Unlocking Media Literacy: Shaping Tomorrow's Minds
Hybrid Forum, July 17-18, 2024 | Helsinki, Finland
DCN Global cordially invites you to join us in Helsinki, Finland, for an upcoming event focused on the critical importance of media literacy in today's educational landscape. In an era rife with rampant misinformation, exacerbated by the swift influx of sophisticated technological advancements, the need to understand and navigate this terrain is increasingly vital.
The context
The World Economic Forum Global Risk Report 2024 identified disinformation as the number one threat for the next two years, followed by climate change. The report gathered insights from more than 1,400 experts, scholars, entrepreneurs, economists, and political leaders in over 80 countries.
The host of the event, Finland, a pioneer in fostering critical thinking and media literacy in education, has a history of effectively tackling disinformation campaigns by implementing innovative strategies to equip its students with the tools needed to navigate today's media landscape.
About the Forum
The discussions will explore the concepts and practices of media literacy within a complex and diverse world, linking them to the challenges and opportunities of a country that has already integrated them into public policies.
Guests from all over the world will examine the state of media literacy across regions, whether in formal education (basic schools and university curricula), non-formal settings (extra courses and afterschool activities), or informal contexts (media programs, libraries, museums, and lifelong learning experiences).
The goal is to compile insights, discoveries, and best practices into a comprehensive DCN Global map. This collaborative document, to be finalized by the end of the year, will serve as a guide to exemplary media literacy programs worldwide, offering a roadmap for educators and policymakers.
The forum is organized by World Learning and Digital Communication Network Global with funding from the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
SCHEDULE
JULY 16
Unlocking Concepts, Boundaries and Practices
Moderators:
- Alexandre Le Voci Sayad, CEO, ZeitGeist, Brazil
- Aurra Kawanzaruwa, Director, Africa is Digital, Zimbabwe
Opening Remarks
Matt Bikoff, Cultural Coordinator, Office of Press and Public Diplomacy of the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, U.S. Department of State, U.S.
Intro Session
- Nikos Panagiotou, President, DCN Global, Greece
- Alexandre Le Voci Sayad, CEO, ZeitGeist, Brazil
Why Do We Need Media Literacy? How Can These Practices Make People More Media Literate?
Moderator: Alexandre Le Voci Sayad, CEO, ZeitGeist, Brazil
Speakers:
- Carolyn Wilson, Executive Director, McLuhan Foundation for Media Literacy, Canada
- Belinha de Abreu, PhD, President, International Council for Media Literacy (IC4ML), U.S.
- Tapio Varis, Professor, University of Tampere, Finland
Coffee Break
Integrity of Information: How to Believe in The Information We Consume and Avoid Confirmation Bias?
Moderator: Alexandre Le Voci Sayad, CEO, ZeitGeist, Brazil
Speakers:
- Yonty Friesem, Executive Director, Media Education Lab, U.S.
- Maarit Jaakkola, PhD, Associate Professor in Journalism, Co-Director NORDICOM, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
- Vitor Tome, Researcher, Autonoma University of Lisbon/ Iscte-University Institute of Lisbon, Portugal
A Systemic View: How to Tackle Misinformation in A Society?
Moderator: Aurra Kawanzaruwa, Director, Africa is Digital, Zimbabwe
Speakers:
- Chido Onumah, Co-Founder, Media & Information Literacy & Intercultural Dialogue Foundation (MILID Foundation), Nigeria
- Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe, Professor & Coordinator for Research Professional Development, University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, U.S.
- Roslyn Kratochvil Moore, Deutsche Welle Akademie, Germany
- Julia Nitz, Professor, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
Lunch Break
Media Literacy and Creative Industry
Moderator: Diana Filimon, Team Member, DCN Global, Romania
Speakers:
- Manisha Pathak-Shelat, Professor, Communication & Digital Platforms and Strategies, Co-Chair, Center for Development Management & Communication (CDMC), MICA, India (VIRTUAL)
- Paolo Celot, Founding Member and Secretary General, European Association for Viewers Interest (EAVI), Belgium
- Paul Guzzardo, Lawyer, Media Activist, Artist-Designer, U.S.
Journalism and Media Literacy: Regulatory and Practical Challenges and Their Relation to Freedom of The Press
Moderator: Alexandre Le Voci Sayad, CEO, ZeitGeist, Brazil
Speakers:
- Nikos Panagiotou, President, DCN Global, Greece
- Samy Taye, Director, Faculty of Mass Communication, University of Cairo, Egypt
- Jose Manuel Perez Tornero, Professor, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain
Coffee Break
The Challenge of AI and Other Emerging Technologies to Media Literacy and Civic Education.
Moderator: Aurra Kawanzaruwa, Director, Africa is Digital, Zimbabwe
Speakers:
- Dora Kaufman, Professor, Pontifical Catholic University of Sao Paulo (PUC-SP), Brazil
- Ibrahim Kushchu, Founder and CEO, TheNextMInds, U.K.
End of the Day, Closing Remarks
From the Tree to the Forest: The Challenges of National Associations and Public Policies
Public Policies: The Challenge of Scaling Media Literacy Projects
Moderator: Alexandre Le Voci Sayad, CEO, ZeitGeist, Brazil
Speakers:
- Leo Pekkala, Deputy Director, PhD, National Audiovisual Institute, Finland
- Carolyn Wilson, Executive Director, McLuhan Foundation for Media Literacy, Canada
- Karen Ambrosh, Executive Director, International Council for Media Literacy (IC4ML), U.S.
- Maja Zarić, Head of Division for international cooperation in the field of media, Ministry of Information and Telecommunications of the Republic of Serbia, Serbia
- Guna Spurava, Researcher, University of Tampere, Finland
- Maia Klaassen, Programme Manager, University of Tartu, Estonia
Presentation of the DCN Global Project on Media Literacy Public Policies Mapping
Moderators: Nikos Panagiotou, President, DCN Global, Greece and Alexandre Le Voci Sayad, CEO, ZeitGeist, Brazil
Speakers:
- Caio Marchi, PhD, ESPM Professor, Brazil
- Peter Peter Čakš, Teaching Assistant, Maribor University,, Slovenia (VIRTUAL)
- Wally Gichunge, Founder, Center for Media and Information Literacy, Kenya (VIRTUAL)
- Lai Cheng Wong, Co-Founder, Media and Information Literacy for ASEAN Network, Malaysia (VIRTUAL)
- Namuun Battsengel, Executive Director, Faro Foundation, Mongolia (VIRTUAL)
Lunch Break
The Role of National Associations in Developing Media Literacy Public Policy
Moderator: Aurra Kawanzaruwa, Director, Africa is Digital, Zimbabwe
Speakers:
- Joey Alagaran, Founder, Philippines Association of Media and Information Literacy (PAMIL), Philippines
- Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, Executive Director, National Association for Media Literacy Education, U.S.
- Anzdongo Pascal, Founder, Eduk-Média, Cameroon (VIRTUAL)
- Annabel Astbury, Head of Education Strategy, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia
Workshop | Empowering Citizenship through Digital Storytelling and Podcasting: A Journey Guided by the Sustainable Development Goals
Bart Vetsuypens, Director/Facilitator, Comundos, Belgium
Coffee Break
Workshop | Creative Partnerships: Media Literacy and ESG (Environment, Social, and Governance) Practices
- Loretta Cooper, Head of Marketing, The Economist Foundation, U.K.
- Harriet Boland, Head of Partnerships, The Economist Foundation, U.K.
Closing Remarks | Next steps, Future Products and Collaboration with DCN Global
Participants should come up beforehand with synergies/new initiatives proposals.
Speakers
