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The authors, Paolo Celot and José Manuel Pérez Tornero, presented their book "Media Literacy in Europa" in Rome at the EAVI International Conference on Media Literacy. Please find below the English version of the volume's abstract.
For further information please contact the authors.
Media Literacy in Europa
The development of communications, the access to a new generation of digital contents and more generally the begin of a new Media Age, have created a new environment that allows extraordinary potential mechanisms of communication and participation in public life and democracy.
Nowadays, it is necessary to acquire new skills and knowledge to pursue a full and active citizenship. Not only have people to learn reading, writing and counting but they also have to develop advanced critical thinking skills to be able to understand the messages and use the information broadcasted by the media (television, Internet, cinema, radio, press, mobile phones, etc..). It is also necessary that the users themselves will become producers of media content, to become future informed consumers and citizens who have taken possession of the media.
In other words, the context in which we live forces citizens to learn how to read and write the media. It is related to the promotion of a new literacy, the so called media literacy that represents the final result of the activities of Media Education.
Media Literacy contributes to develop democratic society’s culture and progress. The educational policies of many countries have begun to consider Media Literacy as a new and essential requirement. The European Union is also taking crucial decisions in order to promote Media Literacy activities in all the member states.
The text offers a complete and rigorous view on media literacy, inspired by the results of more extensive and recent research conducted by the authors on behalf of the European Commission in 27 EU countries. All the most important aspects of this discipline are included: components, definitions, dimensions, objectives, programs, historical evolution, and others.
The book also provides the first evidence for a comparative analysis between European states on account of the Community legislation of each country and the role played by international institutions. Finally, the background and future prospective of media literacy in Europe are presented, together with the emerging guidelines and recommendations of international experts with the purpose of pointing out the priorities to undertake concrete initiatives.
Paolo Celot
Paolo Celot, founding member and Secretary General of EAVI, is an Economist and a European Affairs Advisor specialized in the media sector. Over the last fifteen years he has accumulated considerable international experience working for private and public broadcasters (RAI, BBC, UER), for TV advertising agencies and collaborating with various public institutions including the European Commission. He is a member of the Media Literacy expert group of the European Commission, member of the expert group on public television of the Council of Europe in Strasburg, member of the expert group on active citizenship of the European Commission in Brussels.
José Manuel Pérez Tornero
José Manuel Pérez Tornero is Professor of Education and Communication at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, ex-director of the educational television of RTVE. He is a specialist in Media Literacy in the European Commission and UNESCO. Furthermore he is Director of the International Master in Communication and Education.
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