Join our MSOM Advisory Panel

Media use and attitudes Media literacy Information for industry Making Sense of Media
Published: 14 March 2024

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Expressions of interest are now open to join our Making Sense of Media Advisory Panel.

Closing date: 12 noon on the 23rd of September 2024

The MSOM advisory panel is a collection of experts for online and broadcast media literacy, providing Ofcom with insight and challenge whilst driving collaboration. We recently published, ‘A Positive Vision for Media Literacy’, a consultation on Ofcom’s Three-Year Media Literacy Strategy.

The MSOM advisory panel will be advising on the opportunities and challenges of the final strategy, to be published in October. This will focus on the three key areas of the strategy: Research, Evidence and Evaluation, Engaging Platforms, and People and Partnerships.

The panel have a key role to play in our ‘collaboration first’ approach and providing access to diversity of perspectives, experience and expertise.

Panel members will be asked to use  individual area of expertise, whether in traditional media literacy or edge of remit, to highlight opportunities and issues for our current strategy and where longer term collective effort may be necessary

We envisage that this will not only deliver for Ofcom but influencing sector level and societal change.

The MSOM Panel is a non-statutory voluntary forum and membership is by Ofcom invitation. Membership of the panel is for 24 months, with the option for Ofcom to extend membership by a further twelve months.

Activities

The Panel will be advising Ofcom’s MSOM programme and team as they work to deliver the outcomes in Ofcom’s Three-Year Media Literacy Strategy- with a specific focus on the following activities;

  • Sounding board and critical friend; providing advice and critical challenge ,  ensuring the Ofcom ML work programme and activities delivers on key policy challenges and meets the stated objectives.
  • Connector; ensuring we are in touch with the right people at the right time to inform evidence, initiatives and sector wide best practice.
  • Horizon scanning; supporting our edge of remit thinking on media literacy, highlighting new themes and issues for consideration with a particular focus on identifying opportunities for early intervention and issues where longer-term collective effort may be necessary

Ways of working

  • Meetings may be in person, online, or hybrid as appropriate.
  • The panel will have full meetings a minimum of 3 times per year, spread throughout the year. Separate meetings to discuss particular themes may be convened with Panel Members, or a subset of members, on an informal basis, and Panel Members may be invited to participate in additional activities that support the MSOM team’s work, including events and conferences.
  • We anticipate the time commitment required will be 3 days per year for panel specific activities, meetings and discussions. This is a voluntary forum without renumeration.

How to apply

To express your interest in the MSOM Advisory Panel please email makingsenseofmedia@ofcom.org.uk with answers to the following question.

  1. What is your area of expertise or interest for the MSOM advisory panel? (200 words max).
  2. How can you support Ofcom’s media literacy work through the following activities? (400 words max).
    • Sounding board and critical friend; have an informal oversight function of the working groups, providing advice, critical challenge and a holistic view, hence ensuring the Ofcom ML work programme and activities delivers on key policy challenges and objectives.
    • Connector; ensuring we are in touch with the right people at the right time to inform evidence, initiatives and sector wide best practice.
    • Horizon scanning; supporting our edge of remit thinking on media literacy, highlighting new themes and issues for consideration with a particular focus on identifying opportunities for early intervention and issues where longer-term collective effort may be necessary
  3. Is there anything else you would like to highlight that you could offer the panel? (200 words max).

Follow up calls with potential panellists will be scheduled for the week of the 30th of September.

Please note that successful applicants will be invited to join a handover panel meeting with the outgoing panel on the morning of the 23rd October.

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