2024 Keynote Speakers
David Buckingham is a scholar, writer and consultant specializing in young people, media and education. He is an Emeritus Professor at Loughborough University, and a Visiting Professor at King’s College London. He was for many years a Professor of Education at the Institute of Education, London University (now part of UCL), where he was the founder and director of the Centre for the Study of Children, Youth and Media. David is a leading internationally recognized expert on children’s and young people’s interactions with electronic media, and on media literacy education. He has directed more than 25 externally-funded research projects on these issues, and been a consultant for bodies such as UNESCO, the United Nations, Unicef, the European Commission, Ofcom (the UK media regulator), and the UK government. David continues to undertake research, consultancy and evaluation, most recently for organizations such as the Media Education Association, Space Studios, and Family, Kids and Youth. David is the author, co-author or editor of 32 books, and more than 220 articles and book chapters. His work has been translated into 15 languages and his publications include his most recent, The Media Education Manifesto (2019).
Sally Reynolds is Chief Operating Officer, Media & Learning Association/ Director Media Literacy EDMOeu. With a background in audiovisual media production and European cross-border collaboration, Sally has been working part-time as the Chief Operational Officer of the Media & Learning Association since October 2015. In this capacity, she has been responsible for the annual Media & Learning Conferences, communications channels including the monthly Media & Learning newsletter and the day-to-day management of the association and its various projects and initiatives. Through her work in the association, Sally has been actively engaged in various media literacy activities for several years and is currently the Director of Media Literacy for EDMOeu as well as being an observer in the European Commission's Media Literacy Experts group. She was also a member of the European Commission's Expert Group on Tackling disinformation and promoting digital literacy through education and training in 2022 which drafted guidelines for teachers and is an active member of EMIL, EPRA's media literacy taskforce as well as leading and supporting several media literacy projects funded by the European Commission and EMIF. Sally also works regularly as a reviewer and evaluator for the European Commission.
Antonio López, PhD, is a leading international specialist of media literacy education. With a research focus on bridging sustainability with media literacy, he is currently one of the top global experts in the field of ecomedia literacy. As an authority in media literacy, he is regularly interviewed in the media about “fake news” (including on NPR and BBC). Antonio has written four books, Mediacology: A Multicultural Approach to Media Literacy in the 21st Century (Peter Lang, 2008), The Media Ecosystem: What Ecology Can Teach Us About Responsible Media Practice (Evolver Editions, 2012), Greening Media Education (Peter Lang, 2014), and Ecomedia Literacy: Integrating Ecology Into Media Education (Routledge, 2021). Antonio is the lead editor of The Routledge Handbook of Ecomedia Studies (2024).