The annual global initiative by UNESCO, held between October 24 and 31, aims to mobilize social actors to raise awareness about media literacy, country engagement, and celebrate progress. This year's theme is “We All Play a Part – Media and Information Literacy for the People,” emphasizing everyone's role in building healthier information and communication environments.
The UNESCO Chair in Communication, Media and Information Literacy, in collaboration with ESCS-IPL and LIACOM, joins the celebration with a diverse agenda. Activities include reflections on the role of media, the importance of critical thinking, professional training, sharing of academic experiences, and creating meeting spaces for reading and visual journalism.
The Global Media and Information Literacy Week calls for the involvement of policymakers, educators, researchers, journalists, youth, digital content creators, regulators, families, and civil society organizations to strengthen a democratic, informed, and participatory public space. This edition's decentralized approach highlights initiatives promoted by UNESCO and its partners worldwide.
Entities and individuals dedicated to promoting media literacy are invited to participate by organizing and registering their activities – such as workshops, conferences, debates, exhibitions, or training sessions – via an online form. The goal is to foster international cooperation and demonstrate how collective action drives media literacy.
The UNESCO Chair's agenda for this week includes events such as the opening session “Communication, Media and Information Literacy: Contributions of a UNESCO Chair” with Tatiana Nunes, on October 26, at the Fernando Pessoa University, and a training session for librarian teachers on “Journalism: what it is and what it is not”.
On October 27, highlights include the round table “Rebuilding Trust in Media through Critical Thinking and Source Evaluation,” featuring Maria José Mata, and the conference “Media, Journalism, and Europe,” with speakers such as António Assis Teixeira (TVI), Carla Martins (ERC), and Rebecca Abecassis (RTP).
The agenda continues with the international conference “From MIL to Civic Engagement: Communication Strategies for Citizen Empowerment within UNESCO Chairs” by Fernanda Bonacho, in Montreal, on October 28, and a seminar on the financial sustainability of digital journalism at LIACOM.
The U!READ event, inspired by U!REKA values, takes place online on October 29, followed on October 30 by an open lecture “New languages in visual journalism” with Reinaldo Rodrigues at ESCS.
