As part of the project “Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Freedom of the Media in Ukraine – Phase II,” First Deputy Chair of the National Council Valentyn Koval attended the annual conference of the Media Literacy Ireland’ alliance in Dublin and was invited to take part in a panel discussion on the topic “Fostering Media Freedom and Media Pluralism through Media Literacy.” The event took place on November 26.
The “Media Literacy Ireland” alliance is a voluntary association of a large number of individuals and organizations that promote media literacy ideas and projects under the patronage of the Media Commission – Ireland’s media regulator. Today, the alliance includes more than 250 members from various sectors of society – from broadcasters and academia to NGOs and libraries.
Such broad representation makes it possible to reach all segments of the population – from schoolchildren to the elderly – and to respond quickly to any challenges of the digital age.
The main goal of the visit was to explore opportunities for applying Ireland’s experience in Ukraine, introduce the Irish media community to the situation in our country, and establish direct contacts with relevant institutions.
During the panel discussion in which Valentyn Koval participated, the conversation focused on the concepts of media freedom and pluralism, their importance for democracy and ensuring government accountability, as well as their role in fostering intercultural understanding, social inclusion, and respect for diversity. Today’s reality brings new challenges related to combating disinformation, hate speech, and ensuring online safety. Therefore, media literacy skills are now fundamental to protecting media freedom and promoting pluralism.
It was noted that it is important for the public to understand the value and significance of media in democratic societies. Therefore, part of the efforts aimed at media literacy should focus on helping citizens understand their own role in the media landscape.
“Sometimes it felt like we were from different planets, but then came the realization that we face the same challenges, and the ways to overcome them are very similar. The key is to have a strategy and enough people willing to work on strengthening society’s information resilience. I felt very strong support for Ukraine and Ukrainians. There were several stories about our compatriots temporarily staying in Ireland and working in various organizations, who are respected and recognized for their high level of professionalism,” emphasized Valentyn Koval.
Participants developed several recommendations on how to raise public awareness of media freedom and media pluralism. Among them:
- Make the topic of media freedom more accessible by working at the local level (for example, in libraries), where the level of trust is higher. Library visitors do not directly ask about media literacy or media pluralism, but rather “How can I know what is true?”
- Look for best practices in other countries.
- Increase outreach and educational efforts: journalists and editors should engage with communities and schools.
- Help people understand that regulation is not censorship, and make the regulator more visible.
- Make the topic of media freedom more approachable, for example through comedy.
- Train more media literacy experts, provide more training for librarians, and improve coordination among key stakeholders, government, and NGOs.
Photo: Coimisiún na Meán
