On Monday, 11 May, leaders from across Ireland’s regulatory, governmental, and community sectors gathered at Europe House, Dublin, for the annual Disinformation Forum. Co-hosted by EDMO Ireland and Media Literacy Ireland, the event marked a pivotal moment in our collective effort to counter disinformation through grassroots collaboration and media literacy.
The forum was opened by Fearghas Ó Béara (European Parliament Liaison Office) and was a direct response to Commitment 4 of the National Counter Disinformation Strategy, which calls for a “lifelong approach” to empowering citizens.
New Research: The “Hidden” Cost of Disinformation
A major highlight was the presentation of a new report by Dr Shane Murphy and Dr Eileen Culloty (EDMO Ireland) on the impact of disinformation on the charity and community sector. The findings were stark:
- 85% of the 200 organisations surveyed have encountered “anti-NGO” narratives online.
- 26% reported direct targeting and harassment, including doxxing and “baiting” emails designed to extract controversial responses
- Disinformation manifests internally via staff and volunteers
Colette Bennett from the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) provided a powerful reflection, noting that media literacy must be part of a broader framework to prevent the fracturing of social cohesion.
The Policy Contexts
The Forum provided an overview of high-level policies and strategies that shape responses to disinformation.
- John Evans, Digital Services Commissioner (Coimisiún na Meán) As the Digital Services Coordinator for Ireland, Commissioner Evans outlined the pivotal role of the Digital Services Act (DSA).
- Seamus Hempenstall, Principal Officer (Dept. of Culture, Communications and Sport) briefed the forum on the implementation of the National Counter Disinformation Strategy.
- Dr. Mary Clare O’Sullivan, Head of Electoral Integrity and Research (An Coimisiún Toghcháin) and Diane Duggan (Head of Legal and Regulation, An Coimisiún Toghcháin), discussed the Electoral Commission’s mandate to protect the integrity of the democratic process and current work on political advertising.
Case Studies in Community Practice
Looking at activities on the ground, the forum heard from:
- Robert McCollough (Adult Literacy for Life) shared successes from the ‘Let’s talk about media literacy’ campaign.
- Lorraine O’Connor (AONTAS) presented the Community Education Against Disinformation (CEAD) project, focusing on inclusive access for marginalised groups.
- Edel McGinley (Hope and Courage Collective) highlighted the vital work being done to monitor and research far-right activity and hate speech within local communities.
Tackling disinformation requires a multi-pronged approach. While the event showcased innovative media literacy initiatives, no one is suggesting these types of initiatives are sufficient in themselves to address the disinformation problem. Regulation is needed, especially in relation to platforms. Nevertheless, media literacy is an essential part of the long-term goal of empowering people with knowledge and skills to think for themselves.
