Panel
Panel Title:
Ready to Act: Media Literacy and the Role of Australia’s Public Libraries
Panel Presenters:
Ruairí Doyle, Dr Tanya Notley, Antonia Kumar, Ross McCaul
Panel Date:
Tuesday 12 May 2026 | 3:30pm – 4:00pm
Presentation Description:
Moderated by Ruairí Doyle, CEO of PressReader, this panel brings together Dr Tanya Notley (Western Sydney University and the Australian Media Literacy Alliance), Antonia Kumar (City of Parramatta Libraries), and senior representatives from Nationwide Media and The Guardian Australia. Drawing on new joint research from ALIA and PressReader, the discussion examines what the survey reveals about media literacy in Australian public libraries, including frontline realities, the growing influence of misinformation and AI, and the critical role of quality journalism. By uniting library, research and publishing perspectives, this session explores how cross‑sector collaboration can strengthen media literacy and better support communities across Australia.
Ruairí Doyle
CEO
PressReader
Dr Tanya Notley
Professor
Western Sydney University
Presenter Bio
Dr Tanya Notley is a Professor at Western Sydney University, a board member of the Australian Media Literacy Alliance, and Project Lead for Advancing Media Literacy in Australia. Tanya brings national and international insight into media literacy policy, frameworks, and the role institutions like libraries play in the broader media literacy ecosystem.
Antonia Kumar
City of Parramatta Libraries
Presenter Bio
Antonia Kumar is from City of Parramatta Libraries, working on the frontline in one of Australia’s most diverse communities. Antonia brings real‑world experience of how media literacy shows up in everyday library interactions—often without being labelled as such.
Ross McCaul
Nationwide Media Australia
Presenter Bio
Ross McCaul joins us from NewsCorp Australia. Ross represents a major news publisher navigating changing trust dynamics, misinformation, and audience behaviour—and the role journalism plays in supporting media literacy