Ofcom defines media literacy as ‘the ‘ability to use, understand and create media and communications across multiple formats and services’.

This can include anything from navigating existing online services and helping services users find what they need to identifying misinformation and fake news.

Support from Cwmpas, Ofcom and our partners; Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council (RCTCBC), AbilityNet, People & Work, Age Connects Morgannwg and Newydd Housing, will enable you to:

• Develop your own abilities to spot and avoid misinformation online.
• Respond to local people’s online needs in a way that is inclusive and accessible
• Ensure that services and projects you run or are involved in create active and practical solutions, based on needs of everyone; particularly those most at risk of digital exclusion, the people who support them and their local communities.

Cwmpas were successful in a proposal they submitted to Ofcom, to provide Media Literacy interventions in Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT). Cwmpas delivered a series of informal workshops and forums to community members. The pilot project focused on key media literacy elements of” communicating with others”, “online identity and critical thinking”. Cwmpas has long  standing experience in delivering Digital Skills and Inclusion Support to communities across Wales, we have a clear and objective understanding of the importance Media literacy plays to ensure confident and included digital users and communities.  The overarching aim for the workshops were to increase understanding of the term “media literacy” directly to attendees and citizens in in RCT.

During the setup phase the project coordinator utilised established relationships with networks and organisations to identify where we could deliver the workshops withing the rapid timescales, we also utilised relationships to invite participants who would have the most to gain from media literacy workshops. The Pilot was a success with 43 people attending across the 5 workshops.  The workshops were developed using a blended approach utilising, both presentation style and small interactive group activities, ensuring key learning objectives where clear and the pace of delivery was appropriate to the participants needs.  Cwmpas utilised Ofcom’s MSOM Project evaluation frameworks to  identify participants’ understanding of the term media literacy before during and after the workshops.  

Of the 34 completed questionnaires, only 12% (4) participants fully understood the term media literacy, with the remainder of the participants having never heard of it before or were somewhat aware.   88% (30) participants felt that the workshop improved their understanding of the term media literacy. This clearly demonstrates the impact of the workshop in increasing the understanding of the term media literacy. The pilot project provided  clear lessons learned, in how to deliver a larger scale media literacy project going forward.