Digital media literacy is defined as the ability of individuals in today's information age to use digital technologies effectively, consciously, and critically. Beyond traditional literacy, digital media literacy encompasses not only the ability to read text, but also the ability to understand, evaluate, and produce visual, auditory, and interactive media content.[1] This skill is a fundamental tool in both individual participation and decision-making processes related to social life in the information age. With the proliferation of multimedia tools such as social media, blogs, and video platforms, digital media literacy has gained importance not only in terms of information consumption but also in terms of content production and sharing.
'Digital Media Literacy' series is beginning
Basic concepts
The basic components of digital media literacy include critical literacy, media production, digital participation, and participatory culture.
Critical thinking is at the heart of digital media literacy. Critical thinking enables individuals to recognize manipulative techniques and develop resistance to them, and gives them the ability to evaluate different perspectives so that they do not get stuck in a single point of view. This helps them develop fairer and more informed views about groups that are underrepresented or misrepresented in the media.
Critical literacy is the ability to question the information presented in the media, evaluate the reliability of sources, and understand the ideological context of messages.[2] For example, questioning the accuracy of news circulating on social media and taking a critical approach to fake news are practical applications of this concept. This process prevents individuals from being susceptible to manipulation and reduces the spread of misinformation.
Media production refers to individuals positioning themselves as active content creators on digital platforms.[3] Users producing content such as videos, blog posts, podcasts, and visual shares on platforms like YouTube and TikTok are examples of media production. Thus, individuals cease to be passive consumers and become active actors in shaping the media. This also ensures that unique voices are heard and different social groups are represented.
The concept of digital participation encompasses individuals' participation in social and political processes in digital environments.[4] This covers a wide range of activities, from supporting online campaigns to organizing through social media and digital activism. For example, young people supporting environmental movements or reporting human rights violations through social media are concrete examples of digital participation. This form of participation plays a critical role in increasing democratic participation and accelerating social change.
Finally, the concept of participatory culture refers to the social structure in which users are not only consumers but also content producers, sharers, and commentators in digital media environments. This concept, as defined by Henry Jenkins, emphasizes users' contributions to collective knowledge production, creative interactions, and social solidarity. For example, user-based knowledge platforms such as Wikipedia are among the most important examples of participatory culture. Participatory culture enables individuals to engage in media processes in a more democratic and interactive manner.
Theoretical framework
Various theoretical approaches stand out when examining digital media literacy. Critical pedagogy, pioneered by Paulo Freire, advocates that individuals should be active questioners rather than passive recipients in learning processes.[5] This approach encourages individuals to use media critically, question power relations, and examine ideological messages in digital media literacy. Students do not merely consume content but also become part of the process of producing and transforming it.
The field of cultural studies is based on Stuart Hall's encoding-decoding model. According to Hall, media texts are encoded with a specific meaning by the producer, while the audience or consumer can decode this text in different ways according to their own social and cultural context.[6] This perspective treats digital media literacy not only as technical knowledge but also as the ability to decode cultural meanings. Thus, it is understood that media content is open to different interpretations and that media reflects social power dynamics.
Constructivist learning theory emphasizes a learning process in which individuals actively construct knowledge and connect it to previous experiences.[7] In digital media literacy, this theory emphasizes that learning should be interactive, experiential, and problem-solving rather than passive reception. Students build their own knowledge networks as they analyze, critique, and produce media content. This process demonstrates the need for interactive and participatory methods to be preferred for media literacy education to be effective.
Henry Jenkins' participatory culture theory explains the social dimension of digital media literacy.[8] Participatory culture refers to a collective and collaborative media experience in which individuals blur the boundaries between media production and consumption. In this culture, users produce, share, transform, and discuss content. This dynamic positions media literacy as a social practice rather than an individual skill.
The current importance of digital media literacy
Digital media literacy is of vital importance, especially in today's digital environment where disinformation is widespread. During the COVID-19 pandemic, false and misleading information spread on social media demonstrated the need for individuals to access accurate information and evaluate it critically.[9] Digital media literacy helps individuals make informed decisions in the face of such misinformation and contributes to preventing social harm.
In addition, digital media literacy increases democratic participation and contributes to social justice. For example, young people's environmental campaigns, gender equality demands, or human rights advocacy on social media are made possible by the effective use of digital literacy.[10] While digital media has become a powerful tool for social change, it is the responsibility of individuals to use these tools correctly and effectively.
Digital media literacy in the education curriculum
Integrating digital media literacy into the school curriculum ensures that younger generations grow up as conscious individuals in the digital world. This education not only teaches technology usage skills but also covers topics such as developing behavior in accordance with ethical rules, awareness of disinformation, and critically analyzing media representations.
Three main trends in media literacy
There are three main trends in media literacy education:
- Protective Approach: Aims to protect vulnerable groups such as children from the negative effects of the media.
- Encouraging Approach: Encourages media literacy to empower individuals, increase media awareness, and promote the proper use of media skills.
- Participatory Approach: This approach enables individuals to develop critical thinking and effective communication skills in the media environment.
Digital media literacy in daily life
Digital media literacy is not just an academic subject; it is also a skill applied in daily life. Questioning the accuracy of a news story you see on social media, noticing how algorithms guide you, or observing ethical rules when sharing content are examples of how this skill is reflected in daily life.
Ethical content production
Today, everyone has become a content creator. Blog posts, social media posts, and videos allow individuals to convey their ideas to a wide audience. However, ensuring that this content complies with ethical rules demonstrates that individuals are fulfilling their responsibility to society.
Conclusion: Digital media literacy for a more democratic society
Digital media literacy is not only an individual skill but also a social necessity. In an age of increasing information pollution and manipulation, developing critical thinking and conscious media use skills is vital for building a more democratic society.
Critical literacy, media production, digital participation, and participatory culture are the core components of this competency. From a theoretical perspective, critical pedagogy, cultural studies, constructivist learning, and participatory culture approaches enable us to understand digital media literacy as a multidimensional phenomenon. In today's digital environment, where media content spreads rapidly and information pollution is on the rise, developing media literacy skills is critical for protecting individual rights and strengthening democratic societies. Therefore, promoting digital media literacy and educating individuals in this area is a shared responsibility for all of us. It is essential to disseminate this skill so that future generations can exist as conscious individuals in the digital world.
Footnotes:
[1] Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York University Press, s. 12.
[2] Buckingham, D. (2003). Media Education: Literacy, Learning and Contemporary Culture. Cambridge: Polity Press, s. 45.
[3] Jenkins, H. (2009). Participatory Culture in a Networked Era. Polity Press, s. 78.
[4] Coleman, S., & Blumler, J. G. (2009). The Internet and Democratic Citizenship: Theory, Practice and Policy. Cambridge University Press, s. 103.
[5] Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum, s. 33.
[6] Hall, S. (1980). Encoding/Decoding. In Culture, Media, Language (pp. 128–138). Routledge, s. 67.
[7] Piaget, J. (1954). The Construction of Reality in the Child. Routledge, s. 89.
[8] Jenkins, H. (2009). Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century. MIT Press, s. 120.
[9] Zarocostas, J. (2020). How to fight an infodemic. The Lancet, 395(10225), s. 150.
[10] Boulianne, S. (2015). Social media use and participation: A meta-analysis of current research. Information, Communication & Society, 18(5), s. 172.
[11] Giritli İnceoğlu, Y. (2025), Dijital Medya Okuryazarlığı, Atölye BİA.
Our Media
IPS Communication Foundation/bianet is among the partners of the EU-funded “Our Media” project, which will run from 2023 to 2025.
The “Our Media: Civil Society Movement for the Multiplication of Media Literacy and Activism, Prevention of Polarization, and Promotion of Dialogue” project will last for three years.
The project's initial focus will be on building the capacity of NGOs, media professionals, young activists, and the public in the Balkans and Turkey to address trends and challenges related to media freedom, development, and sustainability.
Funded by the EU and covering the years 2023–2025, the partners of the “Our Media” project are as follows:
South East Europe Network for Professionalization of Media (SEENPM)
Albanian Media Institute (Tirana)
Mediacentar Foundation (Sarajevo)
Kosovo Press Council
Montenegro Media Institute (Podgorica)
Macedonia Media Institute (Skopje)
Novi Sad School of Journalism (Novi Sad)
Peace Institute (Ljubljana)
bianet (Turkey).
The researcher for the “Our Media” project on behalf of the IPS Communication Foundation/bianet is Sinem Aydınlı, the foundation's research coordinator.
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A new civil society initiative: 'Our Media'
Scope of the project
The project begins with research aimed at identifying key trends, risks, and opportunities for media sustainability and mapping good practices in media activism to support media freedom and media and information literacy (MIL). The research findings will be used to strengthen the capacities of NGOs and other stakeholders in the media field to address challenges in the media.
Advocacy activities will be carried out to understand the capacities of journalists, media organizations, and media institutions within the scope of “Our Media.” Local and national media and other actors will be encouraged to carry out media activism work on gender inequalities in the media. Within the scope of the project, young leaders will be empowered to oppose discrimination and gender stereotypes and to support gender equality through various activities.
The project will reach local communities through financial support provided to NGOs in urban and rural areas, with the aim of developing citizens' MIL skills, supporting media freedom and integrity, and countering polarization caused by propaganda, hate speech, and disinformation.
The regional program “Our Media: A civil society action to generate media literacy and activism, counter polarisation and promote dialogue” is implemented with the financial support of the European Union by partner organizations SEENPM, Albanian Media Institute, Mediacentar Sarajevo, Press Council of Kosovo, Montenegrin Media Institute, Macedonian Institute for Media, Novi Sad School of Journalism, Peace Institute and Bianet.
This article was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of IPS Communication Foundtaion/bianet and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
(SA/VC/VK)
