EBU’s Brussels hub spearheads European festival of journalism and media literacy

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The EBU’s Brussels hub, AISBL EBU-UER, will help organize a European Festival of Journalism and Media Literacy. It joins a consortium of seven European organizations, with the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom at the helm, and co-funding from the European Commission.

The festival, planned for March 2024 in Florence, Italy, will take a fresh and engaging approach to media literacy. It aims to build bridges between journalism and media literacy communities and the public, empowering all to critically engage with media content.

Wouter Gekiere, Head of the EBU’s Brussels office and Managing Director of AISBL EBU-UER, said: "The public is flooded with messages from a variety of media sources, some trustworthy, some not. This is why media literacy is essential. Public service media are at the forefront, advancing media literacy and promoting informed engagement with media content. We are pleased to share our expertise as part of in the European Festival of Journalism and Media Literacy."

Combined, public service media forms the continent’s biggest newsroom. They are enhancing media literacy through grassroots initiatives, including:

• Belgium: RTBF invests in investigative journalism as well as constructive and solutions-based journalism, while also developing a tool for analysing, verifying and certifying information, accessible to the public on RTBF’s website. RTBF also offers media decoding content, particularly in cases of disinformation and manipulation of information.
• Germany: ARD with ZDF and Deutschlandradio are collaborating on "so geht MEDIEN" to provide teaching material for primary and secondary schools on fake news, copyright, and news creation.
• France: France Télévisions is focusing on media education to combat misinformation and nurture critical thinking among young individuals through TV programs, fact-checking units, and educational workshops. They have launched a "Tour de France of Media Education and Information" to equip the next generation with essential skills for responsible digital citizenship.

More examples on public service media engagement with media literacy can be found in the report ‘Public Service Media: Strengthening Media Literacy’, released on 25 October, during Global Media and Information Literacy Week.

The project consortium includes: The Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (lead partner), the AISBL EBU-UER, the European Federation of Journalists, The European Association for Viewers Interests, Journalisme et Citoyenneté, Lie Detectors, and Savoir*Devenir.

This project is co-financed by the European Union

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