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Friday, 29.03.2024, 15:57
UNESCO will Hold Media and Information Literacy Conference in Kaunas, Lithuania
Conference
speakers will discuss the changing media environment, the influence of the
media on social and political processes, and the competences and skills
necessary for sustainable social, cultural, economic and political development
of the world. The aim of the event is to promote international cooperation in
the development of media and information literacy (MIL), support the role of
academic institutions and their relations with other organizations, establish
new partnerships, and stimulate discussions on these issues in the public
sphere for the advancement of a smart, creative, and sustainable civil society.
“Over the
last 40 years, which have been very dynamic in the context of the media,
communications, and social change, UNESCO was one of the first international
organizations to take on leadership in the development and promotion of
international dialogue on MIL issues. From the Grunwald Declaration of 1982 to
the Riga Recommendations of 2016, UNESCO has been inviting countries,
organizations, creative industries, educational, scientific and cultural
institutions to unite and cooperate in MIL networks and implement projects and
initiatives”, one of the conference organizers, head of VMU Dept. of Public
Communication, Prof. Kristina Juraitė,
explained.
The
conference is organized by UNESCO, Vytautas Magnus University, University of
Latvia, and the national commissions for UNESCO in Latvia and Lithuania. Both
VMU and University of Latvia are members of the UNESCO Media and Information
Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue (MILID) Network. The guest speakers at the
event will include Prof. Sonia
Livingstone from London School of Economics and Political Science (UK), Dr.
Carl Heath (Sweden), Prof. Paul Mihailidis (USA), Prof. Divina Frau-Meigs (France) etc.
The theme
of the conference, and of the entire Global MIL Week 2018, is Media and Information Literate Cities: Voices, Powers, and
Change Makers. Discussions and paper presentations will focus on
education of media and information literacy in the Baltic states, MIL as
mediator between cultural industries and the city, the transformation of
information needs in the cities, privacy and bullying online, the impact of
digital environments in the age of misinformation, the role of MIL in the
struggle for gender equality and women’s empowerment, the fight against hate
and intolerance etc.
“The
academic community has been given the rather important role at the forefront of
the media and information literacy movement, which promotes the need for MIL in
a sustainable, civil and democratic society. For this reason, this annual
conference is primarily an opportunity for Lithuanian scientists to join
international media literacy networks, get acquainted with the latest scientific
studies and develop relevant research in the future”, Prof. Juraitė said.
Three years
ago, the professor and other VMU scientists conducted a study on media literacy
in Lithuania. The study, titled “Education of News Literacy: How to Understand
Media?”, involved two public surveys where questions were answered by 15-17
year old pupils and adults (from 18 years old) respectively. The results
demonstrated that the more educated individuals tend to assess online content
more critically and verify the veracity of the news. The experts also prepared
guidelines for the Lithuanian media policy: they proposed to review the methods
of promoting and sponsoring journalism, with more focus on public interest, and
to reassess the teaching of media literacy at schools.
This year
VMU has strengthened its relations with the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization: the university has opened the UNESCO
Dept. of Media and Information Literacy, which conducts MIL research: analyses
media consumption, media policy, citizen participation and empowerment trends,
and MIL education initiatives. The department also aims to develop MIL
competences of students and educators and disseminate information on these
issues in Lithuania and internationally.
“This
acknowledgement is a result of long cooperation with UNESCO and other
international organizations in the field of MIL research and studies. In their
development of media research, VMU scientists have been actively involved in
UNESCO-initiated MILID and GAPMIL networks and the activities of international
scientific associations ECREA, ICA, BAMR, and AABS”, the head of VMU Dept.
of Public Communication explained.
According
to Prof. Juraitė, the UNESCO conference should be of particular interest to
scholars of a wide variety of fields, including communication, journalism,
education science, sociology, politics, public administration, arts, creative
industries and other areas, as well as education and media policymakers, NGOs,
businesses and start-ups.
The 8th annual
UNESCO Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue (MILID)
Conference will be held on 24-25 October in Kaunas, at VMU Great Hall (S.
Daukanto g. 28) and VMU Centre for Research and Studies (V. Putvinskio g. 23).
On 26 October, the participants will attend further events in Riga organized by
the University of Latvia.