For media literacy teach
News and media literacy groups are calling on Europe to include journalism in media literacy education. Students need to know how to spot news they can trust.
In addition to teaching media literacy to safeguard young people in Europe’s schools from the dangers of the digital age, educators must also emphasize the importance of journalism. That’s the claim made by almost two dozen media literacy instructors and journalists in the area. For media literacy teach
On 11 April they jointly submitted additional language for a draft checklist of European standards for media literacy in response to an invitation for input by the drafters of the standards, a working group at the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO).
According to the group’s idea, “the necessary role of journalism in European democracy” should be considered, specifically that:
- Journalism differs from other content due to its codification as important for the success of a democratic form of government.
- This form of information puts an emphasis on ethical practice and verification to inform the public.
- Understanding the elements of the ethical journalism that produces quality content also contributes to the ability to decipher the nature of other content.
- It is important to explore the judicial, political and physical attacks some journalists face just to do their jobs.
The group contends that such courses should be incorporated in fundamental media literacy curriculum because of the growing antagonism toward journalists and individuals who practice it, especially considering that journalism is codified in EU statute. For media literacy teach
— most recently in the European Media Freedom Act — as having a key civic role.
Differentiating between journalism and polemics
News Decoder is one of the supporters of the suggested language.
A knowledge of journalism and its tenets is a prerequisite for teaching media literacy, according to editorial news director of News Decoder Marcy Burstiner. “Teaching youth to distinguish reliable sources from unreliable ones is the only effective strategy against misinformation and disinformation. They must be aware of the guidelines and procedures that moral journalists adhere to. For media literacy teach
She claimed that there is a global underappreciation of journalism and the work that journalists do. Burstiner stated, “Young people also need to understand that it is frequently difficult and dangerous to gather and report accurate information that questions government and authority.” You need to grasp it in order to be media literate.
Other proponents of the additional language include organizations that encourage democracy, journalism, and media literacy throughout Europe and beyond, as well as individuals with credentials in media literacy. For media literacy teach
Among the individual backers is Mogens Schmidt, a former director of the European Journalism Center and assistant director general for communication and information at UNESCO. For media literacy teach
Schmidt stated, “I truly support these extremely relevant recommendations on teaching media and information literacy in all levels of education.” It is more crucial than ever to teach kids and young people to distinguish professional journalism because misinformation and deception are two major threats to media in the modern world.
Children’s News Europe and Global Youth & News Media jointly organized the initiative.
As media literacy adviser at Global Youth & News Media, Josh LaPorte, remarked, “We applaud the approach the EDMO working group has taken.” The draft is understandable and useful. We are confident that our recommendation will introduce a crucial component that strengthens democracy.
Teaching critical media consumption early
Children’s News Europe member Sonja Merljak Zdovc, editor of Časoris in Slovenia, argued that those lessons need to start early with children.
By doing this, we can perhaps instill in them the habit of relying on trustworthy sources of information when kids grow up and know where to go to verify the information they see on sites like YouTube or TikTok, Zdovc added.
Institutional supporters of the additional language include both regional and national providers of media literacy instruction, such as the Macedonian Media Institute, France’s Association pour l’Education aux Médias (APEM), Nieuws in de klas (The Netherlands), Finland’s Media Kasvatus, Ireland’s PressPass and the Belgium-based regional nonprofit Lie Detectors.
Etienne Millien, director of APEM, states that a deeper comprehension of journalism’s value, methods, and social function is the foundation of media literacy.
According to Millien, comprehending journalism is knowing why news is important and how to get it as efficiently as feasible.
In a democratic society, knowledge is a shared good, according to Millien. “Knowing journalism means knowing how to defend democracies from internal and external threats, such as manipulation, disinformation, and corruption. For media literacy teach
Teaching how journalism matters
Anne Browne, who has been teaching Irish 16-year-olds in the PressPass media literacy program for six years, agrees that it’s an important exercise. In a European context today, teaching our students that journalism matters and the reasons why is a key responsibility of teachers, the speaker stated.
These fundamentals are taught in all of Northern Macedonia’s elementary schools.
According to Biljana Petkovska, Director of the Macedonian Institute for Media, which oversees the You Think program, “we help educators teach children why journalism matters, how journalists work, and what are the ethical standards they follow
According to Petkovska, our method teaches students how to distinguish hate speech and misinformation while also teaching them the value of freedom of expression, moral behavior in the media, and the distinction between facts and opinions. For media literacy teach
According to Petkovska, our method teaches students how to distinguish hate speech and misinformation while also teaching them the value of freedom of expression, moral behavior in the media, and the distinction between facts and opinions. For media literacy teach
Major pan-European journalism entities have also expressed support, including the European Journalism Centre, the European Federation of Journalists that represents more than 300,000 journalists and the European Journalism Training Association that unites more than 80 educational entities
Renate Schroeder, director of the European Federation of Journalists, states that a more thorough explanation is needed regarding the significance of independent journalism for our more vulnerable democracies. For media literacy teach
Why is journalism so expensive, and why is the watchdog function of journalists necessary? Schroeder enquired. What makes information provided by journalists different from comments on social media that aren’t based on independent investigation and analysis but frequently spread more quickly than the facts?
Literacy competence includes information from news.
Communications scholars also see the need for teaching such basic lessons. For media literacy teach
“Journalism is a profession under pressure – culturally, economically and politically,” said Mark Dreuze, media studies professor at the University of Amsterdam. “It is a crucial literacy competence to understand and appreciate what goes into professionally producing news and information that is of public value, verified by practitioners committed to uncover the truth.” For media literacy teach
Support is also coming on the international level, including from the Global Forum for Media Development, which unites 88 media development and journalism support organizations worldwide, the International Center for Journalists, which has long worked to build the expertise and digital skills journalists need to deliver trustworthy news, and the Media Diversity Institute, which encourages accurate and nuanced reporting on race, religion, ethnicity, class, disability, gender and sexual identity issues around the world. For media literacy teach
“It is alarming that even policy makers in the field of media ignore journalism more and more while focusing on social media,” said Milica Pesic, executive director at the Media Diversity Institute. For media literacy teach
“Yes, one could say — and studies show it — that the news media are not anymore the gatekeepers of the news, that role prevailingly taken over by social media,” Pesic said. “But without good journalism / public interest journalism it is democracy which is at stake, thus the importance of learning about journalism as media literacy Lesson Number 1.”
Understanding where information comes from
The EDMO-established working group has engaged in extensive and frequent collaboration to gather feedback aimed at refining the proposed media literacy standards. Creating high-quality standards, guidelines, and best practices that both novice and seasoned practitioners can refer to to boost the efficacy of their initiatives is the organization’s overarching mission. For media literacy teach
The project is managed by a consortium led by the European University Institute (EUI) School of Transnational Governance in Florence, Italy. The consortium includes the Athens Technology Center of Greece, Aarhus University of Denmark and the fact-checking organization Pagella Politica of Italy as well as 14 partner national hubs.
A full list of supporters and additional comments can be found here.
Established in 1972, the European Union Institute (EUI) receives support from its contracting states, the European Union (Erasmus+), and its own sources of income, which include competitive research grants, collaborations with public and private entities, and executive education. For media literacy teach
Paul Mahailidis, the director of The Salzburg Academy on Media and Global Change in Austria and faculty chair, stated that learning about the news industries, how news is gathered and disseminated, and how technology is affecting news today should be at the center of any initiative promoting media literacy.
A strong grasp of news techniques is still necessary for a functioning civic society everywhere, and media literate cultures prioritize knowledge of journalism, according to Mahailidis.
