Given the profound changes introduced by the presence of the media in contemporary society, there is a growing need to enrich the range of basic skills that individuals must possess in order to become active and aware citizens. The European Union defines “Media Literacy” as the ability to access the media, to understand, evaluate and examine the different aspects of the media starting from their contents, to create communication in a variety of contexts. This definition refers to a broader concept of literacy than the classical one and includes the set of knowledge and skills, i.e. able to understand the world around him and actively participate in its progress, thus giving all citizens of different generations the opportunity to navigate in the environment of modern navigation.
Media literacy concerns different media (radio, press and increasingly popular social media), different distribution channels (in particular the internet) and responds to the needs of different generations. Media literacy is also a tool to make citizens responsible in communication by inviting them to contribute to counter the effects of disinformation campaigns.
Every year the European Commission creates an event where all the experts on media literacy meet with the aim of: identify, document and extend media literacy skills; to make it easier to create networks between stakeholders, with the aim of mutual fertilisation.
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