Illinois Media Literacy Coalition

Creating a more media literate Illinois.

Our Mission

The Illinois Media Literacy Coalition is a group of educators, practitioners, and scholars dedicated to improving media literacy education in the state of Illinois.

We do so through the study of the wide variety of media literacy models and materials available to teachers to identify best practices and core competencies that are part of media literacy and its various subdomains.

We offer guidance and training on core media literacy competencies to enable educators and administrators to take full advantage of the variety of materials available for building skills in mindful media consumption and creation.

CALL FOR 2026 SUBMISSIONS

“Media Literacy Provocations” Publication

We invite written contributions of up to 5,000 words (all-inclusive) in the form of essays, case studies, and reflective accounts that respond to and extend the conversations that began at the Jam. Where the platform allows, contributors are also encouraged to integrate multimedia elements, such as video and audio, into their submissions.

Schedule
July 15, 2026 Submissions due
Aug 1, 2026 Notification of acceptance
Sept 7, 2026 Review and revision requests (sent)
Sept 28, 2026 Revisions (due)
Dec 31, 2026 Publication (live)

**To submit future proposals about ML research and/or joining the 2027 planning committee, send inquiries to Yonty Friesem or Michael A. Spikes or Anna Kozlowska-Barrios or Pamela Morris.

Managing Editor:

Michael Spikes, Northwestern University
michael.spikes@northwestern.edu

Section Editors:

Yonty Friesem, Columbia College Chicago yfriesem@colum.edu
Anna Kozlowska-Barrios, University of Illinois Chicago akozlows@uic.edu
Pamela Morris, Indiana University Columbus pamelam@mediaeducationlab.com

Coalition Collaborations

The 2nd Annual MediaEd Research Jam

How do we measure? What do we value? Where do we coalesce?

March 12–13, 2026, national and international media literacy educators and researchers met at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. Progressive presentations were shared, reviewed, discussed, and developed during this two-day, in-person event. Collaborative salons were designed to spark research partnerships and developed educational strategies which address current challenges in media literacy education.

To foster collaboration and meaningful discussion, the Research Jam focused on three research provocations:

What counts as Media Literacy Education?
How do we assess success in Media Literacy Education?
How can Media Literacy ethics help bridge political divides?

This gathering was co-sponsored by the Illinois Media Literacy Coalition, Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, Columbia College, the Media Education Lab, and the UNESCO MIL Alliance North America & Europe Chapter.

Get Involved

** During Fall, 2025, Chicago Journalists Association & some members of ILMLC collaborated at Columbia College to share reflections and ideas to move forward with students in Illinois of all ages.

**Youth Media Reporter (YMR) needs your voice and of the youth that you serve! YMR is the professional multi-media journal that serves practitioners, educators, scholars and youth in the field of youth media. YMR’s mission is to advance youth media by documenting, from multiple perspectives, insights and leading lessons in engaging young people in media making practices across a diverse range of forms, modes, and genres based on the principles of participatory action research. YMR explores the multiple ways that young people and adult allies create and use media to participate in and shape communities where they live and learn. YMR engages a variety of stakeholders to identify issues, pedagogies, opportunities and challenges of importance to the youth media field. Yearly Deadlines: We publish three issues per year (fall, winter, and summer). We accept entries on a rolling basis. In order to submit to a specific issue, make sure to review the following deadlines:
> August 1st for fall issue
> December 1st for winter issue
> April 1st for summer issue

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City of Seattle Community Tech}