Media and Information Literacy: Policy and Strategy Guidelines

"Affording citizens with MIL competencies contributes to free, independent and pluralistic media and information systems, thereby improving the quality of information they provide. While free media is perhaps taken for granted in the western world, more than a third of the world's population lives in countries where media and other information providers are not free. MIL policies and strategies should be underpinned by the fact that media and information competencies enable citizens to know their media and information rights and equally their responsibilities (related to ethics and citizenship...) to demand free access to information through independent and diverse media and other information providers."

With a focus on the importance of media of all types as central to development, this resource explores media and information literacy (MIL), characterised here as "a basis for enhancing access to information and knowledge, freedom of expression, and quality education. It describes skills, and attitudes that are needed to value the functions of media and other information providers, including those on the Internet, in societies and to find, evaluate and produce information and media content; in other words, it covers the competencies that are vital for people to be effectively engaged in all aspects of development." The term MIL recognises the importance of all forms of media (including community media) and of all information providers including libraries, archives, museums, and those on the internet. It takes into consideration not only information and communication technologies (ICTs) but also oral traditions, thus stressing how MIL can increase citizens' understanding of the importance of preserving oral heritage. This comprehensive approach draws on the convergence between telecommunication and broadcasting, as well as drawing on many forms of media and information providers.

The resource is divided into two parts. Part 1 is the MIL Policy Brief, designed for policy or decision makers. Part 2 is divided into several comprehensive chapters and suggests: 1) how to employ MIL as a development tool; 2) conceptual frameworks for MIL policies and strategies; and 3) model MIL policy and strategies that can be adapted by countries globally.

The conceptual model of MIL presented in Figure 1 (pages 15-16) recognises the importance of all forms of media and of all other information providers, which is represented by the centre circle in the model. This circle represents the information resources and the means by which information is communicated and the media as an institution (e.g., radio, television, newspapers, libraries, archives, museums, mobile devices, oral traditions, etc.). The second circle from the centre ("purpose") summarises research findings on the reasons why people use information and engage with media and other information providers, such as entertainment, association, identification, surveillance, and enlightenment. The third circle from the centre ("understanding") refers to the basic knowledge that all citizens should have about the operations, functions, nature, and established professional and ethical standards of all forms of media and other information providers. The final circle ("process and practice") communicates the various steps that should be taken or competencies citizens should possess to effectively create and use information and media content ethically, as well as engaging with media and other information providers in their social, economic, political, cultural, and personal lives.

The next section of the resource explores the benefits of MIL policies and strategies. The central point here is: "Research shows that integrating MIL in all aspects of society including in formal and non-formal education and engendering MIL as an engaging civic education movement have clear benefits for the citizen, for the government, for the quality of media and information systems and research institutions." For example, in the field of education, when coupled with MIL, ICTs can serve to build a bridge between learning that takes place in a physical classroom space and that which occurs in the digital space. Also, MIL equips teachers with enhanced knowledge to empower future citizens and helps to enhance education outcomes by equipping citizens with the necessary competencies to participate fully in political, economic, and social life.

What follows is a development/theoretical framework for MIL policies and strategies that draws on a set of interrelated approaches: (i) a convergence approach that embeds MIL in different areas of public government, as illustrated in Figure II (page 20); (ii) a human-rights-based approach, which stresses strengthening the capacities of rights-holders (e.g., women, children) to make their claims, and of duty-bearers (e.g., education institutions, media organisations) to meet their obligations; (iii) an empowerment approach, which focuses on ensuring that citizens have the skills, attitudes, and knowledge that will enable them to critically and effectively interact with content in all forms of media and with all information providers; (iv) a knowledge-societies-based approach, which is built on 4 principles shown in Table 1 on page 22; (v) a cultural and linguistic diversity approach (related to how MIL policies and strategies are articulated through language, education, and communication); and (vi) a gender and development-based approach, which calls for recognition of issues such as "women and men do not have the same access to information, media and new technological platforms - in terms of use, operation and ownership - and that this should be changed."

Policy development is the focus of the next portion of the resource. The framework encompasses 6 elements: creating a vision for media and information literacy and its role and purpose; encouraging consensus on the vision through identifying incentives and opportunities for partnerships and collaborations; identifying the challenges facing stakeholders aiming to implement MIL programmes; identifying incentive-based policy directions for MIL; identifying the knowledge, attitudes, and skills required for the implementation of MIL; allotting the resources required to implement MIL; and providing direction for an action plan, monitoring, and evaluation of MIL implementation. Chapter 3 offers a detailed description of MIL policies - to state only one: "MIL programmes will promote the benefits of media, memory institutions and other information providers, including those on the Internet, through making connections between MIL, health literacy, e-health initiatives, agriculture, science literacy, financial literacy, etc. In particular, they will promote access to information and care for remote and rural communities." For example, the Central Australian Indigenous Media Association (CAAMA) is owned by the Aboriginal people of central Australia and holds a public broadcasting license. CAAMA has a mandate to promote Aboriginal culture, language, dance, and music while generating economic benefits in the form of training, employment, and income generation.

"The gap between MIL polices and the desired demonstrable impact is bridged by MIL strategies." To that end, Figure V on pages 28 and 29 presents a conceptual framework for MIL strategies. (See Chapter 4 for a detailed description of strategies). The framework distinguishes 5 broad strategic areas in which MIL is included. For each of the following broad strategic areas, it is necessary to identify goals, strategies and objectives, and key stakeholders: (i) formal education (teachers, students, librarians, policymakers, researchers, administrators); (ii) non-formal education and continuing education (parents, caregivers, community leaders, etc.); (iii) other stakeholders: media- and technology-related organisations, media regulatory bodies, libraries and other memory institutions, training institutes, the corporate world (advertising and its impact, corporate social responsibility), and other partners; (iv) government entities, particularly ministries and other relevant organisations; and (v) integration of MIL strategies with other related strategies (e.g., identify government policies and programmes that can promote MIL or militate against MIL).

"To conclude, MIL policy and strategy development which is appropriately coordinated and harmonized with other related policies, such as education policies, will have the following positive effects on governance and citizens:

• Enable all nations to begin working towards a media and information literate society while developing stronger educational, economic, health and technological infrastructures;
• Demonstrate that collaboration and partnerships with a variety of organizations and groups with similar vested interests is not only possible but highly desirable to increase understanding of different viewpoints and sharing accountability;
• Present opportunities to reduce intolerance and increase understanding across political boundaries, ethnicities and religions;
• Offer opportunities to capture and protect indigenous knowledge, making it available to a wider audience;
• Change how education can be delivered to educators, students and the community at large; and
• Change the contents of that education, in some cases making it more relevant to people's real-world experiences."

Part 2 of the resource provides an expanded version of this policy brief and offers model policy and strategy that can be adapted by countries globally. For instance, Chapter 1 ("Media and Information Literacy as a Composite Concept: Greater Impact on Development") explores the centrality of literacy to development; "it is key to communication and learning of all kinds and a fundamental condition of access to today's knowledge societies. With socio-economic disparities increasing and global crises over food, water and energy, literacy is a survival tool....Literacy leads to empowerment, and the right to education includes the right to literacy - an essential requirement for lifelong learning and a vital means of human development and of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)....[I]f the objective is development, good governance, democracy and lifelong learning then:

• Citizens are the spinal cord and should be placed at the centre of MIL policies and strategies;
• Media and other information providers such as libraries, in both the physical and digital space are crucial to empowering citizens, informing them and facilitating their participation;
• Lifelong learning and the process of good governance can be compromised where citizens are not well informed, do not have access to information or are not empowered to process and use it. These are conditions on quality education for all;
• Lack of media and information literacy is likely to lead to citizens being ill-informed and passive."