This year’s MLA4MedLit one-day online conference, taking place on Friday, 17th October, “Building Societal Resilience through Digital and Media Literacy for Everyone” takes its lead from a growing recognition that the very health of our democracies depends on an informed and engaged citizenry. At a time when digital platforms shape public debate and the flow of information, understanding how to participate, communicate, and exercise rights online is more critical than ever. The right to access media literacy is no longer simply a question for the educational sector, but one that affects society as a whole. Knowing how to manage our media environment, particularly in a world increasingly dominated by AI, requires cross-sector collaboration and a significant increase in resources and attention, bringing together activists, policy-makers and practitioners.
This year’s event will bring together educators, teachers, researchers, policy makers, civil society actors, media professionals, fact-checkers, public authorities, and private sector stakeholders to explore the opportunities and challenges of promoting media literacy throughout society, placing it at the heart of what it means to be a digital citizen.
Inspired by the Council of Europe’s European Year of Digital Citizenship Education, this year’s conference will address three key themes:
- Being online: understanding and mastering the mechanisms of communication and interaction in the digital space.
- Well-being online: protecting mental and physical health, fostering balance, and ensuring personal safety in digital environments.
- Rights online: knowing and asserting your rights, respecting those of others, and acting ethically and responsibly.
Through keynote talks, panel debates, and case-based exchanges, participants will tackle issues such as misinformation and disinformation, social media regulation, online polarisation, toxic online cultures, and the rise of AI-driven tools. The conference will highlight innovative practices, research insights, and cross-sector collaborations that can strengthen democratic resilience, individual well-being, and civic participation in an increasingly digital society.
DRAFT AGENDA
Welcome – Chloé Pété, Project Officer (Digital and Media Literacy), Media & Learning Association.
10:00 – 11:00: How extensive and effective is media literacy in today’s society?
How extensive and effective is media literacy in today’s society? How can we measure it at scale, and how does it translate into resilience in a digital society marked by misinformation, AI-driven platforms, and polarisation? From awareness to tangible impact, the focus is on what media literacy really achieves.
Keynotes:
- Skúli Bragi Geirdal, Head of the Icelandic Safer Internet Center, Iceland.
- Irene Christensson, Senior Analyst, Swedish Psychological Defence Agency, Sweden.
Moderator: Andy Demeulenaere, Mediawijs, Belgium
– 20-minute presentation each followed by a 15-minute general discussion and Q&A
11:00 – 11:15: Coffee break
11:15 – 12:30: Here is how we do it….. (Part 1)
This session will feature 3 presentations (15–20 minutes each), sharing case studies that connect to the key theme, highlighting how media literacy is being extended and delivered to support different sectors in the areas of being online, well-being, and rights online.
Speakers:
- Being online: Kari Kivinen, Member of the Commission, OECD and Code.org AI Literacy Expert Group
- Well-being: Chiara Antonelli, Project Officer, European Schoolnet, presenting Digi.well project.
- Rights online: Michael Dezuanni, Professor, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
Moderator: Nicola Bruno, Dataninja, Italy
12:30 – 13:30: Lunch break
13:30 – 14:30: Here is how we do it….. (Part 2)
This session will feature 3 practitioner presentations (15–20 minutes each), sharing case studies that connect to the key theme, highlighting how media literacy is being extended and delivered to support different sectors in the areas of being online, well-being, and rights online.
Speakers:
- Being online: Ruslana Korenchuk, Head of Diia.Education, Ukraine.
- Well-being online: Speaker to be confirmed.
- Rights online: Hugo Besançon, SQUARE, France.
Moderator: Chloé Pété, Media & Learning Association.
14:30-14:45: Coffee break
14:45-15:45: Panel discussion / What we have learned and Future outlook
Reflecting on what we have learned, and how we demonstrate the value of media literacy initiatives. The conference will conclude with insights from a rapporteur who will draw on the discussions from across the event, and two closing keynotes will outline key steps for the future.
Speakers:
- Anna Tsiarta, Educational Technology Department Officer, Cyprus Pedagogical Institute, Cyprus.
- Nolan Hidgon, Faculty Lecturer, University of California, United States.
- Julian McDougall, Professor in Media and Education, Bournemouth University, United Kingdom.
Moderator: Sally Reynolds, ATiT, Belgium.
15:45-16:00: Closing words
