Nurturing Trust by evaluating impact: Why understanding what works in MIL interventions is essential”
Marking Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2022, this webinar has been jointly developed by Media Literacy Ireland (MLI), the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) and the Irish EDMO Hub and will take place on 27 October. It will explore the importance of evaluation, and offer expert insights into the process of monitoring and evaluation, and provide useful examples of measurement and assessment. In addition, attendees will also have access to EDMOs learning platform for a limited time before and after the webinar.
In recent years, MIL has been rising on policy agendas as a potential (part) solution to a range of issues such as the information crisis. With increased funding opportunities there has been a welcome and much-needed increase in the number and range of MIL interventions being delivered on an international basis.
But how can we know whether these interventions are effective in ‘shifting the dial’ in relation to MIL behaviours?
Assessing the impact of media literacy interventions is notoriously difficult, as it is hard to measure the acquisition of skills, particularly with no standard baseline to refer to. The lack of established criteria and methods for assessing projects, along with perceived challenges, means that many don’t even attempt evaluation. Of the 68 media and information literacy projects analysed by the Council of Europe’s Committee of experts on quality journalism in the digital age, one-third did not undergo any form of evaluation or assessment.
But as increased digital media literacy becomes ever more necessary in the complex online environment, as a tool against disinformation and more, it is crucial that media literacy practitioners are able to effectively monitor the results of their initiatives and measure these against their goals. See also our recent post by EDMO Advisory Board member Sonia Livingstone on the vital role of measuring impact in media literacy initiatives.
The webinar is open to MLI members. To become a member please apply at https://www.medialiteracyireland.ie/members.
Meet your trainers
Martina Chapman is an independent consultant specializing in media literacy policy and strategy development, research and project management. She is the national coordinator of Media Literacy Ireland and the Be Media Smart campaign on behalf of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. Martina has worked with organisations such as the Council of Europe, the European Audiovisual Observatory, the European Platform of Regulatory Authorities, the European Broadcasting Union and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. She has authored and co-authored numerous reports and policy documents relating to MIL topics including the Media Literacy for all. Supporting marginalised groups through community media paper and the Mapping of Media Literacy Practices and Action in EU 28. As a member of the Council of Europe Committee of Experts on quality journalism in the digital age (MSI-JOQ) she was one of the two researchers and rapporteurs for the report Supporting quality journalism through media and information literacy.
Dr Ricardo Castellini da Silva is a Media Literacy educator and a Postdoctoral Researcher with DCU Institute for Future Media, Democracy and Society (FuJo). He is also the Media Literacy Coordinator for the Irish hub of the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO). Ricardo operates an educational consultancy service to promote media literacy across Ireland through talks and workshops, and since 2015 he has been teaching on undergraduate and graduate programmes at both Dublin City University and Trinity College Dublin.
Martina Chapman is an independent consultant specializing in media literacy policy and strategy development, research and project management. She is the national coordinator of Media Literacy Ireland and the Be Media Smart campaign on behalf of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. Martina has worked with organisations such as the Council of Europe, the European Audiovisual Observatory, the European Platform of Regulatory Authorities, the European Broadcasting Union and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. She has authored and co-authored numerous reports and policy documents relating to MIL topics including the Media Literacy for all. Supporting marginalised groups through community media paper and the Mapping of Media Literacy Practices and Action in EU 28. As a member of the Council of Europe Committee of Experts on quality journalism in the digital age (MSI-JOQ) she was one of the two researchers and rapporteurs for the report Supporting quality journalism through media and information literacy.
Dr Ricardo Castellini da Silva is a Media Literacy educator and a Postdoctoral Researcher with DCU Institute for Future Media, Democracy and Society (FuJo). He is also the Media Literacy Coordinator for the Irish hub of the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO). Ricardo operates an educational consultancy service to promote media literacy across Ireland through talks and workshops, and since 2015 he has been teaching on undergraduate and graduate programmes at both Dublin City University and Trinity College Dublin.
