ENPA Position Paper on Media Literacy: Equipping citizens with critical skills for a multi-channel world
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It is of utmost importance that newspapers are taken into account in any discussion or policy aimed at improving media literacy skills throughout Europe. The European news media not only promote reading proficiency by aiding in the development of necessary literacy skills, but the authoritative range of information provided daily is also indispensable to European citizens who wish to inform themselves about the important issues facing society today. Newspapers and news media have the ability to reach broad audiences on a daily basis, providing individuals with the necessary information to be fully engaged citizens who contribute to democratic debate and fulfill their role in an open society.
ENPA calls on the European institutions to:
- Recognise the important role that newspaper publishers’ content on all platforms plays in both functioning and emerging democracies by encouraging active citizenship and an open exchange of opinion and information;
- Take account of the role that newspapers and news media play in supporting development of the cultural industries;
- Ensure that newspaper publishers’ content (both in print and digital formats) is included in media education programmes managed by the European Union, since such programmes are incomplete without news media components;
- Link the “digital literacy’ initiatives under the EU Digital Agenda to the promotion of “media literacy”, so that citizens can critically access the content they access online;
- Shift the focus from a technology-only debate to a comprehensive strategy that includes news literacy (in which the importance of informed citizenship and the use of media to promote civic engagement is emphasised);
- Develop campaigns aimed at raising awareness of the need for respect of copyright;
- Encourage a level playing field between the press and technology platforms, to allow the press to remain economically viable and fulfil its democratic role online.