New Be Media Smart national campaign encourages people to ‘Stop, Think, Check’
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 today (24.10.23) to mark UNESCO’s Global Media and information Literacy Week, the Be Media Smart campaign will run until the end of November.
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. According to the Media Development Commissioner, Rónán Ó Domhnaill: “Media literacy is an essential life skill for everyone to be able to successfully navigate the modern world in which we live. Promotion of media literacy is a priority for Coimisiún na Meán. We are proud to work with Media Literacy Ireland and support the ‘Be Media Smart’ campaign, which aims to help people to critically assess media content and reduce the impact of misinformation and disinformation.”
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.
Dr. Eileen Culloty from EDMO Ireland at Dublin City University said: “The importance of media literacy is widely recognised, but there is a shortage of people with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to deliver media literacy within communities. EDMO Ireland was delighted to facilitate the roll-out of new training workshops that bring media literacy to people of all ages and backgrounds”
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.
The National Co-Ordinator of Media Literacy Ireland, Martina Chapman, said: “Now more than ever, it so important for people to have confidence in the information that they encounter on a daily basis. The ‘Be Media Smart’ campaign gives people tips and advice on how to Stop, Think, and Check the accuracy and reliability of information. We are privileged to have some of the leading experts in media literacy in Ireland on our ‘Ask an Expert’ panel – from academics, to journalists, to people who specialise in internet safety for children and young people”.
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/
MLI members from all sectors are invited to use the Be Media Smart Social Media Support Pack to promote the campaign message across their networks.
Visit www.bemediasmart.ie for further information.
