12 Media and Information Literacy (MIL): A Rendezvous with Information

Rupak Chakravarty

1.0 Introduction:

In the modern society, there exists a dichotomy regarding the information possessed by people. Some people are facing the problem of information overload while some are information starved. This phenomenon is also true for the qualitative aspects of information i.e., the quality of information possessed by people. So there is a divide regarding the quantity and quality of information available to the masses. This quantitative and qualitative imbalance regarding information rich and information poor forms the first layer of the problem. The second layer which is perhaps more serious is inability to analyze, comprehend, evaluate, utilize and perform other associated activities with the information available or obtained. Freedom to express, read, listen, write, produce information and communicate has been some of the fundamentals traits of the society along with others. These traits have been identified as human rights in the modern society that can be achieved effectively in with greater emphasis on Media and Information Literacy (MIL). MIL has got global acceptance as the measure to address the issue of inability discussed above.

Media has emerged as a strong pillar and en effective advocator of democracy and freedom of expression. Our communication system has also been totally revamped in terms of time and space, and modes of social behaviour. All forms and formats of media represent social and cultural resources which if used appropriately has the potential to change the lives of people and society at large. MIL is considered as the key competence in a rapidly evolving society where the true natives of would be media and information literate citizens.

Several significant initiatives both at national level in many countries as well as at international level have been taken to implement and promote the MIL movement. One such significant development was The International Conference Media and Information Literacy for Knowledge Societies, held in Moscow on 24-28 June, 2012. The Conference gathered approximately 130 participants from 40 countries representing all continents including India. Various aspects of MIL and the activities aimed at its promotion worldwide were discussed by executives and experts of key specialized international governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations, world leading experts in the field of knowledge societies building; leading researchers and professors of journalism, librarianship and education; executives and representatives of government authorities responsible for educational institutions, libraries, printed and electronic media; representatives of international and national associations of media and information literacy professionals; representatives of organizations and institutions engaged in publishing professional literature on media and information literacy; media practitioners.

The final document from the conference, The Moscow Declaration on Media and Information Literacy, was discussed and unanimously adopted at the Conference closing session. It was aimed at raising public awareness of the significance, scale and topicality of the tasks of media and information literacy advocacy among information, media and educational professionals, government executives and public at large.

Another very authoritative and detailed document titled “Media and Information Literacy Policy and Strategy Guidelines” was published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2013. This resource is the first of its kind which treats MIL as a composite concept, unifying information literacy and media literacy. These comprehensive guidelines offer a harmonized approach, which in turn enables all actors to articulate more sustained national MIL policies and strategies, describing both the process and content to be considered. This publication is a part of a comprehensive MIL Toolkit being developed by UNESCO and partners.

2.1 Information Literacy (IL):

Information literacy is concerned with teaching and learning about the whole range of information sources and formats. To be “information literate” means one must able to know why, when, and how to use the information sources and tools with critical thinking.

The definition of information literacy by the Japanese Ministry of Education is composed of four elements:

1. capability of judgement (evaluation), selection, organisation, and

2. processing of information as well as of information creation and communication;

3. understanding of characteristics of information society, effects of information over society and human beings;

4. Recognition of importance of, and responsibility for information; understanding of foundation of information sciences, learning of basic operation skills of information and information devices (particularly computer).

Information literate people can accesses the information efficiently and effectively, evaluate it critically and competently, and uses information accurately and creatively. To be information literate requires having the thinking and practical skills, knowledge and attitudes that enable one to make ethical use of information through:

Recognising a need for information and articulation
Locating and accessing relevant information
Evaluating content critically in terms of authority, credibility and current purpose
Extracting and organising information
Synthesising or operating on the ideas abstracted from content
Ethically and responsibly communicating one’s understanding or newly created knowledge to an audience in an appropriate form and medium
Being able to use ICT in order to process information.

Users should have both information-gathering strategies and the critical thinking abilities to select, discard, synthesize, and present information in new ways to solve real-life problems.

2.2 Media Literacy (ML):

Media Literacy is a 21st century approach to education. It provides a framework to access, analyze, evaluate, create and participate with messages in a variety of forms — from print to video to the Internet. Media literacy builds an understanding of the role of media in society as well as essential skills of inquiry and self-expression necessary for citizens of a democracy.

Media literacy is generally defined as the ability to access the media, to understand and to critically evaluate different aspects of the media and media contents and to create communications in a variety of contexts. Media literate users are able to use media effectively and safely. They can interpret analyse and create media products. They are in a better position to interpret and comprehend the message from the verbal and visual symbols they witness in their day to day life. There is a wide array of media sources including television, radio, computers, newspapers and magazines, and advertisements, etc.

A person is said to be media literate if he or she posses the following abilities:

Understand the role, functions and power of media in democratic society
Understand the methods to accomplish those functions
Ability to critical evaluate the media content
Using media as a tool for self-expression, intercultural dialogue and democratic participation
Well versed with ICT skills to create user-generated content

When ML competencies are integrated IL competencies, citizens will be better equipped to use media and other information providers including the Internet and libraries. It facilitates the understanding of organization of information, media content and media messages. Having developed such abilities people can apply these skills to participate in the democratic process more actively and with greater confidence. People also engage and improve various dimensions of intercultural dialogue, the promotion of gender equality and development of society at large.

ML enables citizens to:

empowers citizens through rights of free expression
Advocates access to information
Ensure active participation in governance
help others to become media literate
transform citizens’ passive association with media into an active
make them both critical thinkers and creative producers
make them comprehend messages using image, language, and sound.

It is aims to develop an informed and critical understanding of the nature of the mass media, the techniques used by them, and the impact of these techniques. It also provides students with the ability to enjoy media while not missing the value attached to it and the massage it conveys.

Media-literate people are able to take informed decisions and advantage of the full range of opportunities offered by new communications technologies. We can also protect ourselves and others form inappropriate content and threats. Therefore the development of media literacy in all sections of society should be promoted and its progress should be monitored followed closely.

There are different levels of media literacy to be achieved.

feeling comfortable with all existing media from newspapers to virtual communities
actively using media
use of Internet search engines or participation in virtual communities
better exploiting the potential of media for entertainment, access to culture, intercultural dialogue, learning and daily-life applications (for instance, through libraries, podcasts);
critical evaluation of both quality and accuracy of media content
using media creatively
understanding the economy of media
being aware of copyright issues

2.3 IL and ML – comparative illustrations:

Figure 1.1: Key Outcomes/Elements of Media and Information literacy

There are several emerging schools of thought having their perception on relationship between IL and ML and their convergence. One school of thought considers IL as the broader field of study with ML viewing ML as a part of it.

Figure 1.2: ML is a part of IL

Others find ML as broader field of study while presenting IL as a part of it. In both scenarios, the field that is considered component has been attached less significance than the “whole”. There is thus a state of uncertainty in these conceptualizations that should be taken care of addressed in developing MIL policies and strategies.

Figure 1.3: IL is a part of ML

Some have considered ML and IL as distinct and separate fields while some experts acknowledge that there is a level of commonality or overlap between ML and IL displayed as intersection in the Venn diagram below. But they also do not ignore that certain distinctions remain.

Figure 1.4: ML different from IL (ML ≠ IL)

Figure 1.5: ML intersects with IL (ML ∩ IL)

In Figure 1.6 below represents the point of view of UNESCO which of the opinion that the competencies encompassed by these two formerly distinct areas ML and IL can be merged under one umbrella term Media and Information Literacy (MIL). Thus MIL is a composite term including interrelated media and information competencies (knowledge, skills and attitudes).

There exist certain similarities also between IL and ML as both emphasis on role of ICTs, critical evaluation of information and media content and ethical use of information.

Figure 1.6: ML + IL = MIL (ML ∪ IL)

Figure 1.6 puts forward a more forward approach when it says that “Media Literacy plus Information Literacy equals Media and Information Literacy”. This approach is effective in harmonizing the two fields and put emphasis on the need for a multi-perspective approach. It encapsulates several associated literacies including library literacy, news literacy, digital literacy, computer literacy, Internet literacy, freedom of expression and freedom of information literacy, television literacy, advertising literacy, cinema literacy, and games literacy. There is enough literature on social literacies like such as scientific, global, political, family, financial and cultural literacies are widely discussed. MIL underpins all of them.

3.0 Relationship between Information Literacy and Media Literacy:

In the changed societal landscape, we must accept the fact that some ‘literacies’ depend more on seeing and hearing than on reading and writing. It includes the ability to capture and organize images technologically rather than handwriting or drawing. Thus, many people who may be considered illiterate in the traditional sense are literate in modern perspective as they now find it easy to handle a variety of media and technologies. They listen to the radio, watch television, use mobile phones, “understand” images in a newspaper, book or magazine, chat interactively incorporating audio-visual content.

Information Literacy (IL)

Media Literacy (ML)

Facilitates engaging with information and the process of becoming informed.

Greater emphasis on learning to learn and decisions making through defining needs and problems, relevant information and using it critically and responsibly/ethically.

Facilitates understanding of the roles and functions of media and other information providers in society.

ML extends beyond IL to address representation of social and ethnic groups, their viewpoints and opinions expressed in media, including those that people engage with for entertainment.

IL focuses on the information user as an autonomous decision-maker, citizen and learner

ML examines the ways in which the media environment facilitates, shapes, enables and, in some cases, constrains engagement with information and the communication process.

Table 1.1: Relationship between IL and ML

As illustrated in the UNESCO MIL Curriculum for Teacher, MIL is often viewed as a myriad of terms adding confusion. This illustration is intended to raise the awareness among policy makers and other stakeholders of the myriad of terms being used that are related to MIL. Along with conceptual issues mentioned earlier, the use of these different terms has also contributed to confusion in the field. UNESCO’s use of the term MIL seeks to harmonize the different notions below:

Figure 2.1: Ecology of MIL: Notions of MIL

In order to bring more clarification and reduce uncertainty, UNESCO coined the term “media and information literacy (MIL).” The term MIL recognizes the importance of all forms of media (including community media) and of all information providers including libraries, archives, museums, and those on the Internet. While attaching due significance to ICTs, it also recognizes the value of oral communications in order to preserve oral heritage.

This comprehensive approach of UNESCO is progressive and forward-looking as it paves the way for adoption of MIL in the education systems (formal and non-formal). It also views MIL as the agent for civic society movement. One advantage of this unified approach is that it dilutes the limitations of the earlier fragmented strategy. Thus the unified approach to MIL presents a clearer ecology of the field to policy makers, educators, other stakeholders and most importantly the society.

4.1 Media and Information Literacy (MIL) – the twins united:

The concept of MIL has been articulated by many authors and organization but the pioneering work to sensitize and strengthen the MIL movement has been UNESCO who started the work in early seventies. There exists discussion of multiple literacies in the literature which have been viewed in isolation. Such literacies include media Literacy, information literacy, digital literacy and several others. UNESCO has given a unified and holistic approach by consolidating all forms of literacies into MIL.

MIL is defined as a combination of knowledge, attitudes, skills, and practices required to access, analyze, evaluate, use, produce, and communicate information and knowledge in creative, legal and ethical ways that respect human rights. It has also been referred as Information and Media Literacy (IML) without variation in sense making. Wikipedia conceptualizes IML as an enabler to interpret and make informed decisions as users of information and media, as well as to become skillful creators and producers of information and media messages in their own right. IML or MIL is a combination of information literacy and media literacy. The purpose of being information and media literate is to engage in a digital society; one needs to be able to use, understand, inquire, create, communicate and think critically. It is important to have capacity to effectively access, organize, analyze, evaluate, and create messages in a variety of forms. The transformative nature of IML includes creative works and creating new knowledge; to publish and collaborate responsibly requires ethical, cultural and social understanding.

MIL is associated with the ability to access the traditional and new media and other information sources, to understand and evaluate their contents critically and to critically used them in a variety of contexts including teaching and learning, self-expression, creativity and civic participation. The main goals of MIL are –

to empower future citizens
to impart basic skills necessary to critically evaluate information and media content
to foster the development of knowledge societies and the promotion of free, independent and pluralistic media

4.2 MIL Need, Significance and Benefits:

In a technologically driven and media saturated world, citizens need competencies to be well informed and updated to survive, sustain and progress. MIL policy and strategy enhance the creation of knowledge driven, inclusive, pluralistic, democratic, and open societies in which people do not “lag behind”. Without MIL competencies, we cannot overcome the digital divide, information divide and knowledge gap. In absence of MIL citizens find it difficult to participate actively in their communities and societies or effective governance. The importance of MIL can be understood from the following points:

Serves as a foundation for enhancing access to information and knowledge, freedom of expression, and quality education.
Describes skills and attitudes that are needed to value the functions of media and other information providers, including those on the Internet,
Enable people to be effectively engaged in all aspects of development.
More and more countries are recognizing this importance of MIL.
Over 70 countries have implemented MIL-related activities in varying degrees and reach.
Contribute to the process of “education for all” as well as providing the “means of communication” among cultures and peoples to eliminate stereotypes.
Indigenous/traditional knowledge and sharing
Religious freedom/inter- faith dialogue
Conflict aspect of cultural diversity
Inter-generational dialogue
MIL can contribute to the free flow of ideas by word or images
MIL encourages Freedom of Expression (FOE) and Freedom of religion (FOR) which can be considered as a derivative of FOE.
Reduce intolerance and increase intercultural understanding across political boundaries, ethnicities, gender and religions;
Gender equality and women’s empowerment.
emphasis on human rights;
shift from protection only to empowerment;

The “Media and Information Literacy Policy and Strategy Guidelines” report published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has discussed the potential benefits for government across Health, Economics, Governance and Education as listed below:

Enable all nations to begin working towards a media and information literate society while developing stronger educational, economic, health and technological infrastructures.
Gain a common understanding of how emerging technologies may interact, their impact and their use to facilitate the construction of knowledge societies.
Demonstrate that collaboration and partnerships with a variety of organizations and groups with similar vested interests is not only possible, but it is also highly desirable to increase understanding of different viewpoints and to ensure accountability.
Redefine social interaction and present opportunities to reduce intolerance and increase understanding across political boundaries, ethnicities and religions.
Offer opportunities to capture and protect indigenous knowledge and linguistic diversity, making it available to a wider audience.
Change how education can be delivered to educators, learners and the community at large.
Change the content of that education in order to make it more relevant to people’s real-world experiences.

Figure 3.1 The MIL Triangle

The UNESCO MIL Curriculum for Teachers points out that the main benefits of MIL for the broader populace such as citizens, consumers and creative individuals arise because:

Women/men and boys/girls can increase their role as producers of content and knowledge besides being consumers of them.
Fosters the development of free, independent and pluralistic media and open information systems
Imparts crucial knowledge about the functions of media and information channels in democratic societies, perform those functions effectively and evaluate the performance of media and information providers.
Enable intercultural dialogue, tolerance and cultural understanding.
Serve to build a bridge between classroom learning and digital space.
MIL equips teachers with enhanced knowledge to empower future citizens.
MIL helps to enhance education outcomes by equipping citizens with competencies necessary to participate fully in political, economic, and social life.

MIL renews the importance of meta-cognition, learning how to learn and knowing how one knows with a focus on media, libraries and other information providers including those on the Internet.

4.3 MIL Characteristics:

MIL, understood as a composite concept, encompasses knowledge, skills and attitudes that enable citizens to:

Understand the role and functions of media and other information providers in democratic societies
Understand the conditions under which those functions can be accomplished
Recognize and emphasize a need for information
Locate and access relevant information
Critically evaluate information and the media content including online in terms of authority, credibility and current purpose
Extract and organise information and media content
Synthesise or operate on the ideas derived from the content.
Able to communicate one’s understanding of created knowledge to audience in an appropriate form and medium
Able to communicate one’s understanding of created knowledge ethically and responsibly.
Ability to apply ICT skills in order to process information effectively and produce User Generated Content (UGC)
Engage with media and other information providers (including online) for self-expression, freedom of expression, intercultural dialogue and democratic participation.

Media and information literate individuals are capable of using different media platforms, information sources and communication channels in their personal, professional and public lives. They know when the information is needed, nature of their information need and the purpose along with the understanding of its existence, location and strategies to obtain it. They also understand who has created that information, intention of creation. They can analyze information, messages, beliefs and values conveyed through the media and any kind of content producers, and can validate information they have obtained and produced against a range of generic, personal and context-based criteria.

Figure 4.1 a screenshot from the website https://www.opendemocracy.net

MIL competencies thus extend beyond ICTs encompassing learning, critical thinking and interpretive skills across and beyond professional, educational and societal boundaries. MIL addresses all types of media (oral, print, analogue and digital) and all forms and formats of resources.

The conceptual model of MIL presented in figure 4.2 below identifies importance of various forms of media (including community media) and of all other information providers including libraries, archives, museums, publishers, and online content. The concept is based upon the convergence between telecommunication and broadcasting and among many forms of media and information providers. However, the concept is not limited to information and communication technologies but it also includes oral traditions.

Figure 4.2 Media and Information Literacy: A Proposed Conceptual Model

Figure 4.3 Media and Information Literacy: A Proposed Conceptual Model

Location	Significance
The centre circle in the model	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, etc.).
The second circle from the centre	Why people use information and engage with media and other information providers like entertainment, association, identification, surveillance and enlightenment.
The third circle from the centre	The basic knowledge that all citizens should have about the operations, functions, nature, 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 their social, economic, political, cultural and personal lives.

Table 2.1 Explanation of the conceptual model

5.1 MIL and Knowledge Societies (KS):

UNESCO echoed the unique role of knowledge workers by stating that in the knowledge societies, people should have the ability to not only acquire information, but also transform it into knowledge that empowers them to improve their livelihoods and contribute to the social and economic development of their society. Thus, the cultivation of new literacy amongst citizens is regarded as the most urgent task of every country making the shift to a knowledge society.

Huyer and Hafkin (2007) have suggested four key elements to build human capacity for knowledge societies all of which have MIL as their bases:

1. Enhance human capital and resources to use, create, and disseminate information and knowledge.

2. Improve people’s ability to conceptualize, design, develop, adopt and adapt technologies to drive development. MIL policies should give greater context to ICTs for development, calling to mind openness, inclusion, transparency, accountability, and freedoms as elaborated in previous sections.

3. Ensuring that people and institutions at all levels of society have access to ICT and relevant technologies for poverty reduction and development;

4. Going beyond access to ICT and technological skills to ensuring widespread media and information literacy

Four principles underpin the development of equitable knowledge societies. Table 3.1 below sketches these principles and suggests how MIL is essential to realizing them.

KS Principles	Links to MIL
Equal access to quality education for women, men, boys and girls	– MIL encompasses competencies to access, evaluate and effectively and ethically use information, media and other information providers, including those on the Internet. – MIL also relates to quality education by expanding the meaning of literacy.
Multiculturalism – giving expression to cultural diversity, including gender dimensions of culture	– Media, libraries and other information providers and transmitters of culture are the engine behind globalizing cultures. – MIL augments competencies to use media, libraries, Internet and other information providers for cultural expressions and dialogue – MIL augments competencies to analyze and critically evaluate the representation of various cultures by media and other information providers, including those on the Internet.
Universal access for women, men, boys and girls to information, especially that which is in the public domain	– MIL facilitates citizens’ access to information through policy, laws and regulations.
Freedom of expression – with	– MIL empowers citizens with competencies
implication for gender equality	– advocate for Freedom of Expression and Freedom of the Press, and use this freedom in an ethical way.

Table 3.1 MIL and KS

5.2 MIL Cultural and Linguistic diversity

The aspects of cultural and linguistic diversity has become in an increasingly globalized world where people can no more remain confined or isolated to only one culture or language. The 21st century is an era of plurality and multiplicity of cultures and it is essential to ensure universal human rights, freedom of expression, and democratic participation. Therefore, cultural and linguistic diversity are important resources for MIL policies and strategies in terms of how these are articulated through, language, education and communication.

MIL enables viable strategies towards linguistic diversity through:

Language policies that promote multilingualism in societies,
Empowering local and vernacular languages,
Translation between and across languages,
Linguistic diversity in the media and in cyberspace.
MIL reinforces “the diversity of learners’ needs through integrating a corresponding diversity of methods and contents
Benefiting minority, indigenous and nomadic groups in increasingly complex multicultural societies
Creating a harmonious atmosphere to live together despite cultural differences
MIL policies provide detailed strategies for the promotion of cultural diversity in the area of communication.

5.3 MIL: a Gender Equalizer:

Applying a gender and development based approach to MIL policies and strategies are based on the fact that 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. This imbalance can be checked by providing them with equal opportunities in developing and implementing MIL policies and strategies. MIL can empower the women and women organizations as they become more aware of their rights and law protecting and safeguarding their place in the society. All sorts of discriminations and bias on the basis of gender can be diluted as media and information literate men will also give them their due recognition in the society.

5.4 MIL for World Peace

United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded in 1945 on the famous maxim that “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the bastion/defenses of peace must be constructed.” One could call this conflict the “battle of the mind”. MIL can has the power to empower minds by diluting misunderstandings, misuse or lack of use of media, information and other information providers. For this, MIL policies and strategies are required at national level to enable citizens to understand the rapidly evolving media, information and technological landscape in which they are immersed. MIL has become the 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, MIL is a survival tool in a fiercely competitive world. MIL can be significant contributor in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

5.5 Rights and Duties in MIL Framework

Information ethics is of prime importance while framing MIL policies and strategies particularly in the emerging knowledge society. The scope of information ethics includes aspects like moral rights, obligations, legislation, use and dissemination of information. It is now regarded as an essential component to build knowledge societies. It encompasses all positive practices ensuring the right use of information which promotes positive actions to protect the individual’s security and privacy while sharing data with various agencies including the government. In this including ethical principles in MIL policies, there are certain duties on part of citizens and rights of agencies meant for protecting citizens’ rights.

Citizens Rights	Data Collectors Duty
– Right to obtain access to the information when it is collected,	– Secure and Safe data storage mechanisms.
to examine it and to amend it if necessary. – have some means of accountability or enforcement.	– Data accuracy, complete and reliable – Check inappropriate analysis leading to inappropriate conclusions. – Data Anonymization in research
Reliable quality information should be open and accessible to everybody.	– Ensuring copyright protection in all creative, intellectual and cultural fields for the advancement of knowledge and cultural expressions and promotion of cultural diversity.

Table 4.1 MIL Rights and Duties

5.6 MIL and ICT Opportunities:

The wider adoption of ICT is well accepted fact. With all forms of media content now available online to be accessed with multimedia enabled devices, it has become allmost imperative that, there is no escape from ICT. But this domination of ICT culture has to be viewed as an opportunity rather than a challenge. MIL does the exact job by enabling even “traditional illiterates” to mainstream by exposing them to streaming media content even diluting the language barrier and basic literacy needs.

Equal access to ICTs for citizens of all countries irrespective of their development level.
Equal access to ICTs for citizens without any urban and rural divide.
Equal access to ICTs for citizens regardless of gender, ethnic, linguistic, religious and social background.
Gender issues prevailing in developing countries to eliminate poverty, illiteracy (including media and information illiteracy)
Bridge language and geographical barriers.

MIL competencies help citizens themselves use information and engage with media based on the principles described above while demanding the same from media and information professionals.

6.1 Key Policy Directions for MIL

Implementation of MIL programme is central to nation building and global participation. MIL is essential for taking advantage of the democratic, social, educational, economic, cultural, health and sustainability opportunities provided by media, memory institutions and other information providers including those on the Internet. The long term impact of implementing MIL programmes have been summarized by UNESCO’s “Media and Information Literacy Policy and Strategy Guidelines” as follows:

support the development of open knowledge societies including reformed libraries, diverse media which are free from external and internal influences, freedom of expression, freedom of information as well as open development (i.e. development characterized by accountability and transparency) and the benefits of human rights.
promote social inclusion and aim to reduce the ‘participation gap’ between citizens.
promote gender equality and women’s empowerment and provide opportunities for participation by diverse communities, including indigenous communities, people living with disability and children and youth living in poverty.
provide specific education and training to the develop individuals’ media and information competencies (knowledge, skills and attitudes) and create knowledge of and expertise in a broad range of media and information sources.
identify the economic benefits associated with media, memory institutions and other information providers, including those on the Internet leading to new opportunities for commerce and trade and the development of new industries.
Capitalize the cultural opportunities offered by media and information technologies by facilitating intercultural dialogue and developing mutual understanding, through passing on tradition and cultures in new ways and through recognizing new cultural practices.
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.
promote access to information and care for remote and rural communities.
Facilitate sustainability opportunities for media and information technologies and will demonstrate how they can be used to promote education about sustainable development and provide opportunities for sustainable development practices.

6.2 Benefits of MIL Policies and Strategies:

Policies and related strategies of MIL can be framed for formal and informal education systems including continuing education, civil societies, media organizations, media regulatory bodies, libraries, training centres, corporate world and essentially for the government bodies particularly ministries and administrators. If we are able to do so, it can lead to many desirable outcomes like:

Enable nations to work in the direction of building MIL ate society with developing stronger educational, economic, health and technological infrastructures.
Collaboration and partnerships with a variety of organizations and groups to increase understanding of different viewpoints and sharing accountability.
Reduce intolerance and increase understanding across political boundaries, ethnicities and religions.
Capture and protect indigenous knowledge, making it available to a wider audience
Transform pedagogy principle and methodologies involving educators, students and the community at large.
Shift from theoretical contents to more relevant and matching real-world experiences. The benefits of adopting MIL can be summed up as follows:

Increased citizen participation in society

More active and democratic participation

– Citizens become proactive producers of content and knowledge

– Facilitates for freedom of expression, access to information and quality education for all

– renews the importance of meta-cognition, learning how to learn and knowing how one knows media centric approach.

Awareness of ethical responsibilities for global citizenship

– More awareness of rights of freedom of expression and communication in the society.

– balances the understanding of rights with ethical responsibilities regarding

– empowers citizens to lead their own actions

– make a positive difference in the world

– respect and promote others’ rights (e.g. privacy, security, intellectual property rights).

Enabling diversity,

dialogue and tolerance

– enables intercultural dialogue, tolerance and cultural understanding.

– generate cross-generational strategies and dialogue

– civic cohesion and inclusiveness of different sectors and age groups

– foster trust and respect among all members in a society and benefit all stakeholders involved

Benefits for governments across economics, health, governance and education

Health, Education, Governance, etc.

– universal health and longevity,

– increased wealth and prosperity,

– better informed decision making,

– a culture of learning and sharing insights,

– respect for diversity, environmental sustainability

– improved quality of life for all

– Transform, augment & enrich education

– build a bridge between learning that takes place in a physical classroom space and that which occurs in the digital space

– equips teachers with enhanced knowledge to empower future citizens;

– equipping citizens with the necessary competencies to participate fully in political, economic, and social life

Better quality media and information providers

Quality Media

– imparts crucial knowledge about the functions of development of free, independent and pluralistic media and open information systems

– enable citizens to know their media and information rights and equally their responsibilities

Information Providers

– imparts crucial knowledge about the information channels in democratic societies

– demand free access to information through independent and diverse media and other information providers

Table 5.1 MIL Policies and Strategies adoption benefits

6.3 Key MIL Indicators: shaping the Future World:

In the 21st century, many countries are transforming from industrial societies into knowledge societies. The majority of the population in a knowledge society is “knowledge workers” because knowledge is the means of production. Today’s young people will be tomorrow’s knowledge workers and this can be achieved if MIL is made available to them in a structured manner. The research on future competencies entitled the “Future Work Skills 2020” project conducted by the Apollo Research Institute identified 10 vital skills:

1. Transdisciplinarity: the ability to understand concepts across multiple disciplines

2. Virtual collaboration: the ability to work productively, drive engagement and demonstrate presence as a member of a virtual team

3. Sense-making: the ability to determine the deeper meaning of what is being expressed.

4. Social intelligence: the ability to connect to others and to stimulate desired interactions.

5. Cross-cultural competency: the ability to operate in a variety of cultural settings.

6. Cognitive load management: the ability to filter information for importance, and know how to maximise cognitive functioning using a variety of tools and techniques.

7. Novel and adaptive thinking: the ability to produce innovative solutions that go beyond rule- based thinking.

8. Computational thinking: the ability to translate large amounts of data into abstract concepts and to understand data-based reasoning.

9. New media literacy: the ability to critically evaluate and develop content that uses new media forms and

10. Design mindset: the ability to develop tasks and work processes that address desired outcomes.

Mastering media and information as well as handling knowledge creation will be essential life skills in the knowledge societies. Therefore, MIL is the core competency in the 21st century competencies framework. Based on the recent research on future skills, Table 6.1 below, summarises the new MIL model for the future world.

Components	Knowledge, Skills and Attitude
Access/Retrieval of Media and Information
Access	– ‘Button knowledge’: the technical skills needed to use digital technologies – Information search skills – Curation intelligence – Transmedia navigation skills
Evaluation/Understanding of Media and Information
Understanding	– Understanding media and informational content, format, institutions and audience – Computational thinking: ability to translate vast amounts of data into abstract concepts and understand data-based reasoning
Assessment and Evaluation	– Cognitive load management: ability to discriminate and filter information for importance – Sense-making: ability to determine the deeper meaning or significance of what is being expressed – Critical digital literacy: ability to critically assess the quality and validity of content that uses new media forms, and to leverage these media for persuasive communication – Photo-visual skills: ability to read instructions from graphical displays – Real-time processing skills: ability to process and evaluate large volume of information in real time
Organization and Synthesis	– Knowledge management – Skill of abandonment
Use/Create/Communicate Media and Information
Communication and Use	– Effective communication and information sharing – Story-telling skills – Specific medium use – Interactive tool use – Security practice – Application and goal achievement – Ethical use of media and information
Creation and Problem Solving	– Creativity – Design mindset: ability to represent and develop tasks and work processes for desired outcomes – Media and information production techniques – Collective knowledge construction and collaborative problem solving
Monitoring	– Media and information criticism and monitoring

Table 6.1 The New MIL model for the future world.

Note: In this table, some of the items (computational thinking, cognitive load management, sensemaking, critical digital literacy and design mindset) have been adopted from the Future Work Skills 2020 model.

The Background Document of the Expert Meeting held during 4 – 6 November 2010 at Bangkok, Thailand entitled “Towards Media and Information Literacy Indicators” (prepared by Susan Moeller, Ammu Joseph, Jesús Lau, Toni Carbo) was was published by UNESCO in 2011.

The two major categories of MIL indicators proposed in this document are categorized under in two sets of variables namely Tier 1 and Tier 2. The first, Tier 1, is a set of macro-statistical variables that measures MIL activity, according to the information cycle, at the national level. It includes general items that gauge preparedness and availability of institutions at both the policy-makers and institutional-level for promotion of MIL in society, education and work. The Tier 1 variables are grouped in

Category 1: Media and information enabling factors, and

Category 2: Media and information availability.

2A. Creation and Availability;

2B. Distribution and Supply; and

2C. Information Reception.

Tier 2 variables/indicators for MIL:

The Tier 2 set of variables/indicators deal with MIL within the formal education system. It attempts to measure individual competencies among teacher-trainers; teachers in training/service; and students at primary, secondary and tertiary/university levels. This tier is focused on MIL skills that fall within the Information Use element of the media and information cycle (Figure 6.1):

Figure 6.1 Media and Information Cycle

The Tier 2 variables/indicators measure individual competencies among librarians, teacher- trainers, teachers in training and in service, and students. Tier 2 indicators have been tabulated under three components each having two subcomponents with associated core competencies. Below is the reproduction of the three tables with score range to be assigned as per the nature and need of the organizations.

Component 1 Access / Retrieval of information The user accesses information effectively and efficiently
Subcomponents		Core Competencies	Score Range
a. Definition and articulation of media and information need	1	Recognizes the need for media and information
	2	Defines the need for media and information
	3	Recognizes that a variety of media and information serve a variety of purposes
	4	Recognizes a problem and looks for solution/media and information
	5	Develops search strategies search process to find media and information
	6	Identifies the media and information for a particular purpose and define the necessary content
	7	Evaluates potential sources to look for media and information
b. Location and retrieval of media and information	8	Chooses appropriate media and information sources
	9	Accesses the selected media and information sources
	10	Selects and retrieves the located media and information
Total Score

Table 6.2 Component 1: Access / Retrieval of Media and Information

Component 2 Evaluation / Understanding information The user evaluates information critically and competently
Subcomponents		Core Competencies	Score Range
a. Assessment of media and information	1	Analyzes, examines, and extracts relevant media and information
	2	Distinguishes editorial from commercial content / factual and fictional content of media and information
	3	Recognizes that media try to attract different audiences for different purposes
	4	Interprets media and information
	5	Understands and evaluates the functions of media and information in society
	6	Understands and questions context, ownership, regulation, audiences, economic, legal, privacy and security issues of media and information
	7	Evaluates how people, places, issues, ideas and concepts are represented in media and information, with an appreciation of the importance of diversity in the media and information
b. Organization of media and information	8	Evaluates currency, relevance, accuracy and quality of the retrieved media and information
	9	Recognizes that media and information have social and political implications and that the media and information often have an agenda setting function
	10	Selects and synthesizes media and information
	11	Identifies the best and most useful media and information
	12	Determines appropriate and relevant use of media and information
	13	Groups and organizes the retrieved media and information
	14	Arranges/Saves/Stores/Preserves/Deletes media and information
Total Score

Table 6.3 Component 2: Evaluation/Understanding of Media and Information

Component 3 Use / Create / Communicate information The user applies/uses information accurately and creatively
Subcomponents		Core Competencies	Score Range
a. Creation of knowledge	1	Learns or internalizes media and information as personal knowledge
	2	Applies media and information in contextually- relevant settings to target audience
	3	Evaluates knowledge for usefulness
b. communication and ethical use and media and information	4	Communicates in media and information formats for a particular message for a particular audience
	5	Demonstrates ethical use of information
	6	Protects personal data
	7	Identifies and interacts with bodies that regulate media and information
	8	Communicates the learning product with acknowledgement of intellectual property
	9	Uses the relevant acknowledgement style standards
Total Score

Table 6.4 Competencies Component 3: Use/Communicate Media and Information

These variables/indicators, like the Tier 1 indicators before them, are intended to be adapted/customized to local environments before being implemented. They may also be adapted across countries and regions to measure competencies at the primary, secondary and/or tertiary (university) level within a nation’s formal education system. Through these variables/indicators, governments can measure and monitor their own progress towards MIL and to better inform their own policymakers and potential international partners, such as UNESCO, about their needs.

7.1 Conclusions

All of us need to obtain a critical mass of new competencies composed of new skills, attitudes and knowledge to make best of new opportunities, tools and resources. Therefore, it is essential for us to become more self-aware, self-directed and self-acting throughout our life time. There is no single literacy that is appropriate for all people or for one person over all their lifetime that would not require constant updating of concepts and competences in accordance with the changing circumstances of the information environment. Media and information literacy is important for all citizens who intentionally or without knowing it, consume media, the presence of which has become wider and more diverse with the new digital technologies and the growing participation of laypersons. Moscow Declaration has aptly described Media and Information Literacy, MIL as a prerequisite for the sustainable development of open, plural, inclusive and participatory knowledge societies, and the civic institutions, organizations, communities and individuals which comprise these societies.

MIL has the potential to address the problems at individual, organizational, national and global level at the grassroots level with permanency while strongly supporting other short-term measures which sometimes appear to be cosmetic. It enables us to become true knowledge seeker without caring about the source of information, its form or format, geographical boundaries, time constraints, gender, cultural and religious beliefs and differences. The problems the world today is facing, including all forms of violence is because of wrong decisions made by people. MIL reduces the probability of taking wrong decisions by people who are media and information literate. The value and power of information literacy gets enhanced, enriched and expanded multifold when it converges with media literacy. While information literacy is more effective at individual level, MIL has proven positive global impact as it aims for greater transparency, accountability, freedom, with strengthening the social fabric and democratic values with knowledge-based bonding.

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