From the stories we share to the information we trust, we all have a role to play in building a better-informed world.
We live in a world where information is constantly moving. News travels across borders in seconds, social media shapes conversations, and new technologies are changing how we create, discover and understand the world around us.
But access to more information does not necessarily mean we understand more. Knowing how to question what we see, recognise reliable sources and consider different perspectives has never been more important.
That is the thinking behind Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2026, taking place from 24–31 October under the theme We All Play a Part – Media and Information Literacy for the People.
The annual UNESCO-led initiative brings together people and organisations around the world to explore how media and information literacy can help us navigate an increasingly complex information environment.
For OnePoint5Media, the publisher of Innovators Magazine, this is an opportunity to reflect on the role we all play in making information accessible, meaningful and useful. As a member of UNESCO’s Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Alliance, OnePoint5Media is pleased to support a global conversation about how we understand, evaluate and share information — and how we can all contribute to a better-informed world.
Information is everyone’s business
Media and information literacy is about more than identifying misinformation. It includes understanding where information comes from, how it is produced, whose perspectives are represented and what might be missing.
It also means recognising the difference between evidence and opinion, checking claims before sharing them and being willing to reconsider what we think we know.
These are valuable skills in every part of life — from following the news and making decisions about our health to understanding scientific developments, evaluating environmental claims and engaging in public debate.
The challenge is not simply to find information. It is to make sense of it.
A global effort, with many different perspectives
Global Media and Information Literacy Week creates space for educators, journalists, researchers, policymakers, technology platforms, community organisations and individuals to share experiences and ideas.
Its global programme reflects the many places where media and information literacy matters: in schools and universities, newsrooms, homes, online communities and public institutions.
No single organisation can address every challenge. Progress depends on people bringing different experiences and perspectives to the conversation, while recognising the responsibilities that come with creating and sharing information.
That includes making complex ideas easier to understand, being transparent about sources and uncertainty, and creating opportunities for people to ask questions rather than simply accept what they are told.
Young people aren’t just audiences
Young people are growing up in an information environment that offers extraordinary opportunities for creativity, learning and connection. They are also navigating content that can be difficult to assess, from misleading claims to material designed to attract attention rather than inform.
Supporting young people means going beyond telling them what to trust. It means helping them develop the confidence and skills to ask questions, examine evidence, understand context and make their own informed judgements.
It also means recognising them as contributors.
Through education, creative projects and opportunities to communicate their ideas, young people can help shape the conversations that affect their lives. Their voices and experiences belong in discussions about the future of information, technology and society.
Checking the evidence, not just the headline
For journalists and publishers, these questions are part of the everyday work of communicating responsibly.
At OnePoint5Media and Innovators Magazine, our work involves exploring ideas across innovation, sustainability, science, technology and society, and helping audiences engage with subjects that can sometimes feel complex or inaccessible.
That requires looking beyond the headline, checking claims against credible sources and considering the evidence in its proper context. Where relevant, this includes consulting established research platforms and peer-reviewed studies, as well as checking what the original research actually says and recognising its limitations.
Peer review is an important part of research quality, but it does not remove the need to examine a study’s methods, findings and context. Nor should a statistic or claim be repeated simply because it appears in a reputable publication.
These questions were explored in our earlier article, Fact Checking in the Information Era. The principles remain relevant: consider where a claim originated, who is sharing it, what evidence supports it and whether the wider picture has been represented fairly.
Responsible communication is not just about getting information out into the world. It is about helping people understand what that information means — and what it does not tell us.
Creating opportunities to learn and contribute
Media and information literacy also connects with the way people learn, collaborate and communicate across different backgrounds and disciplines.
Through initiatives such as the Innovation Academy and our Impact Comms Programme, OnePoint5Media has created opportunities for people to exchange ideas, develop communication skills and engage with issues that matter to them.
These experiences reflect an important principle: people are better placed to participate when they have opportunities to learn, ask questions and make their voices heard.
The same principle applies to the wider information environment. Trust is not built by expecting people to accept information unquestioningly. It grows when evidence is accessible, questions are welcomed and different perspectives can be considered thoughtfully.
What part will you play?
Global Media and Information Literacy Week is a reminder that building a better-informed world is a shared responsibility.
Journalists and publishers have a role in checking facts and providing context. Educators can help people develop critical thinking skills. Organisations can communicate their work openly and accurately. Platforms and policymakers have responsibilities too. And each of us can pause before sharing a claim, check its source and consider whether we have the full picture.
Small actions matter, particularly when information moves so quickly.
At OnePoint5Media and Innovators Magazine, we believe that making important ideas accessible, bringing different perspectives together and creating opportunities for people to contribute are all part of building a better-informed world.
During Global Media and Information Literacy Week, we invite our readers to join the conversation.
What helps you decide whether information is trustworthy? How can we make complex ideas easier to understand? And what can we do — individually and collectively — to encourage more thoughtful engagement with the information around us?
Share your perspective, start a conversation or tell us about work making a difference.
We all play a part. The question is what part we choose to play.
#WeAllPlayAPart #GlobalMILWeek
Find out more about Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2026 and UNESCO’s We All Play a Part campaign.
Iain is a writer, journalist and lecturer, and former editor of two international business magazines. Iain is now editor of Innovators Magazine, as well as the creative director for OnePoint5Media.
