Laval media and educators join forces for UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Week
Credit School is loud
Local media representatives and educators came together in Laval on October 27 and 28 for two radio programs focused on media literacy, source verification and critical thinking.
The broadcasts were organized by School Is Loud / L’École fait du Bruit as part of UNESCO’s Global Media and Information Literacy Week and aired live on CISM 89.3 FM from the Carrefour jeunesse-emploi de Laval studio.
The 2026 theme, We All Play a Part – Media and Information Literacy for the People, emphasizes the shared role of schools, families, media and communities in helping people better understand and assess information.
Education and critical thinking on 450 Décibels
On October 27, 450 Décibels, hosted by Bénédicte Elibert, welcomed Quentin Le Béchec of École secondaire Irma-LeVasseur, Alberto Georgian Mihut of Média Laval and Kostas Eleftheriou of School Is Loud.
The discussion focused on critical thinking, explaining ideas with evidence, responsible use of artificial intelligence and the importance of verifying information before sharing it.
Participants also discussed how rumours can change as they pass from one person to another, particularly among young people.
Three Laval media organizations on La13
The following day, La13 brought together representatives from three Laval media organizations.
Benoit LeBlanc, editor-in-chief of Courrier Laval, Alberto Georgian Mihut, general director and editor-in-chief of Média Laval / Média Communautaire Lavallois, and Eduardo Da Costa, general director of TVRL, took part in the bilingual discussion.
Topics included local journalism, source verification, trust in news, editorial decisions surrounding false information and ways to reach younger audiences.
The discussion also addressed the importance of representing different communities in local media and creating opportunities for young people to discover journalism.
Extending the discussion beyond radio
School Is Loud has also published video excerpts from both broadcasts covering topics such as artificial intelligence, source verification, rumours, false information and youth engagement with local news.
The full programs remain available through CISM.
The organization thanked the participating media outlets, CISM 89.3 FM and Carrefour jeunesse-emploi de Laval for supporting the initiative.
School Is Loud is a Laval-based registered charity and a member of UNESCO’s Media and Information Literacy Alliance. Its programs use radio, podcasting and school journalism to help young people develop critical thinking and communication skills.
(R.P)
