Digitisation changed all aspects of the news media landscape, from the way content is created, to how it is distributed and interacted with. Three phenomena shape the face and fate of news media in Europe: decreasing trust and information disorder, digitisation and changing user behaviour, and dominance of global technology and AI. They rock the foundations of the journalist profession. MediaNumeric provides students and young professionals in media and communication studies the theoretical know-how and skills needed to embolden them to take on the opportunities of data-driven journalism and media production. And highlights the potential of using large multimedia databases for data-driven innovations. The Alliance captures the needs of the news and media industry and ties them to the educational offer of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). It brings together leading actors in academia, industry and audiovisual archives from four EU Member States embedded in the most prominent networks.Three complementary training modules of MediaNumeric cover key subjects critical to data-driven journalism; search and exploration of multimedia data, storytelling, and tracking and debunking disinformation. Third parties are engaged in discussions related to these subjects through a Stakeholder Board, and in effect inform the programme design. The programme is co-developed and tested in three successive training courses (in NL, PL, FR), targeting international groups of students. Training materials are packaged so they can be used as online, open-access learning materials, either as comprehensive, integrated courses or as granular modules. A communication strategy is in place to maximise the uptake of the programme by HEIs across the EU and disseminate outcomes to the other Target Groups; archives, policymakers and the media industry. Sustainability is ensured by putting in place measures that keep the training material updated and support the HEI that use the learning materials.
The main objective of MediaNumeric is to provide students in journalism and communication studies theoretical know-how & skills needed to embolden them to take on the opportunities that data-driven innovations bring. Through this curriculum MedNum aims to educate a new generation of journalists and multimedia makers, giving them the tools to help create a European media ecosystem, that is user-driven, fair & balanced, economically sustainable and technologically advanced.
MedNum was developed because of a recognised gap between the data-journalism skills needs of the media industry & the those being taught in HEIs.Need:•Highly specific/new competencies (eg. technical skills in data-mining & visualisation) to reduce skills gap found in media professionals.•Course to highlight tech, media ethics & potential of using large AV databases.Our Response:•Develop & launch a free, high-level, online training for students/young professionals & offer content to HEIs.
<< Background >> MedNum was developed because of a recognised gap between the data-journalism skills needs of the media industry & the those being taught in HEIs.Need:•Highly specific/new competencies (eg. technical skills in data-mining & visualisation) to reduce skills gap found in media professionals.•Course to highlight tech, media ethics & potential of using large AV databases.Our Response:•Develop & launch a free, high-level, online training for students/young professionals & offer content to HEIs. << Objectives >> The main objective of MediaNumeric is to provide students in journalism and communication studies theoretical know-how & skills needed to embolden them to take on the opportunities that data-driven innovations bring. Through this curriculum MedNum aims to educate a new generation of journalists and multimedia makers, giving them the tools to help create a European media ecosystem, that is user-driven, fair & balanced, economically sustainable and technologically advanced. << Implementation >> To achieve the above objective, MedNum developed a cross-sectoral Alliance of media industry, academic & cultural heritage actors. Together MedNum developed a 3-module curriculum focused on: data-driven journalism, storytelling and fact-checking. This curriculum was tested across 3 week-long, in-person trainings bringing together students & teachers from 3 countries. The curriculum was also validated by a European Stakeholder Board of experts. The in-person course was then adapted for online. << Results >> The main result is a high-level, comprehensive online training course freely available to journalism/communication students & young professionals. This resource, the MediaNumeric Academy www.medianumericacedmy.eu, is also available to HEIs to incorporate the entire course, or specific materials, into their class offering. Extensive state-of-the-art & needs analysis research that is the backbone of the course, is hosted on the project website. A strategy for long-term sustainability is in place.