EPALE - den Elektroniske Platform for Voksenlæring i Europa

Have you ever stopped to consider the profound impact of media and information on our lives? From shaping public opinion to influencing decision-making processes, the media plays a pivotal role in today's interconnected world. In recognition of this, the UNESCO Media & Information Literacy (MIL) Alliance was established.

In May 2023, EPALE sat down with Irene Andriopoulou to discuss trends in the global adult Media Literacy and initiatives close to her heart.

Irene Andriopoulou is a media analyst and media literacy expert, researching, practising and advocating for media and information literacy for nearly 20 years. She has been working closely with the European Commission and the Council of Europe and the European Audio-visual Observatory. She is (co)author of numerous media policy papers and publications, with her most recent work being “The Routledge Handbook of Media Education Futures Post-Pandemic” (2022). In 2023, she concluded her term (2019-2023) as globally elected co-Secretary General of the International Steering Committee of UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Alliance. She was also coordinating the EU Mediterranean Working Group of UNESCO MIL Alliance among other MIL initiatives, as Head of Education, Research and Studies at EKOME in Greece. 

Ms Andriopoulou, please introduce the UNESCO MIL Alliance and its work to us. What are its main goals?

In 2013, the UNESCO Media & Information Literacy (MIL) Alliance was established as a collaborative effort between UNESCO, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), UNICEF, and the EU Commission, among others. Our shared mission was and is to promote Media and Information Literacy and pave the way for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

At the heart of the UNESCO MIL Alliance lies the concept of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) as an all-encompassing skill set. I mean, MIL is not just about acquiring technical competencies; it embodies the fundamental principles of basic human rights, such as the right to information, freedom of opinion, and expression, as articulated in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

One of our main achievement with the Alliance is the Global Media and Information Literacy Week. 

This annual gathering, approved officially by UNESCO and 193 member-countries, brings together media stakeholders to review progress and celebrate advancements in MIL for All. This year, Jordan will host the 2023 Global Media and Information Literacy Week under the theme "Media and Information Literacy in Digital Spaces: A collective global agenda."

Please tell us a bit about Adult Media Literacy and how it is approached by the Alliance.

Adult media literacy is key to the global media and information literacy movement, pioneered by UNESCO, following its main motto: learning to learn, learning autonomously and pursuing lifelong learning. While we claim that it should be cultivated from the early steps of life - reaching young “screen-agers” from preschool age - media and information literacy is a dynamic, spiral, life-long learning procedure that addresses - or shall address - all target groups, namely the adult population and all its subgroups, such as media professionals, social minorities (socially deprived, immigrants, mixed population), people with special needs, senior citizens, for equal access and  critical management of our media-saturated societies. 

And this is the main premise set by UNESCO MIL Alliance as a global advocator, claiming that MIL is for all and for the public good, for personal well-being and social development at the same time. 

In times of crisis, such as the pandemic and the concurrent infodemic, a massive gap was highlighted in terms of digital access and proficiency for all – not only between regions of the world but also, amongst different social groups. Information chaos and overload certainly did not make it any easier. So, UNESCO launched a range of initiatives and toolkits, that address adult media literacy, such as the Media and Information Literacy & Intercultural Dialogue MOOCs but also the MIL CLICKS Youth movement for an ethical social media attitude, and many more regional initiatives. 

All those materials are freely available from the website, that when all added to the puzzle, create this strong MIL impact. 

Please introduce one concrete partnership of the MIL Alliance to us and why it is so close to your heart.

Well, this is an exciting question for me that gives me the chance to talk not only about one but two unique experiences set within the UNESCO MIL Alliance. The first one being part of the 2019-2022 International Steering Committee of the Alliance, honoured to serve as elected co- Secretary General. The second is the European Sub-Chapter Mediterranean Group of the UNESCO MIL Alliance, coordinated by EKOME.

Alongside a group of leading and equally passionate, media and information literacy experts from all over the globe, the Steering Committee was challenged to find ways of bringing MIL high in the global policy agenda and making the Alliance’s vision largely known, in the midst of COVID-19 and all its logistic challenges. But, you know what they say, the greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it, and we were pretty adamant and vigilant to use MIL skills to fight the “infodemia”.

The Mediterranean Group on the other hand was formed in 2018, and launched as a regional effort to raise MIL awareness, to introduce a more systematic and sustainable agenda in the region. So we tried to locate and establish Mediterranean partnerships and project-based synergies that could further advance MIL in the region. And we have succeeded in indeed making some noise. The network now counts over 55 members from the Mediterranean. The network created also, 5 Task Forces and launched the unique and globally acclaimed series of EKOME MIL Webinar Series, all now available on EKOME’s YouTube channel. 

What do you consider especially critical in terms of policies?

I mean, it will certainly not get easier, and we are facing multiple challenges day after day. This matrix-created effect is often an issue non-grata for state regulation of media policies, on national, regional and international levels. 

Arguably, media and information literacy policies are associated with digital skills but should not be limited to that, rather focus on wise content management, and measurement report indicators of the status quo per country. Content management refers not just to safety provisions, but also to acquiring content curation skills towards evaluation and hermeneia through analysis of all media messages and platforms. Let us not forget that the content may be the king, but the medium, the platform through which the content is being transmitted is the queen…

What do you see as the main challenges for the future of MIL?

It is more than imperative to deal with information pathogenic phenomena such as disinformation and information chaos, as well as focusing on regulating content and safeguarding user’s rights in the new digital media formats and channels, such as the Very Large Online Platforms or Digital Platforms, the Video-Sharing Platforms, the OTTs, and the new AI apps, like as ChatGPT, securing basic human rights. There are no golden recipes or one-size-fits-all solutions, we need to make sure that while trying to regulate content in media service providers, we will still safeguard freedom of expression and access to quality information - but most importantly freedom to enjoy the information as ultimate public good towards resilient and knowledge societies!

For further information on the UNESCO MIL Alliance, please see here.