EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 45/9

Media literacy in a digital world

P6_TA(2008)0598

European Parliament resolution of 16 December 2008 on media literacy in a digital world (2008/2129(INI))

(2010/C 45 E/02)

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the 2005 Unesco Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions,

— having regard to Directive 2007/65/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2007 amending Council Directive 89/552/EEC on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the pursuit of television broadcasting activities (1), and in particular to Recital 37 of Directive 2007/65/EC and Article 26 of Directive 89/552/EEC,

— having regard to Decision No 854/2005/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2005 establishing a multiannual Community Programme on promoting safer use of the Internet and new online technologies (2),

— having regard to Decision No 1718/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 November 2006 concerning the implementation of a programme of support for the European audiovisual sector (MEDIA 2007) (3),

— having regard to the Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on the protection of minors and human dignity and on the right of reply in relation to the competitiveness of the European audiovisual and on-line information services industry (2006/952/EC) (4),

— having regard to the Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on key competences for lifelong learning (2006/962/EC) (5),

— having regard to the Commission Communication of 20 December 2007 entitled ‘A European approach to media literacy in the digital environment’ (COM(2007)0833),

— having regard to the Commission Staff Working Document entitled ‘Media pluralism in the Member States of the European Union’ (SEC(2007)0032),

— having regard to the Commission Communication of 1 June 2005 entitled ‘i2010 — A European Information Society for growth and employment’ (COM(2005)0229),

— having regard to its resolution of 20 November 2002 on media concentration (6),

— having regard to its resolution of 6 September 2005 on the application of Articles 4 and 5 of Directive 89/552/EEC (‘Television without Frontiers’) as amended by Directive 97/36/EC, for the period 2001-2002 (7),

— having regard to its resolution of 27 April 2006 on the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting: an opportunity for European audiovisual policy and cultural diversity? (8),

— having regard to the Council Conclusions of 22 May 2008 on intercultural competences (9) and on a European approach to media literacy in the digital environment (10),

— having regard to the 1982 Unesco Grünwald Declaration on Media Education,

— having regard to the 2007 Unesco Paris Agenda — twelve recommendations for media education,

— having regard to Council of Europe Recommendation Rec(2006)12 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on empowering children in the new information and communications environment,

— having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure,

— having regard to the report of the Committee on Culture and Education (A6-0461/2008),

A. whereas the media make themselves felt in politics and the day-to-day life of society; whereas a high degree of media concentration can endanger media pluralism; and whereas media literacy is therefore central to political culture and active participation by Union citizens,

B. whereas all types of media, audiovisual and printed, traditional and digital, are blending together and the different forms of media are converging, both technically and in terms of content; whereas new mass media are penetrating into all areas of life thanks to innovative technologies; whereas these new media call for users to take a more active role and whereas social communities, weblogs and video games are also forms of media,

C. whereas, as far as young media users are concerned, the Internet is the first and principal source of information; whereas their Internet skills are geared to their specific needs, without being systematically ordered; whereas adults, by contrast, keep themselves informed primarily with the aid of radio, television, newspapers and magazines; and whereas, in the current media environment, media literacy therefore helps to meet the challenges posed by new media — particularly the scope they offer for interaction and creative participation — as well as providing the knowledge needed for traditional media, which are still a main source of public information,

D. whereas new communication technologies can swamp the uninformed user in a landslide of information that is undifferentiated in terms of its relevance, with excessive information potentially posing as big a problem as a lack of information,

E. whereas proper training in IT and media use, respectful of the rights and freedoms of others, significantly enhances employability from an individual point of view and, from the point of view of the economy as a whole, helps to achieve the Lisbon goals,

F. whereas broad access to communication technologies affords everyone the possibility of transmitting information globally, meaning that every member of the public is a potential journalist, and making media literacy a necessity not only for understanding information but also for generating and distributing media content; and whereas computer skills alone consequently do not lead automatically to greater media literacy,

G. whereas, when it comes to the development of telecommunication networks and progress towards disseminating information and communication technology (ICT), there are significant differences between the Member States, as well as between regions, particularly in remote and rural areas, posing the threat that the digital divide in the EU could widen still further,

H. whereas schools have an essential role to play in moulding people capable of communicating and of exercising judgement; whereas the position regarding media education varies widely from one Member State and one region to the next, as does the degree to which ICT is integrated and used within education; and whereas media education can be provided primarily by teachers who themselves are media literate and have been given the necessary training,

I. whereas media education is essential to achieving a high level of media literacy, which is an important part of political education that helps people to strengthen their behaviour as active citizens and their awareness of both rights and duties; whereas, furthermore, well-informed, politically mature citizens form the basis of a pluralist society; and whereas, by producing their own content and media products, users acquire abilities affording them a deeper insight into the principles and values of professionally produced media content,

J. whereas media education work aimed at older people is not so well established as the activities aimed at young people and whereas older people often feel apprehensive about, and inhibited by, new media,

K. whereas threats to the security of personal data are becoming increasingly insidious and manifold, thereby constituting a high risk for uninformed users,

L. whereas media literacy is an essential key qualification in the information and communication society,

M. whereas the media provide opportunities for global communication and openness to the world, whereas they are cornerstones of democratic societies and whereas they impart knowledge as well as providing information, and whereas new digital media provide positive opportunities for participation and creativity, thereby enhancing citizens' involvement in political processes,

N. whereas there are currently insufficient data available to make precise statements about the level of media literacy in the European Union,

O. whereas the decisive importance of media literacy has also been highlighted by Unesco in, for example, the Grünwald Declaration on Media Education (1982) and the Paris Agenda — twelve recommendations for media education (2007),

Principles

1. Welcomes the abovementioned Commission Communication on media literacy in the digital environment, but believes that there is room for improvement to the extent that the European approach intended to foster media literacy needs to be more clear cut, especially as regards the inclusion of traditional media and recognition of the importance of media education;

2. Welcomes the Council conclusions of 22 May 2008 on intercultural competences; looks to the Member States to do their utmost to promote media literacy and proposes that the Member States' contact committee, as provided for in Directive 89/552/EEC, be strengthened through the recruitment of education experts;

3. Urges the Commission to adopt a recommendation, and develop an action plan, on media literacy; urges the Commission to organise a meeting of the contact committee on Audio-Visual Media Services in 2009 with a view to facilitating information exchanges and effective cooperation on a regular basis;

4. Requests the authorities responsible for regulating audiovisual and electronic communications to cooperate at the various levels for the improvement of media literacy; recognises the special need to develop at national level both codes of conduct and common regulatory initiatives; highlights the need for all stakeholders to be involved in promoting the systematic study and regular analysis of the various facets and dimensions of media literacy;

5. Recommends that the Commission also use the Media Literacy Expert Group to discuss media education matters and that the Group meet more regularly and consult, on a regular basis, the representatives of all Member States;

6. Notes that, in addition to policy-makers, journalists, radio and television broadcasters and media companies, it is mainly small local entities such as libraries, adult education centres, citizens' cultural and media centres, further education and training establishments and citizens' media (e.g. community media) that can make an active contribution to promoting media literacy;

7. Calls on the Commission, having regard to Article 26 of Directive 89/552/EEC, to devise media literacy indicators with a view to fostering media literacy in the EU in the long term;

8. Notes that media literacy denotes the ability to use individual media unaided, to understand, and bring critical assessment to bear on, the various aspects of media as such and media content, and to communicate — irrespective of the context — and create and disseminate media content; notes in addition that, given the many sources available, what is most important is the ability to separate out information from the new media's flood of data and images and to categorise that information;

9. Stresses that media literacy is a basic element in consumer information policy, awareness of and familiarity with matters relating to intellectual rights, the mobilisation and democratic participation of citizens and the promotion of intercultural dialogue;

10. Urges the Commission to expand its policy to promote media literacy, working together with all EU bodies and with local and regional authorities, and to intensify cooperation with Unesco and the Council of Europe;

Aims and target groups

11. Maintains that media education activities have to encompass all citizens — children, young people, adults, older people, and people with disabilities;

12. Points out that acquiring media literacy begins in the home with learning how to select from the media services available — stressing in this regard the importance of media education for parents, who play a decisive role in the development of children's media-use habits — and continues at school and during lifelong learning, and is strengthened by the efforts of national, governmental and regulatory authorities and the work of media professionals and institutions;

13. Notes that the purpose of media literacy is to enable people to use media and their content in skilled and creative ways, critically analyse media products, understand how the media industry works, and produce media content by their own efforts;

14. Recommends that media education should shed light on copyright aspects of media use and on the importance of respecting intellectual property rights, in particular regarding the Internet, as well as on data and privacy security and the right of informational self-determination; stresses the need for new media-literate users to be aware of the potential risks concerning IT security and the security of personal data, and of the risks relating to cyber-violence;

15. Points out that advertising is an important part of the services provided by the media today; stresses that media literacy helps to provide criteria for assessing the tools and practices used in advertising;

Giving access to information and communication technologies

16. Calls on European policy-makers to narrow the digital divide between Member States and between town and country by developing the information and communication infrastructure and, above all, setting up broadband in areas not fully equipped;

17. Notes that providing access to broadband Internet is also important for services of general interest and should be characterised by variety, a high level of quality, and affordability, and maintains that every citizen should have the possibility of using an inexpensive broadband connection;

Media education in schools and as a component of teacher training

18. Maintains that media education should be an element of formal education to which all children should have access and which should form part and parcel of the curriculum at every stage of schooling;

19. Calls for media literacy to be made the ninth key competence in the European reference framework for lifelong learning set out in Recommendation 2006/962/EC;

20. Recommends that media education should, as far as possible, be geared to practical work and linked to economic, political, literary, social, artistic, and IT-related subjects, and suggests that the way forward lies in the creation of a specific subject — ‘Media Education’ — and in an interdisciplinary approach combined with out-of-school projects;

21. Recommends that educational establishments encourage the development of media products (printed page, audio/video new media) in a manner involving both pupils and teachers, as a way of providing practical training in media literacy;

22. Calls on the Commission, when, as announced, it lays down the media literacy indicators, to take into account both the quality of school tuition and teacher training in this field;

23. Notes that, in addition to educational and education-policy considerations, technical equipment and access to new technologies are also of vital importance, and maintains that school facilities need to be substantially improved so as to enable all schoolchildren to have access to computers, the Internet, and the necessary instruction;

24. Maintains that media education is a matter of particular importance in special schools, given that, when people have disabilities, the media can often do a great deal to overcome obstacles to communication;

25. Recommends that compulsory media education modules be incorporated into teacher training for all school levels, so as to enable the subject to be taught intensively; calls on the relevant national authorities to familiarise teachers of all subjects and at every type of school with the use of audiovisual teaching aids and with the problems associated with media education;

26. Emphasises the need for regular exchange of information, good practices and, in the field of education, pedagogical methods between Member States;

27. Calls on the Commission to devote a specific section of the successor to the MEDIA 2007 programme to promoting media literacy, as the current programme contributes little to the promotion of media literacy; supports the Commission's proposal to develop a new programme called ‘Media Mundus’ to support international cooperation in the audiovisual sector; calls for media literacy to feature more prominently in other EU support programmes, especially Lifelong Learning, eTwinning, Safer Internet and the European Social Fund;

Media education for older people

28. Maintains that media work with older people has to be done at the places where they are to be found, such as societies, old people's and nursing homes, assisted living facilities, recreational and enthusiasts' clubs, action committees, or senior citizens' groups;

29. Notes that digital networks enable older people in particular to share in everyday life by communicating and to remain independent for as long as possible;

30. Points out that the different kinds of environment in which older people live and their varied spheres of experience, as well as the way they use the media themselves, must be taken into account in media education aimed at them;

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31. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

(1) OJ L 332, 18.12.2007, p. 27.

(2) OJ L 149, 11.6.2005, p. 1.

(3) OJ L 327, 24.11.2006, p. 12.

(4) OJ L 378, 27.12.2006, p. 72.

(5) OJ L 394, 30.12.2006, p. 10.

(6) OJ C 25 E, 29.1.2004, p. 205.

(7) OJ C 193 E, 17.8.2006, p. 117.

(8) OJ C 296 E, 6.12.2006, p. 120.

(9) OJ C 141, 7.6.2008, p. 14.

(10) OJ C 140, 6.6.2008, p. 8.