Media and information literacy: combating hate speech in the digital age

Today is United Nations International Day for Countering Hate Speech. UNESCO has organised a webinar today (18 June) at 13.30 CEST (12.30 BST) Countering Hate Speech in the Digital Age: Promoting Information Integrity and Resilient Societies. Short notice, but I only just found out about it. "The event will bring together experts to discuss current challenges and responses to hate speech in digital environments, including the role of Media and Information Literacy in fostering inclusive and resilient societies" 
Register at https://unesco-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RmmOuj6OQ1O10SkETpVldw#/registration

However, if you can't make the webinar you can look at the new 16-page publication it is launching: 
Roksa-Zubcevic, A. (2026). Media and information literacy: combating hate speech in the digital age. UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000398298? 
It sets out the issues and then looks at a MIL response and makes recommendations. 
Not its main purpose, but a useful bonus for this publication is a list at the end of some UNESCO MIL publications (e.g. the Prague Declaration, though unfortunately not the Alexandria Declaration) - UNESCO has moved them around over the years and they can be hard to track down.
Photo by Sheila Webber: Poppy, May 2026

Google: liable for fakery; cannabilising

A couple of items of news and opinion about Google. Firstly a court in Germany has ruled that although Google has previously been found not responsible for incorrect information in its search results, it is liable for misleading and defamatory information in AI summaries. 
"Because the AI summarizes results in its own words, evaluates their content, and presents them in a structured format, the judges ruled that Google creates entirely new, independent statements that go beyond mere links." 
Connor, R. (2026, May 12). German court holds Google liable for fake AI answers. Deutsche Welle. https://www.dw.com/en/german-court-holds-google-liable-for-fake-ai-answers/a-77527661?

Then a perspective from the Register on Google search
Claburn, T. (2026, May 25). Google is cannibalizing the web to feed AI. The Register. https://www.theregister.com/ai-ml/2026/05/25/google-is-cannibalizing-the-web-to-feed-ai/5244641 Subtitle "Google Search used to direct users to web sites; AI Mode will keep them in Google's garden" 
Photo by Sheila Webber: Let's think of chocoloate, rather than of how Google has declined; Lindt world of chocolate, May 2026

Call for Participation for the UNESCO Youth Hackathon 2026

The Call for Participation for the UNESCO Youth Hackathon 2026 is now open. People aged 18–30 from anywhere in the world can participate in teams of 2-6. The theme is Play Your Part: Youth Design the Future of Media and Information Literacy. Participants are encouraged "to collaborate, innovate, and develop practical solutions that strengthen Media and Information Literacy (MIL) in their communities." Submission is between 6 July and 16 August 2026. 
Proposals can be one of the following categories: Games; Applications/Websites; Radio programmes/Podcasts; Artistic work such as comics, short videos, documentaries, etc.; Educational toolkits; Youth organization campaign; Community-based interventions; Other creative modalities for innovative interventions. You submit a proposal document and a pitch video (you don't have to produce the actual application for submission). 
For more information go to https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-youth-hackathon-2026?hub=750 

The 2025 edition included 1,200 teams from 138 countries - more information about last year's winners is here https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/global-youth-lead-way-media-and-information-literacy-meet-unesco-hackathon-2025-winners 

Advancing Social Justice Through Curriculum Realignment

An interesting open access book:
Mfengu, A. et al. (2025). Advancing Social Justice Through Curriculum Realignment: Centering Scholarly Communication in LIS Curricula. UCT Libraries Press https://openbooks.uct.ac.za/uct/catalog/book/79
Photo by Sheila Webber: roses, May 2026

Digital Co-Creation with Nursing Students: Enhancing Digital Competencies

On 25 June 14.00-15.30 BST (UK time) there is a free online event: DigiCONS (Digital Co-Creation with Nursing Students: Enhancing Digital Competencies).
"This online session brings together educators, researchers and practitioners from Scotland, Portugal and Greece, who are passionate about embedding equitable, human‑centred digital competencies into the future of nursing education." They will "explore innovative approaches, share international perspectives and build connections across institutions committed to advancing digital readiness in nursing curricula."
There is a project website. The organising Committee (Robert Gordon University, Scotland) is Dr Konstantina Martzoukou, Dr Errol Luders, Emma Hay-Higgins and Jennifer Elliott.
Registration at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/co-creating-the-future-of-digital-competencies-in-nursing-education-tickets-1990315901439
Photo by Sheila Webber: relaxation in the Botanic Gardens, May 2026

Full Fact Report 2026

A new report from Full Fact, a UK fact checking agency: Full Fact Report 2026: A system under strain: strengthening the UK’s democratic information. There are sections on: The state of the UK’s information environment (based on the fact checking they have done, a survey on trust and analysis of platforms' tactics, political pressures etc.); Impacts on democracy and the case for reform; Global lessons for UK policymakers; UK governance, regulation and institutional preparedness; Building democratic information resilience. 
They do recommend more attention to media literacy (information literacy only gets mentioned a couple of times in the context of "media and information literacy"). One of their recommendations is "Embed media literacy across the curriculum Support the integration of media and information literacy across the curriculum at all stages, including an understanding of AI-mediated information, with the provision of teacher training, guidance and high-quality teaching resources environment", also "Fund long-term media literacy delivery capacity" and "Introduce a statutory duty to provide media literacy. The latter involves supporting "effective, evidence-based media and information literacy among users" including a requirement "to embed media literacy by design" . 
The report is at https://fullfact.org/policy/reports/full-fact-report-2026/
Photo by Sheila Webber: rhododendrons and the Tower of Arts, May 2026. I realised after I took this that the tower looks photoshopped/AI-ed in, but that really is a raw shot with the University of Sheffield's tower (home of Europe's tallest paternoster) visible from Weston Park (so no disinformation!)

Books: infolit and transformational learning; Critical Information Literacy

I need to catch up on highlighting some books I'd missed, today it's 
- Hess, A.N. (2025). Information Literacy and Critical Thinking: Using Perspective Transformation to Break Information Bubbles. ALA. Item Number 979-8-89255-324-7. Cost: ALA Member US$53.99, others $59.99. https://alastore.ala.org/ILandCT "Hess invites academic librarians to consider critical librarianship, pedagogy, and information literacy instruction in tandem with transformative learning theory, demonstrating tangible ways to integrate these concepts into their practice." 
- Hornick, J.N. & Kehoe, L. (Eds.) (2025). Critical Information Literacy Applications for All Libraries. ALA. Item Number 979-8-89255-218-9. Cost: ALA Member US$49.49, others $54.99. https://alastore.ala.org/libcil There are sections on: Theoretical Frameworks of Critical Information Literacy (3 chapters); Critical Information Literacy Programming (7 chapters); Professional Development Programs (6 chapters); Critical Information Literacy Lesson Plans (8 plans).
Photo by Sheila Webber: under the willow tree, May 2026

MIL Curriculum for Asia

There's a short interview on the UNESCO website with Professor Arul Selvan, who leads development of a Media and Information Literacy Curriculum (based on the UNESCO MIL Curriculum) for South and Southeast Asia. 
UNESCO. (2026, June 6). Shaping a new generation: Integrating Media and Information Literacy into India’s education system. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/shaping-new-generation-integrating-media-and-information-literacy-indias-education-system
Photo by Sheila Webber: greenery, including stickyweed, May 2026

Declining digital literacy - Australia

A news stories comments that "Australian students have recorded their worst-ever results in national tests that measure digital literacy, with just 37 per cent of year 10 students [about 15 years old] and 50 per cent of year 6 students [about 11 years old] assessed as proficient."
They are commenting on the recently released results from the large scale test on ICT literacy carried out by Australia's National Assessment Program (NAP) in 2025. The news release from NAP mentions that the year 10 result is "the lowest percentage observed since the assessment's inception [in 2005]." This despite the fact that participants report using digital tools of various kinds at home and at school.
Although the full report from NAP has the most detail, I've included the news report as it has comments from various experts, providing different views - from "Blaise Joseph, a former teacher and current director of education at the Centre for Independent Studies" saying that AI was making digital literacy skills redundant (so perhaps the low score was no big deal) to "Therese Keane, a professor of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education at La Trobe University" seeing AI making digital literacy more, not less, important.
News report: Duffy, C. & McAloon, C. (2026, May 26). School students have grown up online but test shows digital literacy at new low https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-27/school-students-digital-literacy-at-new-low-test-shows/106724164
Full report on the NAP site: https://www.nap.edu.au/nap-sample-assessments/results-and-reports (elsewhere on the site you can find the survey instrument etc. and there is an interactive statistics dashboard)
Photo by Sheila Webber: bearded iris, May 2026

New articles: AI; Top trends; why librarianship

The latest issue of open-access College and Research Libraries News (vol 87 issue 6) includes:
- 2026 Top Trends in Academic Libraries: A Review of the Trends and Issues by the ACRL Research Planning and Review Committee
- Envisioning AI’s Role in Libraries: Perspectives on Innovation, Equity, and Responsibility Across Career Stages by Russell Michalak, Trevor A. Dawes, Ava Wallace
- PEACEful Use of AI: A Tool for AI Education by Kimberly Shotick
- Information as Currency: The Social and Cultural Value of Knowledge in the Algorithmic Age by Chereeka Garner
- Wellness and Intentionality: A Year of Exploring Why We Choose Librarianship by Rose Beranis, Justine Cotton
Go to: https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/issue/view/1697/showToc
Photo by Sheila Webber: rhododendron, May 2026

Slides on deepfakes

The UK's Media and Information Literacy Alliance (MILA) has shared slides from a webinar on AI and deefakes, organised by MILA with Deep Truth
You can find it here: https://mila.org.uk/deepfakes/

Image created using Midjourney AI, this is not a deepfake of any living cat or butterfly, to my knowledge

Free online conference: Information in Repair

The 54th Annual Conference of the Canadian Association for Information Science (CAIS) is free online 22-26 June 2026. The times given on the program are in Pacific Daylight Time (which is, for example, 8 hours behind UK time (BST) and 9 hours behind Paris time. The theme is Information in Repair. 
Refreshingly "There is no need to register-Zoom links will be available on the program site" 
The program is here https://cais2026.ca/program/ There are numerous sessions that catch the eye including: 
- Critical pedagogies and practices for care and connection in online teaching and learning (Panel) with Tami Oliphant, Danielle Allard, Heather Hill, Kirk MacLeod, Lorisia MacLeod, & Pamela McKenzie 
- Reparative information literacies of civic engagement for racial justice in the American South: Exploratory qualitative perspectives of public library staff in the domain of economy: Bharat Mehra, Kimberly Black, Baheya Jaber, & Kaurri C. Williams-Cockfield 
- The Actuality of the obsolete: Inscriptions, traces, and the documentary life of zines: Iulian Vamanu

New articles: Use of AI; faculty development; upkilling with systematic reviews; guided inquiry; reflection; mis- and disinformation; open source communities

The latest issue (vol 20 issue 1) of the open access Journal of Information Literacy includes
- Critical thinking, disillusion, and dissent: Information literacy in a refused knowledge information landscape by Madelene Logren 
- The anatomy of collaborative open-source software development: A practice-based view on how open-source communities work by Renesa Tamannum, José Apolinário Teixeira , Gunilla Widén 
- Disinformation and gender issues: A study with young people from Salvador and Porto Alegre (Brazil) by Daniela Silva, Ana Cristina Prates, Josiene da Silva Niesciur 
- Digital literacy challenges in higher education: Information literacy in the face of misinformation by José G Casas-Puente 
- Information and digital literacy at school: A BRIDGE between critical thinking and equality values by Dora Sales, Christina Banou, Mara Morelli, Anna Antoniazzi, İpek Şencan, Serap Kurbanoğlu, Heidi Enwald, Noora Hirvonen, Stéphane Goldstein, Sarah Pavey, Konstantina Martzoukou, Petros Kostagiolas 
- Guided inquiry design for online information literacy media by Nove E Variant Anna, Miyarso Dwi Ajie, Piyapat Jarusawat, Yollanda Nundy Alshafa 
- Teacher, trainer, or facilitator? by Katie Smith, Jessica Waite 
- From one-shots to assignment design: Developing a library-led faculty development program by Nathaniel King, Alena Manjuck, Yvonne Tran 
- Subject librarian reflections on upskilling to support staff and students with systematic reviews: Our experience at UWE Bristol by Hannah Poore, Philip O'Shaughnessy 
- Promoting reflection by students on their use of information by Andrew K. Shenton 
- Articulating generative AI information literacy competencies: An ACRL Framework–driven model for academic libraries by Ladislava Khailova, Melissa Netzband Wathen , Melissa Jones 
- Adding a simple log to in-text citations to strengthen information literacy and argumentation while blocking casual misuse of generative AI by Peter Tamas, Leonie Kamminga 
plus book reviews and two reports on the 2026 LILAC conference (by Jane Pothecary and Tom Cross) 
Go to https://journals.cilip.org.uk/jil/issue/view/58 
Photo by Sheila Webber: spring roses, May 2026