On December 4, 2024, Media Literacy Ireland (MLI) held its annual conference, “Media Literacy for All,” at Google’s Foundry in Dublin. The event brought together experts to discuss the future of media literacy.
Keynote address
The keynote, “Building Resilience from the Cradle to the Grave”, was delivered by Dr Leo Pekkala from the Finnish National Audiovisual Institute (KAVI). KAVI is legally obligated to advance media education in Finland. The country’s National Media Education Policy recognizes media literacy as a civic skill for all.
Dr Pekkala stressed that KAVI’s apparent success in implementing media literacy is set against a wider background in which there are high levels of trust across Finnish society and low levels of income inequality.
He characterised current media literacy challenges as old issues in a new form. He cited the ensuring relevance of David Buckingham’s work on mass media literacy and the key ideas that underpinned Finland’s incorporation of media literacy into the education system in the early 1970s.
EDMO’s work highlighted
The work of EDMO Ireland and the EDMO network was highlighted by Martina Chapman in her review of the year. She noted the strategic collaboration between Media Literacy Ireland and EDMO Ireland including our work on the Workshop in a Box, the development of the EDMO Guidelines for Media Literacy, and the development of a new EMIF-funded project for librarians (working with colleagues from the IBEFIFER EDMO hub).
Addressing challenges
Attendees participated in panel discussions and breakout sessions on topics like media regulation, artificial intelligence, and disinformation. These discussions raised critical questions about resources and funding for media literacy and about the need to be cautious about AI hype and the companies promoting it.
