Our lives are now so saturated with information and media that the ability to use media effectively is a pre-requisite for full participation in society.

Media literacy refers to people’s ability to critically engage with information and media in all aspects of their life. At the heart of this critical engagement is the ability to critique media and information as well as media technologies and business models. This includes knowing the way these produce, challenge and subvert relationships, representations and power.

We conducted the first national media literacy survey of adult Australians and found that although most people believe that media literacy is critical to many aspects of their life, many have no access to support when they need it.

This symposium includes synchronous events in Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra. Each event features a panel discussion with researchers and practitioners about the state of media literacy in Australia. Key findings from our research will follow the panel discussion.

We hope that these events will help to build momentum and support collaboration to ensure that media literacy research can inform policy and practice at a time when media literacy is now on the Australia policy agenda.

The event speakers will discuss how media literacy research can help to address key challenges we face in Australian society including the widespread online circulation of misinformation, social and racial inequality, and a lack of trust in our democratic systems.

Please note this is a COVID safe event and numbers are strictly limited. This event is also catered for. We ask that you let us know if you can no longer attend.

Program Schedule

10.45 – 10.55: Arrive to be seated.

11.00 – 12.00: International Keynote Speaker, Associate Professor Paul Mihailidis (Live stream) . ‘Civic Media Literacies: Pursuing equitable and just civic futures in a time of rampant media cynicism.’

12.00 – 12.30: Lunch (to be provided)

12.30 – 2.00: Panel event: ‘News, misinformation and media literacy’.

2:00 – 2.30: Afternoon tea

2:30 – 3.30: ‘Media Literacy in Australia’ Report Launch. Opening remarks by Professor Leigh Sullivan, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Research & Innovation, University of Canberra.

For more information to and to download the full program see: https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/medialiteracy/symposium

For more info about this event contact the News and Media Research Centre (nmrc@canberra.edu.au)