Media Literacy Education - Europe’s Progress So Far
Disinformation, polarization, and electoral meddling are increasingly viewed as threats to Europe’s democracy. How is Europe preparing the generation of tomorrow?
It is no secret that technology, as well as social media, is ever-developing and is becoming increasingly influential on the media landscape, as well as our politics. Within this, its owners, big-tech tycoons such as Elon Musk continue to encroach on the world of politics, both in the US and abroad. The need for a better understanding of how to navigate this “post-truth” society, or indeed crisis, has never been greater. For the vast majority of the population - not just younger age groups - the predominant news source is digital, where there is less official regulation, authentication and governance. Notwithstanding the rise of alternative information sources such as influencers and AI, as well as the complexities of fake news, whose impact on political developments we are just starting to see.
While this is an issue the West at large is grappling with, it is particularly acute in Europe: trust in politics and institutions is increasingly being questioned, and outside forces are attempting to further complicate the landscape. Modern media platforms are becoming the de facto source of information, and this can cause wider societal issues. As seen in the riots in the UK last summer, where disinformation was spread on social media and utilised to further incite violence. Following on from this, given Elon Musk’s recent foray into British politics, and his connections to the Reform UK party, could this be a potential bridge to more of his influence on the continent? It is not out of the question to assume that the European Union and Europe at large could be the next subject of Musk’s attention. Whether this proves to be the case or not, this could serve as an incentive for Europe to take action within and around the media landscape; especially given the EU’s claim to be leaders of free speech and the free press.
Education in media literacy is touted by some as the key to solving Europe’s predicament. Media literacy education broadly consists of improving digital literacy, critical thinking skills, and education in journalistic bias; the EU in particular already has policies addressing these, but is this enough to deal with the issues it may face?
Europe In The Vanguard
As a ground zero, Europe is taking important steps and achieving progress in developing media literacy education. For example, the European Commission’s Revision of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) encourages and monitors Member States’ management of tech and media-related issues more generally, including online protection and safety for children. Indeed, the Commission already has media literacy policies, strategies and international research groups, and their commitment to media literacy education for all ages is commendable.
Furthermore, a 2024 comparison of eight European countries (France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Romania, Spain and the UK) showed that thus far media literacy progress is focused on practical skills concerned with digital literacy and online safety. Here, in line with EU and national guidelines/regulations, media literacy is interpreted as a ‘line of defence’ against online threats. Considerable progress has been made in these ‘practical’ skills, teaching how to traverse the (online) media landscape. However, a quick search reveals that, for the British strategy at least, there has not been an update since the Johnson era of the Conservative government. That’s not to say the current Labour government is not working on it, but an update is certainly due before the first anniversary of the 2024 election.
Comparably, however, Europe is a leader in media literacy education on a global level. Within Asia, for example, there is a complete lack of consensus on what baseline media literacy education should comprise, not helped by vastly different free speech and press laws across the region/continent. Similarly, a 2024 survey of America highlighted how there is a huge state-to-state discrepancy, as well as resource shortages even in states with media literacy education policies. Whether this is surprising or not is up for debate, given how education policy varies so greatly from state to state generally; and taking into account the current climate in the US surrounding social media, fake news and politics. Interestingly, Australia's ABC news network has its own webpage dedicated to citizen engagement with journalism, with a section focused specifically on media literacy, including AI in journalism and classroom education on the issue. The BBC has a similar page, which is still admirable, but is of course unconnected to the wider European directives on media literacy education, given the BBC’s impartiality requirements.
Establishing the Media Literacy Curriculum of Tomorrow
Media literacy as a school subject in its own right might not be so far off as some may think: organisations such as Carnegie and non-profits on both sides of the Atlantic are calling for exactly that. Some of the practical skills that media literacy education should undoubtedly include are fact-checking and AI. Understanding the importance of fact-checking, knowing which platforms utilise it (as well as whether they are machine or human fact-checkers), and how to access this information, is imperative - especially given the ever-changing policies of social media companies on this issue. For AI, it is understanding how and when it is used, who uses it, and the consequences of its use - as many are unaware of its effects on, for instance, the climate.
However, an ideal media literacy education curriculum for Europe, and for that matter also the world, must encompass several other facets. The need for young people to be competent in ‘information skills’, such as critical and evaluative thinking, is of course integral; but this must go hand-in-hand with more functional skills. The expectation that the practical skills alone are efficient is misplaced.
Being clear on the different strands of media literacy education, and the value of each is an integral foundation. This allows for appropriate resources, and better teaching and understanding. These include critical media literacy (critical examination of systems, ideologies etc), digital literacy (the use of digital tools and their broader impact), information literacy (analysis and evaluation of the use of information) and news literacy (journalistic ethics, practices and standards). Understanding how these intersect and overlap, and how this should inform the teaching of media literacy is pivotal. Free media literacy programs for teachers are already being launched in the UK in order to “train the trainer”.
Ideally, media literacy education in Europe should also be preparing the next generation for increasingly AI-centred employment. Technological competence has been integral to the job market for some time now, and for better or worse AI is only going to become a more integral part of this. Whether a job is incorporating AI, regulating it, or anywhere in between, analytical and critical skills relating to provenance and bias will help European job seekers stand out in the competitive market. This in turn could help to boost the Eurozone and domestic economies for the long term, future-proofing at a time when the continent desperately needs it.
There are of course challenges to media literacy education: one is the potential for an uneven spread of media literacy education. Where thus far the vast majority of media literacy education has been concentrated in schools, this has led to a lack of it outside of schools, most notably for vulnerable children and adults - for whom the lack of such an education could be most impactful. Both contexts of media literacy education are obviously imperative, but to not give them both appropriate policy attention could lead to an exacerbation of the problems Europe already faces from a lack of media literacy education.
Another challenge is the potential politicisation of media literacy education policies. This is of course true of any policy, but given how social media is fertile ground for polarisation, conspiracy theories and scepticism. Indeed, there is potential for a ‘catch-22’ situation, where attempting to regulate social media, or its uses, potentially contradicts free speech principles. Without clear communication on the policies, there is the potential for them to be misconstrued as indoctrinating Europe’s youth against freedom of speech, especially if coming from the EU. However, this should not prevent or deter implementation. Clear communication on how the policies promote and protect free speech is necessary to avoid this potential criticism and for the best implementation of the policies themselves.
The Outlook
Europe has the capacity and political will for much-needed regulation: the EU has previously forced Apple to conform to its values, and certain countries (such as France) are considering minimum ages for social media. This does not have to be a problem for Europe, but an opportunity: to be trailblazers in nurturing critical thinking skills in the generation of tomorrow amidst an ever-changing relationship between media and politics and social media backed by big tech.
Europe has certainly made progress, but it should not ignore the challenges, or potential opportunities, which lay ahead. Implementing media literacy policies could be beneficial in preparing the economy and society for what the future may hold, technologically and politically. With some effective cooperation, Europe has the potential to become a real leader in this space and to reap the rewards.
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