Media Literacy Week

Media Literacy Week

Media Literacy is the “The ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create,and act using all forms of communication.”

Media Literacy Week is sponsored nationally by the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE), a nationally observed non-partisan effort with a mission to highlight the power of media literacy education and its essential role in education today. For more information about National Media Literacy Week, visit medialiteracyweek.us. 

Media Literacy Week at Indiana University is organized and sponsored by IU Columbus and IU Indy, with events hosted IU campus wide. No matter your location, you can connect virtually (and often in person)! All listed events are free and open to the public. No registration needed for most events. See details below.

2026 Schedule of Events

Wednesday, Oct. 14, 6-7 p.m.: Civics here in Columbus: Dissecting Political Advertising

  • Learn how to spot persuasion tactics, bias, and misinformation in political ads, and how to fact-check what you see. Bartholomew County Public Library Eastside location, Community Room

 

Monday

Monday, Oct. 26, 6-7:30 p.m.: AI and the Media

  • Featuring Kevin Jones and Terry Dibble. Columbus Learning Center, Room 2205

 

Tuesday

Tuesday, Oct. 27, 10:30-11:30: Augmented Reality Workshop

  • Led by Ming Chen, learn the web-based augmented reality game development platform Assemblr Studio. IU Indianapolis, Idea Garden, Hine Hall, Room IP106

 

Wednesday

Wednesday, Oct. 28, 9-10 a.m.: Digital Wellness Workshop 

  •  Let by Joe Rubin. Digital Wellness is a term that commonly refers to the identified detrimental effects of social media on one’s mental well-being. Yet the go-to response is often a focus on limiting screen time, curbing addiction, contemplating AI and holding platform creators accountable.
    While acknowledging the importance of the above, Media Education Lab educator Joe Rubin emphasizes the development of a critical understanding of today's media options as a practical, enduring means for healthier, informed content choices and appreciation for true artistic expression. IU Columbus Summerville Room or join on zoom.

Wednesday, Oct. 28, 12:30-1:45 p.m.: Lines of Deception, Slights of Hand, and Grasping for Truth, Oh My! How Palmistry Fallacies Relate to Information Literacy.

  • Featuring Joe Huber and KT Lowe. We’ll explain the mistaken assumptions people must accept for palmistry to seem believable. Then, we’ll connect those same mistakes in thinking to contemporary information and entertainment media that you likely consume in your everyday consumption of media. IU East Library #142 or join on zoom.

 

Wednesday, Oct. 28, 3:55-5:10 p.m.: Power in Knowing: A Media Evaluation Workshop

  • This one‑hour classroom presentation is led by the Center of Excellence for Women & Technology’s IUB Women Rising Team centers on the theme of Evaluating Media Literacy. The session guides students through understanding how to assess credibility, identify bias, interpret messaging, and recognize the broader influence of media on individuals and society. The presentation equips students with a clear framework for evaluating media messages and encourages thoughtful reflection on how media shapes knowledge, beliefs, and civic engagement through activities and interactive Q&A! Fine Arts Building 015; with MSCH-C101 class or via zoom.

Wednesday, Oct. 28, 5:30-6:30 p.m.: Create a Portfolio with Purpose
  • Join the Experience Design and Media Makers teams on a collaborative portfolio workshop where participants can explore ways to showcase their skills, projects, and creativity. A media literacy segment will help attendees think critically about how their work is framed, who it reaches, and what it communicates. Participants will look at how images, captions, and layout shape an audience's interpretation, and how to present their work with intention and purpose, rather than by default.  Center of Excellence for Women and Technology (501 N Park Ave, Bloomington) or via zoom. Register now.

 

Wednesday, Oct. 28, 7-8 p.m.: Teaching students to think critically when chatbots agree with them: Metacognition and media literacy in the age of AI

  • Led by Brooke Baker and Chris Sperry. This interactive webinar explore how the affirming and validating nature of conversational AI can make critical evaluation more difficult for students.

 

Thursday

Thursday, Oct. 29: Avatarization of the Social Web and Gaming

  • 9-10 a.m.: Indianapolis: Idea Garden, Hine Hall, Room 106
  • 10:30-11:45: Indianapolis: Innovation Hall Room 105
  • Led by Zeb Wood, this talk explores how the "avatar," originally a Sanskrit word for a god taking human form, has become the way we present ourselves online, from early chat-room usernames and video game characters to streamers, social media filters, and AI-generated influencers and companions. It looks ahead to a future where virtual and augmented reality let us show up as digital versions of ourselves in many places at once, and asks who owns our likeness when it can be copied, faked, or automated. The session ends with practical principles for building avatars that respect people's choices, privacy, and right to represent themselves fairly. 

 

Thursday, Oct. 29, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Media Literacy Information Table

  • Swag, facts, handouts and free books from BCPL Book Express. IU Columbus CLC Main Street

 

Thursday, Oct. 29, 1-2 p.m.: Talking Leaves Launch

  • Celebrate the latest edition of the award-winning IU Columbus literary student magazine. IU Columbus lawn (rain location: Summerville Room)

 
Thursday, Oct. 29, 6-9 p.m.: Film Screening of Your Attention Please: Reclaiming Humanity in a Digital Age

  • As the real-world consequences of social media come into focus, a resilient coalition of parents, Gen Z reformers and whistleblowers are swinging back.
  • IU Indy Lecture Hall, Room 101, 325 University Blvd, Indianapolis, IN 46202

 

For more information about Media Literacy Week, please contact Pamela Morris (pammorri@iu.edu) at IU Columbus or Kym Kramer (kakramer@iu.edu) at IU Indianapolis.