by Caitríona Ní Chonaill
We here at the National Student Media Awards and Oxygen.ie are pleased to announce Coimisiún na Meán as a sponsor this year, continuing on from their sponsorship of the SMEDIA Awards in 2023.
But what is Coimisiún na Meán? The organisation has been established to further the work of the Online Safety and Media Regulations: i.e. they are Ireland’s new commission for regulating broadcasters and online media, and supporting media development. They are building on the work done by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, whose staff and responsibilities have been transferred to Coimisiún na Meán. Properly functioning broadcast and online media are essential to everyone’s fundamental rights in a democratic society. They therefore work with all stakeholders for the benefit of people in Ireland and across Europe.
They are committed to ensuring a thriving, diverse and safe online and media landscape. This means having a mix of different voices, opinions and sources of news. This means protecting children and all of us from harmful content.
Coimisiún na Meán’s work will include:
- Setting up a new regulatory regime for online safety.
- Regulating broadcasting and on-demand services.
- Supporting the development of the wider media sector with funding schemes, together with initiatives to promote the Irish language, media literacy, as well as equality, diversity and inclusion in the media sector.
We here at Oxygen.ie and The SMEDIAS 2024 appreciate their sponsorship of a category for this year’s awards!