Media's role as an agent of change – a principle embodied by Public Service Media (PSM) values – was the focus of a conference organized by the Flemish Ministry of Education and Training in Brussels, (November 14 & 15).

The Media & Learning 2012 Conference examined a range of initiatives to promote media literacy via fresh technologies, social media, and new teaching methods.

The BBC’s Martina Chapman provided examples of PSM engaging in large-scale media literacy projects, highlighting the need to address the diverse needs of audiences by promoting media literacy through various treatments.

Fostering ways for people to create content and become active online participants is a key objective for  EBU Members, who in June endorsed a declaration identifying six values that unite Europe's biggest union of broadcasters.

EBU European Affairs Adviser Wouter Gekiere told the conference that the promotion of media literacy is an enactment of these principles: “PSM values drive media literacy initiatives. They are the basis of our engagement with our audiences.”

The conference also heard from VRT’s Philippe Van Meerbeeck, who presented a pilot project developed by Belgian PSM for Flemish-speaking audiences.

It was also the forum for the MEDEA Awards ceremony, which recognizes excellence in the use of media to support learning:

• French entry Quand la colère fait tomber les masques won the MEDEA Professional Production Award; The short film examines the tribulations of a family company becoming a multinational.
• Greek entry And the Oscar goes to ...  took the MEDEA User-Generated Award. The film uses story-telling can help teach everyday subjects, by the 5th Primary School of Alexandroupoli  

Presentations by all the finalists were given during the conference which attracted more than 270 participants from 40 countries.

For information about the EBU value: Empowering Society – A Declaration on the Core Values of Public Service Media