MEDIA AND INFORMATION LITERACY EDUCATION

Education about the media used to be anchored to the

traditional media forms proliferating in television, radio, and print

media. However, the advent of the Internet and the rise of social

media networks, as well as multimedia technology, and cross-

platform modalities, compelled a paradigm shift in media

education.
 UNESCO defines Media and Information Literacy (MIL) as
"the essential competencies (knowledge, skills and
attitudes) that allow citizens to engage with media and
other Information providers effectively, and develop critical
thinking and life-long learning skills
for socializing and becoming active citizens.
Advantages of Media and
Information Literacy
 1
You will have the ability to examine-even scrutinize
the content of media and information messages
closely and see how their meanings are significant or
otherwise to your life as a person, and to your
community as well.
 2
You will gain an understanding of the structures that
govern the creation and dissemination of media and
information messages.
 3
You will make connections between government
regulation, free market, and the strategic programs
of media organizations.
 4
You will learn how to sift information, discern what is
both useful and useless to your lives. The Internet
provides a remarkable fraction of the information
you access everyday.
 5
You will value the word ethics and its implications to the
society. More often than not, we get lost in the flurry and
frenzy of the media intrusion in our lives, especially now
that social media enlists our participation as netizens or
digital citizens.
Citizenship and Media
and Information Literacy
Education
T. H. Marshall (1950, 8) defined citizenship as endowing all
members of a community with certain civil, political, and
social rights of membership, including "the right to share in
the social heritage and to live the life of a civilized being
according to the standards prevailing in society."
Digitalcitizenship.net (2016) provides us with some
useful discussion on ideal situations and what else
needs to be done.
 Digital Access

The ideal situation is that all have full electronic

participation in society. However, this is not the case,
as poverty and social exclusion, among others, limit
the access of a significant fraction in Philippine
society. Low bandwidth and expensive Internet rates
are just some of the constraining elements.
 Digital Communication

This involves the electronic exchange of information through

various platforms and channels. Information technology has
hastened and facilitated exchange of information. What needs
to be addressed is the responsible use of communication
platforms, including a consideration of how information
exchanges will benefit communities and, of course, society at
large.
 Digital Commerce

This involves the sale and purchase of goods and services

using digital platforms in the Internet and mobile phones.

This is a growing branch of the economy so much so that

even the Bureau of Internal Revenue is still not yet

decided on how to monitor these individuals and entities

doing retall businesses online.

 Digital Etiquette
This is about the commonly regarded as appropriate and respectful

behavior when using information technologies. Etiquette covers the proper

use of language, especially in an environment that relies much on the

written word, as well as invoking the virtue of empathy which is the ability

to the feelings of others inasmuch as we would like our feelings to be

considered. This area should also be concerned with the relationships we

build with fellow digital citizens-one occasioned by humility, fairness, and

open-mindedness.
 Digital Law

This covers the legal environment that informs

and guides the users about the ethical and
productive use of technology, defined as abiding
with the laws of society. In the Philippines, we
can refer to the Magna Carta for Internet
Freedom which is a crowd-sourced document.
 Digital Wellness

This covers the protection of users from

what could be potentially deleterious to
their physical, physiological, and even
psychological well-being.
 Digital Security

This area covers the entire gamut of safety precautions that information technologies invoke

from virus protection to data protection. As technologies grow and evolve into something more

complex, the need for security systems become even more compelling.
PREPARED BY:JUSTINE RHENCIEL W. BARRIENTOS