#MeToo, You Too and the Vanity of Women
A brief look at the role of diversity and feminism in media. My childhood was spent in art galleries. Not because I’m a particularly big fan of art (I’m not), or because I am an artist (I’m really not), but because my mother is an art historian who explained the world to me through paintings and sculptures. Effectively, through the media. When I was about 11, we stood in front of a painting of a naked woman looking in the mirror, and she said to me, “This was commissioned by a man, painted by a [...]
My Experience as a Refugee at the European Parliament
On Wednesday, 20 June 2018, the European Internet Forum met at their ‘EIF breakfast: World Refugee Day: the role of the Internet and ICTs,’ at the European Parliament. On World Refugee Day, many events were held to discuss the important issues of refugees, the migrant flows to Europe, and the importance of social integration in new host countries. Based on EAVI’s past and current work surrounding media literacy and migrants, I had the fortune to attend, representing EAVI. As for my role here, I am currently responsible for the follow-up of our concluded MyStory project, [...]
Boosting Global Citizenship Education using digital storytelling
This article was written by Barbara Quarta. She is coordinator of the Brights Project. If you would be interested about finding out more about this work, pleas click here. The current global scenario requires education and training institutions and practitioners to assume greater responsibility than ever in helping learners of all ages and backgrounds to develop into informed, critically literate, socially-connected, ethical and engaged global citizens. Nowadays, it is crucial that education gives students the opportunity and competences to reflect and share their own perspective and their role in a globalised society. Global Citizenship Education (GCE) has been developed [...]
Fake news and critical literacy in the digital age: sharing responsibility and addressing challenges
How can we tackle the ongoing challenge of so-called ‘fake news’? Gianfranco Polizzi, PhD Researcher in the Department of Media at Communications at LSE, argues that we all have a responsibility to learn critical literacy to help us better to evaluate information, both on- and offline, and here sets out the responsibilities held by the different actors involved. This post was first published on the London School of Economics' Media Policy Project Blog on May 21, 2018. Social inclusion and democratic participation rely on opportunities to access, express and share information as citizens. The extent to [...]
Digital citizenship needs to be a group effort
The following article was written by Sarah Stoeckl, senior project manager in the ISTE Standards Department. She worked as a writing and literature teacher before becoming an administrator, writer and project wrangler. A student shares his email password with a friend, who shares it with another friend, who sends an inappropriate picture to everyone in the students’ contacts list. It was a joke! But that doesn’t mean there won’t be repercussions. Who failed to teach these kids password safety and email etiquette? Another student wants to fund a film project that combines digital art with music. [...]
Happy GDPR Day!
The GDPR has come into force across Europe today, and with it come sweeping changes to the way the personal data of individuals is processed, retained and used. The most obvious indication of its impact is a bulk of messages from every mailing list, store card, chat room and internet service you signed up for ever. Like many others, I’m considering it a mass unsubscribe from a heap of services I no longer use. The emails are consigned to the trash folder with only second thought being, “when did I sign up for that…?” As [...]
Where do we draw the line?
With the recent Cambridge Analytica revelations, will we finally draw the line on Facebook's invasions of privacy, especially when it has acted as a platform of mis- and dis-information for so long? In the last three hours on my Facebook newsfeed, I have witnessed: Two people boasting about illegal activity on community pages; A petition to end an animal welfare issue that has been illegal for 9 years; A misogynistic joke straight out of the 1950s. It wasn’t funny then, either; An overtly racist meme (adding idiocy to insult, it said burka when it [...]
European Commission: Fake News and Online Disinformation
The European Commission has published its High Level Expert Group (HLEG) Report to advise the EC on fake news and disinformation online.
Get Them While They’re Young – Facebook Messenger for Kids
In December 2017, Facebook launched it’s standalone Messenger Kids app, targeting children under 13. The app is used via the parents’ Facebook account, and comes with strict parental controls, including safety filters, screened content and contact approvals. The app was developed with online safety experts and is designed to allow children to connect with friends and relatives through the service. Data collected via the app is not used for advertising purposes. A Facebook spokesperson said: “We worked to create Messenger Kids with an advisory committee of parenting and developmental experts, as well as with families [...]
Media Literacy – Levelling the Playing Field for People Living with Disability
Approximately 44 million Europeans are reported as living with a disability. This can often prevent them from taking a full part in society and economy, whether by way of education, employment and society more generally. These disabilities can take the form of a physical impairment or a mental illness or disorder which hinders basic function. It is difficult to live a full and active life when there are barriers to taking part in it. If it is difficult simply to get out of bed and leave the house, if public transport doesn’t make allowance for [...]
