About the Conference

The National Electronic Media Council invites to a high-level international conference MEDIA LITERACY. ROADMAPS during the UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy Week, 28-29 October 2021.

The conference is organised in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture of Latvia, UNESCO Latvian National Commission, the Baltic Centre for Media Excellence, the Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Latvia and the British Council in Latvia.

The aim of the conference is to promote media literacy in society, to identify roadmaps – proposals for future steps towards the development and implementation of a national media literacy strategy, and to strengthen cooperation among those working in the field of media literacy.

Media literacy is a broad concept, encompassing both the ability to access content and use different technological tools, and the ability to critically analyse and produce media content oneself. Media literacy has become a 21st century competency that everyone needs to be able to make informed decisions, both as citizens and as individuals, to contribute to the quality of life and the public good. It is a competence that is of fundamental importance for strengthening the democratic state, especially in times of infodemia.

At the conference we will seek answers to the questions:

What is the role of media literacy and its multiple effects in the development of the state and society?
What are the preconditions for a successful media literacy strategy?
How to reach out to different groups in society, especially those who do not regularly use or do not trust traditional media?
What is the role of the media and journalists in promoting media literacy?
How does media literacy contribute to the fight against disinformation?
How does media literacy function as an element of protection of the qualitative and diverse information space?
etc.

At the same time, the Council notes that in March 2021, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed a resolution promoted by Latvia and other like-minded countries, "Global Media and Information Literacy Week", which calls for addressing the challenges of the information environment, including misinformation.

The two-day conference will bring together stakeholders involved in promoting media literacy, local and international media literacy experts and researchers, Latvian government officials, and media professionals.

The conference will be held in a hybrid format on the ZOOM platform.

The working languages will be English and Latvian, ensuring that the entire conference is translated into both Latvian and English.

The conference will also be publicly available on the Council's Facebook account www.facebook.com/NEPLP and website medijpratiba.neplpadome.lv.

The Council invites to register and participate any interested party.

Speakers