European Parliament, 3 December (11’00-13’00)

It is essential today that all citizens acquire digital and media competences in order to ensure their interactions with media are positive and enriching.  Media literacy should not be treated as an isolated or independent skill. It is a necessary part of active citizenship and is key to the full development of freedom of expression and to the right to information. It is therefore an essential part of participative democracy and intercultural dialogue. Educators all over Europe are confronted with issues related to media literacy. In some countries, specific programmes have been put in place to answer to challenges such as an increasing online hate speech, the effects of bullying or data protection, especially when using social media. Media literacy is also about making sure that learners have the necessary skills to benefit from technology. Besides, more often than not, digital literacy conditions one’s employability; for instance, there is a growing pressure to ensure all learners acquire basic knowledge in coding. How should our educational systems, parents and educators, address those issues, so important for building sound democracies and smart economies?

Read the Media literacy: XXI Century challenge Report