Paul Moore Content Board member for Northern

Ireland

Opportunities and challenges ahead?

Ofcom

What is Media Literacy?

How did we get here?

Concerns about the media are not new
New technologies present further
opportunities but also risks

The Communications Act 2003

(Section 11)

Ofcom

What is Media Literacy?

It is an umbrella term covering a set of skills,

knowledge and understanding of the media
and communications technology - i.e. media
savvy.

It is an expert term.

While there are several definitions of

Media Literacy, the purposes and
competences of Media Literacy, and
our priorities, are more useful to refer to
than the definition itself.

Ofcom

Media Literacy

Skills

Knowledge

Understanding

What is Media Literacy?

What is media literacy? (Our definition)

The ability to access, understand and create
communications in a variety of contexts
Access

Understand

Create

Use

Read

Produce

Navigate

Deconstruct

Distribute

Manage

Evaluate

Publish

Ofcom

What does this mean in practice?

Definition

Access

Understand

Create

Ofcom

Example Competences
Use
Navigate
Manage

Read
Deconstruct
Evaluate

Produce
Distribute
Publish

Evaluate and use technology

Use an EPG and web browser
Access, store, retrieve content and services
Search effectively and safely
Customise applications
Use firewalls and filters
Recognise editorial, advertising & sponsorship
Understand media contexts and motivations
Critique i.e. have a view on quality and
provenance of material
Make informed choices
Use technology to communicate ideas, information
and opinions
Contribute to the democratic process using
electronic media
Post and transact online
Use media responsibly

What is Media Literacy?

What is the purpose of media literacy?

To help produce...

Informed consumers
Active citizens

Ofcom

Why is media literacy important?

The media literacy spectrum:

why ensure people can access, understand and create communications?

Protection
Empowerment
Culture

Ofcom

An example
Five key questions
1. Who created this message?
2. What creative techniques are used to attract my attention?
3. How might different people understand this message
differently than me?

4. What values, lifestyles and points of view are represented

in, or omitted from, this message?

5. Why is this message being sent?

From Centre for Media Literacy
Ofcom

Who are they, who has

editorial/financial control,
what is their political or
cultural background?

Five key questions

1. Who created this message?

Images, voice over, music,

lighting, camera angle,
narrative

2. What creative techniques are used to attract my attention?

3. How might different people understand this message
differently than
Culturalme?
context, political inclination,
language, education, ethnicity

Western, commercial,
religious, political

4. What values, lifestyles and points of view are represented

in, or omitted from, this message?

5. Why is this message being sent?

Motivation, What do they

want? Money, influence,
support, actions
From Centre for Media Literacy

Ofcom

The Communications Act 2003

(1) It shall be the duty of OFCOM to take such steps, and to enter into such
arrangements, as appear to them calculated(a) to bring about, or to encourage others to bring about, a better public understanding of the nature and
characteristics of material published by means of the electronic media;
(b) to bring about, or to encourage others to bring about, a better public awareness and understanding of the processes
by which such material is selected, or made available, for publication by such means;
(c) to bring about, or to encourage others to bring about, the development of a better public awareness of the available
systems by which access to material published by means of the electronic media is or can be regulated;
(d) to bring about, or to encourage others to bring about, the development of a better public awareness of the available
systems by which persons to whom such material is made available may control what is received and of the uses to
which such systems may be put; and
(e) to encourage the development and use of technologies and systems for regulating access to such material, and for
facilitating control over what material is received, that are both effective and easy to use.

(2) In this section, references to the publication of anything by means of the

electronic media are references to its being(a) broadcast so as to be available for reception by members of the public or of a section of the public; or
(b) distributed by means of an electronic communications network to members of the public or of a section of the
public.
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How we do media literacy

Our role is to provide leadership and leverage

Achieve our objectives through partnerships

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Our strategy: consulted on and set out in our autumn

2004 statement
Three key strands

Research
Connecting, partnering and signposting
Labelling (content information)
The Content Board subsequently approved a fourth strand - embedding media
literacy across Ofcom

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Research
Media Literacy Audit

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Connecting, Partnering & Signposting

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Connecting, Partnering & Signposting

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Media Smart

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Media Smart

Media Smart

Launched in UK in 2002
Media literacy programme, focused on advertising
Classroom materials for 6 11 year olds
Broadcast advertising
Website
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Media Smart
Media Smart UK supporters

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Connecting, Partnering & Signposting

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Content information

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Content management

Kite marked Internet Access Control software:

includes verified means to prohibit access to internet-based content

that is not suitable or desirable for youngsters

has the means through which parents can prohibit communications

via internet-based services that parents deem are not suitable or
desirable - for example instant messaging or file-sharing sites

can prevent unauthorised users from changing or disabling the

access control system. It must also show it can remain up to date
(within the terms of any licensing or subscription requirements).

will be easy to install, configure and be easy to use and update.

Is accompanied by an easy way for users to get support
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Priorities for the future

The promotion of:

Content management eg Kitemark and PINs
Content information eg labelling
Critical awareness understanding media messages
Research
Partnerships
Education and information
Paying particular attention to the following gaps:
older people access and understanding
younger people understanding (critical awareness)
parents access (content management tools e.g. filters)
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Media Literacy Audit - Adults

Who did we speak to?
Including

437

Minority ethnic groups

Groups with a disability
Older people

496

Nations and regions

1816
495
A total of over 3,200 interviews

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Media Literacy Audit - Children

Who did we speak to?
336

Over 1500 children

Over 1500 parents

355
523
322

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Scope of the Audit

4 main platforms
TV

Radio

Internet

Mobile
plus

Games

3 types of literacy
Access

Understand

Usage levels and types of Knowledge of how TV is funded

usage
Trust in types of TV programme
Trust in and checks made of
Preferences for types of
media
Extent and types of
concern
Competence in using
content controls

Ofcom

internet sites
Attitudes to media
Attitudes to learning about
media

Create

Amount of and

interest in content
creation
Levels and types
of interaction

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Across all platforms

Confidence

Digital TV users in Scotland are more likely to say they are confident about using it
Those in Wales are more confident about the internet, and those in Northern Ireland more
confident about mobile phone tasks
Knowledge of funding and regulation

Across all four platforms, people in England have the highest levels of knowledge of
funding and regulation, and those in the South West, Wales and Northern Ireland among
the lowest
Trust

Respondents in Northern Ireland are less likely to trust TV news outlets, and more likely to
trust newspapers, as are those in the West Midlands

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Media literacy is particularly related to age

Interest in
features

Aware of
features of
interest

Volume of
usage

Breadth of
usage

Competence

Concern

Funding/
regulation

Trust

Aged 16 to 24

Aged 65 plus

Minority
ethnic group

Any disability
(aged under 65)

Low income

(aged under 65)

Rural

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