Ofcom launches media literacy research network

The communications regulator has invited individuals and organisations with expertise in online media literacy to join the new network.

Ofcom wants to use the group to build and share evidence of how UK adults and children understand and use online media, highlight priority areas for further research and aid discussions about media literacy.

The wider network has been launched alongside a new panel of 11 industry, third sector and academic representatives who will meet quarterly to debate and inform Ofcom’s online media literacy programme. The advisory panel aims to identify new research areas, share best practice and consider the best ways to evaluate the impact of media literacy initiatives on people’s skills and understanding.

The panel members are: Google’s Alina Dimofte; Claire Levens of Internet Matters; Fay Lant of the National Literacy Trust; the BBC’s Josie Verghese; Facebook’s Rebecca Stimson; Shahneila Saeed from UKIE – the Association for UK Interactive Entertainment/Digital Schoolhouse; LSE’s Professor Sonia Livingstone; Stephane Goldstein, CILIP – the library and information association; Professor Victoria Nash of the Oxford Internet Institute and Full Fact’s Will Moy.