CSLS is awarded a European Media and Information Fund grant

The CSLS has been awarded a large new grant from the European Media and Information Fund in partnership with colleagues from the University of Helsinki in Finland and the University of Florence in Italy.  Funding was highly competitive with more than 100 applicants for a handful of awards.

The two-year project, titled " Information and Media Literacy Programme for Judges and Policymakers (InfoLead)" will involve CSLS colleagues Nicole Stremlau and Caitlyn McGeer. 

The idea for the project emerged from research conducted during the ERC ConflictNet project on government decision-making around internet shutdowns.  InfoLead will equip judges and policymakers to better understand the complexities of AI and information disorder, as well as the tools they have available to address concerns around online hate speech and mis/disinformation. InfoLead involves the development of a new executive education programme including an information literacy course, a professional network, and an online simulator.

InfoLead is grounded on the belief that by enhancing the digital media and information literacy skills of judges and policymakers, we will strengthen their ability to think critically, to understand what tools are available and how citizens assess the trustworthiness of information accessed or shared through social media, to fully understand the growing role of AI and mechanisms that shape online interactions, and take part in the public debates in a meaningful way.