Conference paper
Media Literacy and Human Rights: Education for Sustainable Societies
Divina Frau-Meigs
; professor at the University Sorbonne nouvelle, Paris
Abstract
This paper builds on the collaborative work of media researchers and professionals
as well as education decision makers and teachers that met in Graz, 5-
7 December 2007, at the invitation of the Council of Europe. The purpose of
the workshop was to determine the validity of media education and to verify
that human rights could be an added value to such an education.
Three main questions were debated, that built on each other: 1) “Which media
literacy?” focused on an assessment of the various definitions of media education,
trying to come to terms with the distinction between old and new media,
old and new literacies. 2) “Which competences, skills, attitudes and values?”
considered the core elements for developing coherent literacy training
programmes and sought to identify the integration of human rights in current
methods of teaching. 3) “How to develop these competences, skills, attitudes
and values?” discussed concrete examples of best practice, especially those
dealing with interactions between public and private sectors and old and new
media. It also examined how to evaluate the efficacy of empowerment practices
and policies, raising issues of awareness, self-regulation and the role of
the state and of Intergovernmental Organizations such as the Council of
Europe.
The results emphasized priority actions for different actors in the field of media
literacy, and assessed possible cooperation between actors while high-lighting the most important outcomes concerning the three key issues. The first
research question, about the feasibility of a comprehensive and inclusive approach
to media education was answered positively, with many examples
showing that it was already a work in progress. The second research question,
about the added-value of human rights, was also verified, though it appears
that the introduction of human rights values in the curriculum needs special
attention and a modular approach.
Keywords
media education; human rights; media literacy; Council of Europe
Hrčak ID:
26320
URI
Publication date:
25.6.2008.
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