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9. We received 94 responses to the consultation. Where the author gave consent these responses are published in full on Ofcom’s website (www.ofcom.org.uk). A list of respondents is given in Annex A. We are grateful for the comments made by the organisations and individuals who responded to our proposals and for their interest in this important issue.

10. In July 2004 the Doors section of The Sunday Times canvassed its readers' views on the best means of encouraging media literacy. The Editor of Doors forwarded readers’ emails and letters to us. This is what readers were asked:

"What Doors wants to know is what you, as tooled-up newspaper readers, think we should all do to encourage media literacy - sticks and carrots, even - and who is best placed to get a digital society moving: parents, manufacturers, broadcasters, politicians, who? Choose one of the talking points that we have proposed alongside - or any techie issue about which you have insider knowledge. Mail us with specific proposals to bring digital challenges into focus, and we will give £50 to the 10 readers who fare best. Within the month, we will analyse your responses, put your concerns to the great and the good, and report back on what they say. Finally, we will submit every one of your entries to Ofcom's consultation in time for its August 10 deadline. If you need any more incentive, remember the mantra of the digital revolution: interaction is all."

We would like to express our gratitude to David Johnson, Editor, Doors, to his staff and to the readers who contributed to this important discussion. The views expressed have helped inform the core conclusions set out in this statement.

11. There is no single, agreed definition of media literacy. There are parallels with traditional literacy: the ability to read and write text. Media literacy is the ability to ‘read’ and ‘write’ audiovisual content rather than text. At its simplest level media literacy is the ability to use a range of media and be able to understand the information received.

12. At a more advanced level it moves from recognising and understanding the information to critical thinking skills such as questioning, analysing, appreciating and evaluating that information.

13. Someone who is media literate may also be able to produce communications in electronic form, such as write emails, create web pages or video materials.

14. The consultation proposed a working definition of media literacy as being ‘the ability to access, analyse, evaluate and produce communications in a variety of forms’. Or put simply, the ability to operate the technology to find what you are looking for, to understand that material, to have an opinion about it and where necessary to respond to it. Media literate people will be able to exercise informed choices about content and services, be able to take advantage of the full range of opportunities offered by new communications technologies and be better able to protect themselves and their families from harmful or offensive materials.

Responses to the consultation

15. A number of respondents suggested alternative definitions or additional phrases to extend our working definition. Alternative definitions, in the main proposed by stakeholders in film (UK Film Council and bfi) and education (Institute of Education, NIACE) would see ‘critical analysis’ of content and ‘taste, aesthetic discrimination, creativity and empowerment’ of people take a greater role in the definition of media literacy than access and use of technology and content production and management. Others suggested greater emphasis on particular skills, knowledge and understanding such as the need to acquire ‘production skills’ (Scottish Screen and others), or knowledge of costs (ICSTIS and TUFF) or understanding of copyright issues (British Music Rights and others).

16. BT commented that the distinction between ‘analysis’ and ‘evaluation’ is too fine to warrant their separation into different categories.

Ofcom’s response

17. The consultation proposed a working definition of media literacy that is short and simple but broad enough to cover all communication technologies and types of content and service as well as the different ways in which people use them. Ofcom is not persuaded that adding emphases or elaborations to the working definition will significantly clarify what is meant by media literacy.

18. There is, however, merit in suggestions made by Andrea Millwood Hargrave and Sonia Livingstone to use ‘create’ rather than ‘produce’ to recognise the creative aspect of the communication process. Replacing ‘forms’ with the more inclusive ‘contexts’ recognises that the same content (e.g. video) can be accessed on different platforms (e.g. television, PC or mobile phone) that may be subject to different norms and regulatory regimes and in different physical contexts or environments.

19. Whilst we do see a difference between ‘analyse’ and ‘evaluate’ we take the point made by BT that it is a fine distinction. We consider both these abilities can be inferred in ‘understand’.

20. We will use the definition: ‘media literacy is the ability to access, understand and create communications in a variety of contexts’.

21. We recognise that stakeholders will continue to use whatever definition of media literacy emphasises their own priorities and suits their particular aims and objectives.

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