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Europe to save citizens from rubbish Web 2.0 media
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Mon Dec 24, 2007 6:17 pm Reply and quote this post
The European Union's Directorate of the Bleeding Obvious* hasconcluded, essentially, that the media is full of rubbish and that itsaudience is ill-equipped to assess the quality of the information thatit is offered. Furthermore, the audience itself is now complicatingmatters by producing its own rubbish in multiple overlapping andintersecting formats. It follows, says the European Commission, thatmedia literacy "becomes even more essential for active citizenship anddemocracy."
The Register UK wrote:
We at The Register are entirely unconvinced that theaddition of electronic Web 2.0 media rubbish to the pile of traditionalpaper-based media rubbish makes media literacy any more or lessessential or achievable. Nor do we see it as necessarily following thatthe skills needed to analyse and assess information have materiallychanged because the world has gone digital. Yes, we accept thatcritical analysis skills are sadly lacking these days, and that it ispossible that the world might be a better place if that were less thecase; but we have severe doubts about the ability of the Commission andits miscellaneous collection of vested interests to do much more than pontificate ineffectually.


That link gives you the list of contributors to a publicconsultation on media literacy run by the Commission in 2006, andyou'll note that despite the apparently Web 2.0 nature of 'the issue'("The media are changing, and so is citizens' use of such media. Newinformation and communication technologies make it much easier foranybody to retrieve and disseminate information, communicate, publishor even broadcast," says the Commission), it consists overwhelmingly ofold media, public bodies, traditional organisations and educationalists.
The Commission brings its own agenda and preconceptions to theparty. "In a digital era, media literacy is crucial for achieving fulland active citizenship," says Information Society and MediaCommissioner Viviane Reding. "The ability to read and write – ortraditional literacy – is no longer sufficient in this day and age.People need a greater awareness of how to express themselveseffectively, and how to interpret what others are saying, especially onblogs, via search engines or in advertising. Everyone (old and young)needs to get to grips with the new digital world in which we live. Forthis, continuous information and education is more important thanregulation."
Does it necessarily follow either that media literacy is "crucial"for "full and active citizenship" or that this is more the case in "adigital era"? And given that younger people are heavily active andskilled in the use of digital media, what is it that Reding actuallymeans by "media literacy"? Doesn't being able to use the Interneteffectivedly count? Is the "problem" perhaps that old chestnut,declining newspaper sales, plus a declining interest on thepopulation's part in politics and politicians?
The Commission's problem seems to be not that "ordinary people" areusing digital media and posting web content, but that the poor soulsdon't seem to know what they're doing. They don't always "fullyunderstand the context within which such material is written, seen orread, or the possible consequences of publishing something themselves."And indeed quite often they don't, just as those selling 'my exclusivestory' to the popular prints quite often don't understand the possibleconsequences. So your point is?
Apparently, that everybody "therefore" needs to develop new skillsas active communicators and creators of content. As a first step, theCommission's efforts are being directed at media literacy relating toadvertising ("promoting media literacy is a much more appropriateapproach than advocating advertising bans," says Reding), "raisingawareness of European film" (did we not mention vested interests?) and"media literacy for online which, for example, will give citizens abetter knowledge of how Google and other Internet search engines work."
Which seems a pretty restricted approach to online media literacy, but hey, it's a start. The Commission communication itself (available here) breaks down "media literacy" into a number of areas.
The Register UK wrote:
These include "feeling comfortable with all existing media from newspapers to virtual communities" (The Registerfails on that one); "actively using media through... interactivetelevision, use of Internet search engines or participation in virtualcommunities" (failed again); "having a critical approach to media asregards both quality and accuracy of content"; "understanding theeconomy of media and the difference between pluralism and mediaownership" and "being aware of copyright issues which are essential fora 'culture of legality', especially for the younger generation..."

So to summarise, first you immunise the population to lyingadvertising, then you awaken it to the lies the press prints, then thewhole of the citizenry becomes wise, communicative, creative andlaw-abiding, originating and exchanging its own crystal-clearinformation. And then suddenly they all see a point to you, and tovoting for you? Is that it?

Contributed by Editorial Team, Executive Management Team
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