Media and Information Literacy – Evaluation and Strategies for Community Media Training Erasmus Project

Project Title

Media and Information Literacy – Evaluation and Strategies for Community Media Training

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Partnerships for Creativity

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Civic engagement / responsible citizenship

Project Summary

In our time of mediatization and digitisation, the ability to act critically in and with the media is not only an important prerequisite for empowerment and social participation, but increasingly also of fundamental importance for learning, understanding democracy and community development. In this context, media action means the intentional handling of (analogue and digital) media and their contents by people in the sense of receiving, analysing, evaluating and designing the contents on a personal-individual level, social level and cultural-social level. The media scientist Roger Silverstone emphasised the political aspect of media literacy when he statet: “…The media “literacy” of citizens is a prerequisite for their participation in the mediapolis, i.e. the late modern society in general. The media form the framework of our everyday culture; anyone who wants to participate in this culture, i.e. also have a say in its decisions, must be capable of critical analysis and assessment of the social dynamics and significance of the media. (…) . In the media age, civic education requires media literacy.”
Training activities run by or with community media contribute a lot to train people from very diverse groups in society and from all ages in this field. There are a numerous training concepts, handbooks and practices all over Europe some of them highlighted in the recent report: “MEDIA LITERACY FOR ALL. Supporting marginalised groups through community media” a background paper published by the Council of Europa in February 2020. It is also the Council of Europe who stresses the important role of Community Media when it comes to reach out with MIL-activities to diverse age groups. MIL-training in Community Media can be in short described as learning by producing media content in a structured and open way. Using a professional infrastructure and supported by trainers, colleagues or friends, respecting ethic codes and encouraged to take part in decision making. Having this in mind we are contributing with community based MIL-training to a larger field of competences to foster empowerment and civic engagement.
MILES (media and information literacy – evaluation and strategies) consists of partners from seven countries with different tradition in Media Literacy training but also with different background as Community Radio or TV, training organization, participatory video producers and others: Graffiti asbl in Luxembourg works especially with young adult in an multilingual environment and will contribute with its approach and knowledge on how to involve this target group.
Civilradio from Budepest has been a partner in a series of previous partnership projects and a long experience in work with civic groups and disadvantaged learners.
BCB in Bradford and NearFM in Dublin will bring in their experience with community development and community education, the first with its background in Bradford which is one of the most multicultural city in UK and Near FM with its experience in deprived neighbourhood in Dublin as an access point for empowerment.
Teleduca brings to the partnership its MIL-training approch which is inspired by latin america culture of adult education.
Radio Kärnan represents the nordic countries approach to MIL which can build on its own experience and a consistant research and policy from academia and civil society for bringing MIL further
Objective:
MILES will identify, test and document good practice concepts and methods and helpful resources for MIL-trainings and develop applicable methods for evaluating this trainings with involved trainers and learners. In a time where media are getting more and more relevant for citizens but often also being identified as amplifiers for hate speech and disinformation the intensive exchange and development on strategic concepts for Media and Information Literacy trainigs should become a priority for adult education. This project will provide good practice and deliver helpfull guidance for all adult education providers who want to become more active in this field.
Methodology:
Exchange on training concepts, methods and theories in the field of Media and Information Literacy based on experience with media design as a cultural practise of citizens. Reflection about the quality of community media as low-threshold learning spaces for educationally disadvantaged groups and individuals. Identifying factors of success for quality of MIL-training in community media design and for reaching out to more adult learners.
Results:
A documentation of good practice in MIL-Training in 5 languages will be developed and made available for use in adult education. The partners will learn from each other. The results and products will bve made available via the websit of COMMIT and all partners and disseminated via EPALE and social media platforms.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 115480 Eur

Project Coordinator

COMMIT – COMMUNITY MEDIEN INSTITUTFUR WEITERBILDUNG, FORSCHUNG UND BERATUNG & Country: AT

Project Partners

• Radio Kärnan 99,2
• COMMUNITY MEDIA FORUM EUROPE AISBL
• Bradford Community Broadcasting Ltd
• Graffiti asbl
• Dublin North East Community Communications Cooperative Society Ltd
• Civil Rádiózásért Alapítvány
• Teleduca. Educació i Comunicació SCP