The digital age and our continual online presence has escalated the problem of disinformation, both in spread and in speed, and consequently in its influence. The COVID19 outbreak has further demonstrated its potential far-reaching consequences: wrong or misleading information can be a risk to our democracies, our understanding of realities and even our health and well-being. The global dependence on online connectivity during the crisis highlights the central role of media literacy and digital literacy in contemporary societies.

This session discussed the following questions:

• How can our societies become better informed? What tools do we have to guarantee the trustworthiness of information available for the Europeans?
• How can EU citizens become more resilient against disinformation and its temptations to make quick, possibly irrational conclusions?
• What has media literacy learned from COVID19 crisis? How to retain that wisdom?
• What are the next steps for media literacy, building on this experience, from the angles of academia, media literacy practitioners, member states, fact checkers?

The audience had the opportunity to hear examples about ongoing media literacy projects funded by the EU. Watch the recording and discover more about the importane of media literacy in the digital age. 

Agenda:

Moderator: 

• Anni Hellman, deputy Head of Unit, Unit Media Convergence and Social Media

Speakers:

• Divina Frau-Meigs, Professor New Sorbonne University (Paris 3) and member of the recent High Level Expert Group on Fake News and Online Disinformation
• Mikko Salo, Founder of the Finnish fact checking organisation Faktabaari and member of the recent High Level Expert Group on Fake News and Online Disinformation
• Agnieszka Ostrowska, Start2Think ML project CSM, Poland
• Robert Tomljenovic, Vice-President of Electronic Media Council and member of the Media Literacy Expert Group