FIDU AT THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION’S CLUSTER MEETING ON MEDIA LITERACY

On November 7th, FIDU participated in the Media Literacy Cluster Meeting at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels. The event, organised by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), brought together experts from diverse sectors across Europe. Representing the EU-funded project Media Literacy for Democracy, coordinated by FIDU, Vice President Eleonora Mongelli contributed to this important gathering.

The meeting focused on media literacy and its integration across three significant funding programs: Erasmus+, CERV, and Creative Europe. Sophie Beernaerts, Director of EACEA, opened the event, followed by insights from representatives of the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CNECT), the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC), and the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (DG JUST).

Key topics included media literacy, democracy, and combating disinformation, with a particular focus on the Digital Education Action Plan (DEA). In addition, participants shared best practices and recommendations for countering disinformation and fostering media literacy, exploring actionable strategies to support democratic values.

As a panelist in the session “Mis-/disinformation, democracy, and values,” Eleonora Mongelli highlighted how cross-sector cooperation and multidisciplinary methodology can strengthen democracy by reducing our vulnerability and enhancing the fight against disinformation.

In the afternoon, three parallel workshops allowed participants to delve into critical areas such as media literacy, critical thinking, democracy, disinformation, and the role of new technologies, contributing directly to the European Commission’s strategic work. Beyond the discussions, the event served as a valuable networking opportunity to forge new collaborations and reinforce existing partnerships, further consolidating FIDU’s role in advancing media literacy and cross-sector cooperation at the European level.