Guidelines for Broadcasters on Promoting User-Generated Content and Media and Information Literacy

In response to broadcasting organisations wanting guidelines to help them promote user-generated content (UGC) and media and information literacy (MIL), this reference document was written to address these two subjects. It includes outlining a typology of UGC, a discussion of who contributes UGC, and guidance on promoting MIL and UGC in formal and non-formal education and in communities. It was supported by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in partnership with the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA). While written principally for broadcasters, these guidelines may also interest regulators, media education organisations, the wider media industry, and all those interested in promoting both UGC and MIL.

According to the Introduction, "growth in ‘user-generated content’ (UGC) [audience contributions to broadcasters - from phone-ins and ‘letters to the editor’, to vox pops and eye witness accounts] provides broadcasters with numerous opportunities; they have greater access to a higher volume and increased diversity of content for both news and non-news programming and the UGC they are offered also provides a vehicle for strengthening their relationship with audiences....The aim of these guidelines is to provide ...assistance by outlining ways in which broadcasters can promote MIL to their audiences and at the same time encourage the production of relevant UGC for broadcast. The promotion of UGC and MIL and the use of UGC are vital for helping the media to fulfil its democratic functions in society. By providing not only a space for the public to express themselves but also the skills and capacity to take part in public debate, broadcasters can ensure that citizens’ right to freedom of expression is realised."

The document includes: background on key issues, challenges, and opportunities; a section discussing UGC typology, treatment, and guidelines; a discussion of audience contributions; a section on the promotion of MIL and UGC in formal and non-formal education; a section on the promotion of MIL and UGC in communities; and a section focused on skills development in digital photography, filming, and audio and voice recording, as well as a discussion of what is appropriate and legal.

For more information, contact: Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA)cba@cba.org.ukMartin Scott School of International Development University of East Anglia (UEA)martin.scott@uea.ac.uk