Promoting Knowledge Exchange
There are strong cross-border networks of regulators and policymakers with a media literacy focus which play a valuable role, but communication between media literacy practitioners across Europe can be increased, and EDMO is enabling this. There is also a potential lack of communication between policymakers and regulators and those working on media literacy ‘on the ground,’ and EDMO is improving this by highlighting relevant research initiatives and discussions.
Increased networking is already having a positive impact on the media literacy sector as a whole, as collaboration is key in such a multi-faceted field. The 2016 European Audiovisual Observatory’s media literacy mapping study found that the majority of the ‘most significant’ media literacy projects were the result of cross-sector collaboration, and according to Ofcom’s research “it is unlikely that an organisation working in isolation will be very effective at promoting media literacy in the long term.”
The Role Of The EDMO Hubs
The EDMO national and multinational hubs are crucial for making a practical difference in terms of media literacy in Europe. The direct links with national contexts via the hubs is one of the strengths of the EDMOeu model and it is essential to ensure that the hubs are best supported in their efforts, and that valuable initiatives are highlighted and shared to promote the exchange of knowledge and ideas. This will have a positive impact on the sector as a whole, and complements the statement in the European Democracy Action Plan that “EDMOeu and the multidisciplinary community coordinated by it, will provide support to national media literacy campaigns aiming at strengthening citizens’ ability to assess the quality and veracity of online information, including citizens with additional needs. Through the work of its national hubs, the EDMOeu will identify specific issues to be tackled.
EDMOeu has therefore built a trusted forum for knowledge exchange and networking among the media literacy experts in the EDMO national and multinational hubs, with regular meetings and a shared online space to facilitate collaboration and sharing resources.
Training
EDMO provides training sessions that are open to all on key topics, such as the evaluation of media literacy initiatives.
For the full list of EDMO training sessions, see here.
Public Events
EDMO also organises public events to share the work of the Hubs, and relevant research findings.