Coimisiún na Meán has today (28.05.2026) announced the awarding of over €250,000 in funding to support Media Literacy and Countering Disinformation projects in 2026.
In total, over €268,000 has been awarded for three projects, by the ESRI, the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) and the DCU FuJo/EDMO Ireland. The objective of this funding is to support media literacy and countering disinformation projects which build resilience and trust at an individual and societal level, to enhance collaboration and cooperation and to provide evidence-based countermeasures to disinformation.
Rónán Ó Domhnaill, Media Development Commissioner at Coimisiún na Meán said: ‘’Coimisiún na Meán is committed to the development of a media landscape which underpins civic discourse and which reduces the impact of disinformation. Disinformation is a whole of society challenge that requires a whole of society response, and innovative solutions to address.
“Today, we are happy to announce funding to support new projects which will help to build knowledge of effective media literacy strategies, to evaluate the impact of media literacy initiatives, and to embed media literacy and counter-disinformation supports at the heart of Ireland’s public library network.
“Today’s funding complements An Coimisiún’s ongoing work combatting disinformation through our support for Media Literacy Ireland, and through our funding of high-quality, trusted and independent journalism across Ireland via our Journalism Schemes. I would also like to acknowledge the support of the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, and Minister Patrick O’Donovan in providing funding for these initiatives.’’
The projects funded by Coimisiún na Meán through the Media Literacy and Countering Disinformation call for submissions are:
- ESRI – will develop and test an online tool to measure the effectiveness of media literacy initiatives and monitor resilience to online disinformation in Ireland.
- DCU FuJo/EDMO Ireland – will map media literacy implementation across key Irish sectors; reviewing evidence for countering disinformation through media literacy; and will assess understanding, expectations and needs.
- LGMA – a national public library initiative that aims to embed media literacy and counter-disinformation supports within the established Skills for Life framework, using Ireland’s existing public library network of 30 library authorities and 330 branches.
Minister Patrick O’Donovan said: “As Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, I welcome today’s announcement of €268,000 in funding awarded under the scheme delivered by Coimisún na Meán to support Media Literacy and Countering Disinformation.
“Equipping people with the skills and knowledge about digital, media, and information literacy empowers them to make informed choices about the media they consume, create and disseminate in a critical, creative and responsible manner. It is crucial that people have access to diverse information including what is held in libraries and public bodies about culture, sports, the arts, health, civil and political affairs and human rights.
“Along with support for fact-checking, to be delivered by An Coimisiún, and for research, to be delivered by the Royal Irish Academy, these grants will further support implementation of the National Counter Disinformation Strategy. I look forward to seeing the completed projects from the ERSI, the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) and the DCU FuJo/EDMO Ireland come to fruition.”
The Media Literacy and Countering Disinformation call for submissions was provided with funding allocated as part of Budget 2026, to support the implementation of the National Counter Disinformation Strategy.