Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media to discuss online disinformation and media literacy

The meeting at 1.30pm in Committee Room 1 of Leinster House will be split into sessions to hear from:

• 1.30pm-2.55pm – Professor Mary Aiken, Professor of Forensic Cyberpsychology, University of East London; and
• 3pm-4.30pm – Representatives of Media Literacy Ireland (MLI), and the Institute of Future Media, Democracy and Society, Dublin City University (DCU).

Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Niamh Smyth said: “Online disinformation has been defined by the EU Commission as ‘verifiably false or misleading information created, presented and disseminated for economic gain or to intentionally deceive the public’, while media literacy provides the backbone to understanding media and the role of media in our society. 

“In the last few years we have all seen the destabilising and often dangerous effects of online disinformation spread via social media, discussion forums and private messaging apps, whether it was in election campaigns, sharing false information during the Covid-19 pandemic, or the spreading of vile lies and gossip about individuals or groups.

“The Committee looks forward to discussing these important issues and related matters with Professor Aiken, and the representatives of MLI and DCU, particularly how we can counter and prevent the spreading of online disinformation and increase media literacy across society.”

The Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media has 14 Members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.

The meeting in Committee Room 1 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.