Commission publishes its media literacy guidelines

Media literacy has never been as important as it is today. It is a crucial skill for all citizens regardless of age, as it empowers them to participate in a more open and informed democratic debate. It also helps to counter the effects of disinformation campaigns and fake news spreading through digital media.

The recently revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) strengthens the role of media literacy. It requires Member States to promote and take measures that develop media literacy skills and to report periodically on these actions. The revised AVMSD also obliges video-sharing platforms to provide effective media literacy measures and tools and to raise users' awareness of those measures and tools.

The published guidelines will help the Member States to report on the relevant actions, as envisaged in Article 33a(3) of the AVMSD. The guidelines also aim to help Member States to share best practices on media literacy.

Moreover, as part of the Media and Audiovisual Action Plan, the European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services (ERGA), together with the Commission, developed in 2021 a Media Literacy Toolbox to which the guidelines refer. The Toolbox is aimed at ensuring effective and practical application of the media literacy obligations for video-sharing platforms while improving users’ awareness of specificities of online media and their critical skills.

Read more on Director General of DG CONNECT Roberto Viola's blogpost on media literacy.