Media Board members empower citizens to navigate an AI-shaped information environment

The Media Board coordinated a joint mapping of media literacy initiatives carried out by national media regulatory authorities across Europe to mark UNESCO’s Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week 2025. The Week, celebrated from 24 to 31 October under the theme “Minds over AI – MIL in Digital Spaces,” highlighted how media and information literacy empowers citizens to navigate and interpret today’s information landscape shaped by artificial intelligence and digital technologies.

A total of twenty-one activities were reported by ten national authorities from Bulgaria, Estonia, France, Hungary, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden. The initiatives took place between September and November 2025 and reflected the shared commitment of European regulators to strengthening citizens’ resilience, critical thinking, and digital awareness. The overall reach of these activities exceeded 255 000 people, combining in-person participation and online engagement.

The reported initiatives demonstrated the diversity of approaches to promoting media literacy at national level. Many regulators focused on education and outreach, including school-based workshops, public campaigns and online resources for children, teachers and parents. Others concentrated on professional dialogue through conferences, research projects and publications addressing topics such as disinformation, AI-generated content, and media independence. Examples included training sessions for educators, research presentations on citizens’ media literacy, national awareness campaigns, interactive learning programmes and discussions linking media literacy with broader democratic and social objectives.

This coordinated mapping exercise illustrates how national regulatory authorities contribute to UNESCO’s global call to integrate media and information literacy into education systems, policymaking and civic life. It also provides an overview of ongoing cooperation among EU regulators in developing sustainable and inclusive approaches to media literacy.

Media Board members draw on years of joint work in ERGA, turning national projects into shared tools and standards. In 2024, ERGA published Media literacy best practices in the European Union – A handbook of inspirational initiatives by audiovisual media regulators, which is a practical reference for regulators and educators. The handbook is a set of initiatives and best practices showing that media literacy goes well beyond spotting and fighting disinformation - it also builds critical thinking, creative production, and safe, informed participation online.

The Media Board remains committed to supporting exchange of good practices and facilitating cooperation among national regulators to advance media literacy, media pluralism and media freedom across Europe, also in light of the European Media Freedom Act.

Carlos Aguilar, Chair of the Media Board, stated: “In an AI-driven information environment, media and information literacy has become a strategic democratic priority. By contributing jointly to UNESCO’s Global MIL Week, European regulators send a clear message: empowering citizens to navigate digital information is essential to protect media freedom, uphold pluralism and reinforce the resilience of our democracies.”

A full overview of all reported activities is available in the annex to this release.