The European Media and Information Fund (EMIF) opened three calls for proposals for projects in Europe aiming to fight disinformation on 27 January 2023. EMIF will distribute up to €4,800,000 across three areas of interventions:
- ·Investigations into Disinformation Dynamics
- Research for a Transparent and Resilient Information Ecosystem
- Media and Information Literacy for Societal Resilience
"Investigations into Disinformation Dynamics” supports investigation projects that explore disinformation is funded, created, and disseminated across Europe. These projects are aimed to improve the understanding of the phenomenon and its impact on European citizens. The maximum grant size per project in this area is €150,000 with a duration of up to nine months.
With a maximum grant size of €400,000 and a maximum duration of 18 months, "Research for a Transparent and Resilient Information Ecosystem" supports projects that work to better understand the causes and impacts of disinformation on society. Additionally generating knowledge on how to respond this phenomenon and fill the existing information gaps.
"Media and Information Literacy Enhancing Societal Resilience" supports initiatives that provide citizens with the tools and skills to detect disinformation and thus counter its harmful effects. The projects funded by this call can run up to 18 months with a maximum grant amount of €400,000.
The calls will remain open until 28 April 2023 at 12:59 CET. Legal entities (partnerships or consortia) located in the EU, EFTA and UK can apply for funding. EMIF will host an online information session on 24 February 2023 to explain the application process and answer questions of prospective applicants. For more information on the calls and applicants’ eligibility, can be found on the EMIF website.
EMIF Funded Projects – Media Literacy Champions
In 2022, EMIF distributed €5.7 Million in grants for 33 projects fighting disinformation in Europe. One of the organisations funded by EMIF is The Student View under the Media and Information Literacy grant. The UK media literacy charity is partnering with investigative journalists from Bellingcat, education specialists from the PSHE Association, and data analysts from Demos for the 18-month 'training of trainer' programme “Media Literacy Champions”. This project aims to reach 2,000 students in low-income communities by training 100 secondary school teachers to improve the students’ critical thinking and media literacy skills. By narrowing the media literacy gap and diversifying journalism, the project will also rejuvenate local news deserts and empower young people to report on stories that matter to their communities. According to Bejay Mulenga, Executive Director of The Student View, "Our aim is to ensure school children across the UK experience high-quality media literacy education in the next 10 years, and this new grant from the European Media and Information Fund is a big step in helping us make this vision a reality."
About the European Media and Information Fund
The European Media and Information Fund is a funding tool that pursues objectives of public interest and provides grants, awarded on a competitive basis to research, fact-checking, and news media organisations, as well as to not for-profit organisations and other public interest-oriented bodies with a solid track record in research into disinformation, fact-checking, investigative journalism and media literacy.
Established in 2022 with an inaugural donation by Google, EMIF is managed by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the European University Institute's School of Transnational Governance and has already supported 33 projects in 21 European countries.