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Our vision

25. Our vision for media literacy is to inform and empower the citizen-consumer in the digital communications age.

Our approach

26. Our work provides an opportunity to focus stakeholders on the future needs of all members of society. Our principal role will be to provide leadership and leverage to help achieve this goal. We may also provide seed corn funding for projects and activities which contribute to our objectives but which would otherwise not proceed. Ofcom has to prioritise its work in this area. We will consult with and involve stakeholders throughout the nations and regions and from all sections of society and of all ages to ensure a diversity of view.

27. Whatever we do to promote media literacy through stakeholders will have to result from persuasion and debate, as Ofcom has no formal power to mandate action to promote media literacy.

Stakeholders

28. There are many stakeholders who have a part to play in improving the level of media literacy in both adults and children. Content producers, broadcasters, platform and network providers all have a responsibility in this area and are well placed to offer advice, support and guidance to their customers.

29. Formal education plays a vital role in laying the foundations of media literacy. Schools, colleges and universities offer opportunities for the development of skills at a variety of levels. They are also well placed to undertake research to inform future priorities and challenges. Informal educational opportunities in libraries, UK Online and community art centres give people beyond school age a chance to access technology and experience the potential it offers.

30. The Home Office, The Department for Education and Skills, Department for Culture Media and Sport and the Department of Trade and Industry all have areas of responsibility related to media literacy.

31. Parents, carers, children’s charities, viewer and listener organisations and others are rightly focussed on issues of harm and offence and protecting the young and vulnerable people from illegal, harmful and inappropriate materials.

32. A range of organisations such as ICSTIS (for premium rate telephony), Internet Service Providers Association, British Board of Film Classification, ELSPA (for the games industry), The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA) and various EU projects related to the Safer Internet Action Plan all have their part to play in providing users with the information and advice they need to benefit from new communications technologies.

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