make sure to follow Better Internet for Kids on X, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Is there a particular media literacy initiative that you would like to be featured in the campaign? Do not hesitate to contact content@betterinternetforkids.eu.
Visit the MediaSmartOnline campaign page often to discover how the MediaSmartOnline campaign will develop!
Background
The MediaSmartOnline campaign is running in cooperation with the network of Safer Internet Centres (SICs) and the Media & Learning Association within the framework of the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) project.
