Facing the future: Media and Information Literacy in a changing landscape.
Media is all over the head of most citizens and information is what we get from this. To be able to survive in the present time we should be able to have the abilities to manipulate media, as well as information in a responsible way. This is where MIL comes in. Media and Information Literacy, often referred as MIL, includes
Media Literacy
Information Literacy
Technology Literacy
which refers to the set of essential competencies. Based on UNESCO, it is defined as a set of competencies that empowers citizens to access, retrieve, understand, evaluate and use, create, as well as share information and media content in all formats, using various tools, in a critical, ethical and effective way, in order to participate and engage in personal, professional and societal activities. In short, MIL is like a sword which can give us citizens the power to attack media and other information providers in an efficient way where we can develop our critical thinking and life-long learning skills. With that, we can become responsible users and competent producers of media and information.
MIL is a combination of information literacy and media literacy. The purpose of being information and media literate is to engage in a digital society. One needs to be able to use, understand, inquire, create, communicate and think critically. It is important to have capacity to effectively
access
organize
analyze
evaluate
create messages in a variety of forms
The transformative nature of MIL includes creative works and creating new knowledge. To publish and collaborate responsibly requires ethical, cultural and social understanding.
We, as a people living in a digital age, a time of relentless change. These changing media landscapes together with the rapid growth in information are affecting individuals and societies now more than ever. In order to succeed in what is now a complex, multifaceted information environment; communities and nations must identify and obtain a crucial set of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) competencies. Every day we are confronted with new information and knowledge in different and sometimes challenging forms. The rise of digital and social media tools has brought with it some amazing innovations and immense challenges. MIL can help us to
seek
critically evaluate
create new information and knowledge to embrace these diverse forms using existing tools and share these through various networks and channels.
MIL can create new opportunities to improve quality of life.
It can contribute greatly to lifelong learning. However individuals, organizations and societies must address existing and emerging barriers and challenges to the free and effective use of information- among them are
limited capacities
resources and infrastructure
a critical need for increased collaboration
censorship
legal barriers
lack of awareness of the importance of long term information preservation
Media and Information Literacy promotes an approach that introduces the solutions for problems that takes place in the present. It also helps recent learners to enhance their thinking skills that will lead them to their success. It can refine the qualities of life and it can contribute to make a better future for the society or for the country. But the future can be better once everyone used what they absorbed in MIL responsibly today. In conclusion, what we have done today affects tomorrow.
