A European approach to MEDIA LITERACY

A Commission’s Communication

Niels B. BEKKHUSUnit MEDIA and Media LiteracyDirectorate Audiovisual, Media, InternetDG Information Society and Media – European Commission

Paris, 30 June 2008

Context and background

• Adopted on 20/12/07

• Work started in 2006

• Respect of the subsidiarity principle

• Completing EU AV policy under i2010

Why Media Literacy?

• The media change

• The media consumption and use change

• The challenges change

Media Literacy: the ability to…

• Access

• Understand and critically evaluate

• Create and communicate

Media Literacy relates to…

• All media

• Citizenship, freedom, rights and democracy

• Audiovisual heritage and cultural identity

• Empowerment of citizens

The Communication focuses on three areas

• Commercial Communication

• Audiovisual works

• Online environment

Media Literacy for advertisement

• Young people: tools for critical approach

• Raise awareness and knowledge about measures and codes of conduct

• Encourage public/private financing

Media Literacy for audiovisual works

• European film heritage

• Increase interest in European films

• Audiovisual production and creativity skills

• The importance of copyright

Media Literacy for online

• Digital creativity and production skills

• Awareness of copyright issues

• Awareness about search engines

• Information society: everyone’s benefit!

Policy objectives

• Exchange of good practices

• Promotion of media literacy

• Promote research into assessment criteria

Next steps

• Council Conclusions

• Parliament will probably push the issue

• Opinion from Committee of the Regions

The Communication on Media Literacy

• The Communication:http://ec.europa.eu/avpolicy/media_literacy/docs/com/en.pdf:

• Media literacy on the Commission website:http://ec.europa.eu/avpolicy/media_literacy/index_en.htm

Niels B. BEKKHUS

niels.bekkhus@ec.europa.eu

European CommissionDG Information Society and MediaDirectorate A - Audiovisual, Media, Internet