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Opportunities and challenges ahead?

Paul Moore – Content Board member for Northern Ireland

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How did we get here?

• Concerns about ‘the media’ are not new

• New technologies present further opportunities but also risks

• The Communications Act 2003 (Section 11)

What is Media Literacy?

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What is Media Literacy?

It is an umbrella term covering a set of skills, knowledge and understanding of the media and communications technology - i.e. media savvy.

It is an expert term.

While there are several definitions of Media Literacy, the purposes and competences of Media Literacy, andour priorities, are more useful to refer to than the definition itself.

Skills Knowledge

Understanding

Media Literacy

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What is media literacy? (Our definition)

‘The ability to access, understand and create communications in a variety of contexts’

Access

Use

Navigate

Manage

Understand

Read

Deconstruct

Evaluate

Create

Produce

Distribute

Publish

What is Media Literacy?

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What does this mean in practice?

Definition Example Competences

Access

UseNavigateManage

•Evaluate and use technology•Use an EPG and web browser•Access, store, retrieve content and services•Search effectively and safely•Customise applications•Use firewalls and filters

UnderstandRead

DeconstructEvaluate

•Recognise editorial, advertising & sponsorship•Understand media contexts and motivations•Critique – i.e. have a view on quality and

provenance of material •Make informed choices

Create ProduceDistributePublish

•Use technology to communicate ideas, information and opinions•Contribute to the democratic process using

electronic media•Post and transact online•Use media responsibly

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What is the purpose of media literacy?

Informed consumers

Active citizens

To help produce...

What is Media Literacy?

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The media literacy spectrum:

why ensure people can access, understand and create communications?

• Protection

• Empowerment

• Culture

Why is media literacy important?

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1. Who created this message?

2. What creative techniques are used to attract my attention?

3. How might different people understand this message

differently than me?

4. What values, lifestyles and points of view are represented

in, or omitted from, this message?

5. Why is this message being sent?

From Centre for Media Literacy

Five key questions

An example…

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1. Who created this message?

2. What creative techniques are used to attract my attention?

3. How might different people understand this message

differently than me?

4. What values, lifestyles and points of view are represented

in, or omitted from, this message?

5. Why is this message being sent?

From Centre for Media Literacy

Who are they, who has editorial/financial control,

what is their political or cultural background?

Images, voice over, music, lighting, camera angle,

narrative

Cultural context, political inclination, language, education, ethnicity

Western, commercial, religious, political

Motivation, What do they want? Money, influence,

support, actions

Five key questions

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(1) It shall be the duty of OFCOM to take such steps, and to enter into such arrangements, as appear to them calculated-

(a) to bring about, or to encourage others to bring about, a better public understanding of the nature and

characteristics of material published by means of the electronic media;

(b) to bring about, or to encourage others to bring about, a better public awareness and understanding of the processes

by which such material is selected, or made available, for publication by such means;

(c) to bring about, or to encourage others to bring about, the development of a better public awareness of the available

systems by which access to material published by means of the electronic media is or can be regulated;

(d) to bring about, or to encourage others to bring about, the development of a better public awareness of the available

systems by which persons to whom such material is made available may control what is received and of the uses to

which such systems may be put; and

(e) to encourage the development and use of technologies and systems for regulating access to such material, and for

facilitating control over what material is received, that are both effective and easy to use.

(2) In this section, references to the publication of anything by means of the electronic media are references to its being-

(a) broadcast so as to be available for reception by members of the public or of a section of the public; or

(b) distributed by means of an electronic communications network to members of the public or of a section of the

public.

The Communications Act 2003

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How we ‘do’ media literacy

• Our role is to provide leadership and leverage

• Achieve our objectives through partnerships

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Our strategy: consulted on and set out in our autumn 2004 statementThree key strands

• Research

• Connecting, partnering and signposting

• Labelling (content information)

The Content Board subsequently approved a fourth strand - ‘embedding media literacy across Ofcom’

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Media Literacy Audit

Research

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Connecting, Partnering & Signposting

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Connecting, Partnering & Signposting

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Media Smart

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Media Smart

Media Smart

•Launched in UK in 2002

•Media literacy programme, focused on advertising

•Classroom materials for 6 – 11 year olds

•Broadcast advertising

•Website

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Media Smart UK supporters

Media Smart

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Connecting, Partnering & Signposting

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Content information

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Content management

Kite marked Internet Access Control software:

• includes verified means to prohibit access to internet-based content that is not suitable or desirable for youngsters

• has the means through which parents can prohibit communications via internet-based services that parents deem are not suitable or desirable - for example instant messaging or file-sharing sites

• can prevent unauthorised users from changing or disabling the access control system. It must also show it can remain up to date (within the terms of any licensing or subscription requirements).

• will be easy to install, configure and be easy to use and update.

• Is accompanied by an easy way for users to get support

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The promotion of:

• Content management eg Kitemark and PINs• Content information eg labelling• Critical awareness – understanding media messages

ResearchPartnershipsEducation and information

Paying particular attention to the following gaps:

• older people – access and understanding• younger people – understanding (critical awareness)• parents – access (content management tools e.g. filters)

Priorities for the future

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496

1816

495

437Including

Minority ethnic groups

Groups with a disability

Older people

Nations and regions

A total of over 3,200 interviews

Who did we speak to?

Media Literacy Audit - Adults

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355

523

322

336Over 1500 children

Over 1500 parents

Who did we speak to?

Media Literacy Audit - Children

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• Usage levels and types of usage

• Preferences for types of media

• Extent and types of concern

• Competence in using content controls

• Knowledge of how TV is funded• Trust in types of TV programme• Trust in and checks made of

internet sites• Attitudes to media• Attitudes to learning about media

• Amount of and interest in content creation

• Levels and types of interaction

4 main platforms –

3 types of literacy –

Access CreateUnderstand

TV Radio MobileInternet

Scope of the Audit

Gamesplus

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Across all platforms

Confidence

• Digital TV users in Scotland are more likely to say they are confident about using it• Those in Wales are more confident about the internet, and those in Northern Ireland more

confident about mobile phone tasks

Knowledge of funding and regulation

• Across all four platforms, people in England have the highest levels of knowledge of funding and regulation, and those in the South West, Wales and Northern Ireland among the lowest

Trust

• Respondents in Northern Ireland are less likely to trust TV news outlets, and more likely to trust newspapers, as are those in the West Midlands

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Low income (aged under 65)

Rural

Any disability (aged under 65)

Breadth of usage

Minority ethnic group

Aged 65 plus

Aged 16 to 24

TrustFunding/ regulation

ConcernCompetenceVolume of usage

Aware of features of interest

Interest in features

Media literacy is particularly related to age