Five big ideas for media literacy in schools

In this article, we explore the five big ideas for promoting media literacy, highlighted by the CfEY’s collaboration with Internet Matters as part of their “A Vision for Media Literacy 2024” report

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on CfEY

The “A Vision for Media Literacy 2024” report emphasises the urgent need to enhance media literacy for children and families. It aims to equip young people with the necessary skills to critically analyse and responsibly engage with media content.

The report outlines several recommendations to enhance media literacy education, including policy integration, resource development, professional development, research, and evaluation. It emphasises the development of resources to assist educators in teaching media literacy, ensuring they have the necessary tools and support to effectively equip students with critical media analysis skills.

The five big ideas 

• Raise the Status of Media Literacy: Incorporate media literacy as a fundamental element of the curriculum, ensuring it receives equal priority alongside traditional subjects
• Train Teachers for the Digital Age: Empower educators with essential skills and resources to effectively teach media literacy, nurturing a digitally adept generation
• Embrace a Whole-Family Approach: Involve families in the media literacy education process to establish a supportive home learning environment and ensure consistent messaging
• Set Standards and Generate Insights: Set definitive benchmarks for media literacy education and institute routine evaluations to track advancements and adjust approaches as necessary
• Build a Cross-Sector Coalition: Promote collaboration among educators, policymakers, tech companies, and community organisations to build a robust and unified media literacy framework

These initiatives aim to narrow educational disparities by enhancing current frameworks to better address the complexities of media literacy. They also strive to collaborate with parents in guiding children’s media consumption effectively.

You can download the report here: A Vision For Media Literacy – CfEY