MEDIA : COMMISSION PROMOTES MEDIA LITERACY.

In response to the European Parliament's concerns, the European Commission adopted, on 20 December, a communication on media literacy in the digital environment. A problem which it defines by "the ability to access, understand, evaluate and create media content". In this way, it says it wants to promote, with the help of programmes and initiatives underway, the definition and exchange of good practices. A method also favoured in the field of advertising by Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding, who reiterated her opposition to the advertising ban'. When needed, the Commission will later adopt a set of recommendations.

All types of media are taken into consideration: television, cinema, video, websites, radio, video games and virtual communities. The document puts the emphasis on three work approaches: advertising, raising awareness of European film/enhancing creativity skills, and online content which, for example, will give citizens a better knowledge of how Google and other internet search engines work.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

After a public consultation carried out at the end of 2006, the Commission believes it is urgent to define new evaluation criteria for the level of media literacy - it will prepare a study in 2008 to this effect - as well as new good practices.

The debate was broadly led by MEPs, very attached to media literacy, during a review of the Television Without Frontiers Directive (89/552/EEC). The review has just been completed. The topic is the...