Media Matters In The Cultural Contradictions Of The Information Society

Is an online identity protected by freedom of expression or is it a form of publicity subject to trademark law? Is online privacy a commercial service or a public right? What are the limits of consent when dealing with privacy as a service? What are "free", "open", or "public" services on the Internet and how can citizens use them effectively? What policy initiatives can ensure that the digital networks deliver the goods, spectacles and services for our everyday activities that improve our quality of life? What role for governments, the private sector and civil society? What frameworks for international policy instruments to achieve a fair, inclusive and balanced governance of the media as they go digital? This work addresses these burning issues - and many more - that preoccupy decision makers, researchers and activists at all levels of society. It covers the issues of dignity, ethics, identity, privacy, cultural diversity, public service, gate-keeping and education in an encompassing human rights-based governance framework. Considering the perils and promises of each issue, the authors make constructive recommendations, insisting on the relation between local and global governance, the public value of media, digital networks and the benefits of multi-stakeholder partnerships.

This book explores the socially and individually determined nature of media literacy, addressing the central question of how individuals’ media activity can be explained and evaluated. It examines people's media activity through the relationship between their competence to act and actual actions. Further, the book discusses the social factors that foster self-determined media activity, including people's abilities and skills and the associated knowledge that facilitates such skills, from the perspectives of various social science disciplines. Lastly, it applies these theoretical reflections to two empirical studies. Overall, this book provides a fundamental introduction to theories of media socialization, media literacy and media competence, and to the relation between media and socialization. It analyses international discourses on children, media, media literacy, and digital literacy. This book is of interest to scholars and researchers in the field of media studies, including media sociology and media education, communication, and cultural studies.

Public Policies in Media and Information Literacy in Europe explores the current tensions in European countries as they attempt to tackle the transition to the digital age, providing a comparative and cross-cultural analysis of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) across Europe. This book takes a long-term perspective over the development of media education in Europe, and includes an appraisal of media, information, computer and digital literacies as they coalesce and diverge in the public debate over twenty-first-century skills. The contributors assess the various definitions of media and information literacy as a composite notion whose evolution as a cross-cultural phenomenon reveals various trends and influences in Europe. Throughout, this volume offers an in-depth coverage of MIL with all the different dimensions of policy-making, from legal frameworks to training, funding, evaluation and good practices. The authors propose modeling current MIL governance trends in Europe and conclude with a call for alternative and collective frames of research that they hope will influence policy-makers and other stakeholders, especially in terms of MIL governance. This collection is ideal for students and researchers of MIL, as well as policy makers, educators and associations interested in MIL in the digital age.

Over the past forty years, media education research has emerged as a historical, epistemological and practical field of study. Shifts in the field—along with radical transformations in media technologies, aesthetic forms, ownership models, and audience participation practices—have driven the application of new concepts and theories across a range of both school and non-school settings. The Handbook on Media Education Research is a unique exploration of the complex set of practices, theories, and tools of media research. Featuring contributions from a diverse range of internationally recognized experts and practitioners, this timely volume discusses recent developments in the field in the context of related scholarship, public policy, formal and non-formal teaching and learning, and DIY and community practice. Offering a truly global perspective, the Handbook focuses on empirical work from Media and Information Literacy (MIL) practitioners from around the world. The book’s five parts explore global youth cultures and the media, trans-media learning, media literacy and scientific controversies, varying national approaches to media research, media education policies, and much more. A ground breaking resource on the concepts and theories of media research, this important book: Provides a diversity of views and experiences relevant to media literacy education research Features contributions from experts from a wide-range of countries including South Africa, Finland, India, Italy, Brazil, and many more Examines the history and future of media education in various international contexts Discusses the development and current state of media literacy education institutions and policies Addresses important contemporary issues such as social media use; datafication; digital privacy, rights, and divides; and global cultural practices. The Handbook of Media Education Research is an invaluable guide for researchers in the field, undergraduate and graduate students in media studies, policy makers, and MIL practitioners.

We live in a boosterish era that exhorts us to play local and buy local. But what does it mean to support local media? How should we define local media in the first place? Christopher Ali delves into our ideas about localism and their far-reaching repercussions for the discourse of federal media policy and regulation. His critique focuses on the new interest in localism among regulators in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. As he shows, the many different and often contradictory meanings of localism complicate efforts to study local voices. At the same time, market factors and regulators' unwillingness to critically examine local media blunt challenges to the status quo. Ali argues that reconciling the places where we live with the spaces we inhabit will point regulators toward effective policies that strengthens local media. That new approach will again elevate local media to its rightful place as a vital part of the public good.

"Comprehensive in its scope and scale, rigorously argued and richly illustrated with wide-ranging examples, this clearly written and user-friendly book from a veteran commentator on international communication will be valuable for students and scholars. Strongly recommended." - Daya Thussu, Professor of International Communication, University of Westminster Global Communication explores the history, present and future of global communication, introducing and explaining the theories, stories and flows of information and media that affect us all. Based on his experience teaching generations of students to critically examine the world of communication around them, Cees Hamelink helps readers understand the thinkers, concepts and questions in this changing landscape. This book: Explores the cultural, economic, political and social dimensions and consequences of global communication Introduces the key thinkers who have been inspirational to the field Teaches you to master the art of asking critical questions Takes you through concrete cases from UN summits to hot lines and cyber-surveillance Boosts your essay skills with a guided tour of the literature, including helpful comments and recommendations of what to cite Brings you directly into the classroom with a series of video lectures This book guides students through the complex terrain of global communication, helping you become a critically informed participant in the ever-changing communication landscape. It is essential reading for students of communication and media studies.

This book brings together and reviews different disciplinary approaches to digital information and communication systems across the social sciences. It synthesises the developments of the Internet Age, and the micro and macro consequences of these developments.

Being online, well-being online, and rights online: information, tools and good practice Digital citizenship competences define how we act and interact online. They comprise the values, attitudes, skills and knowledge and critical understanding necessary to responsibly navigate the constantly evolving digital world, and to shape technology to meet our own needs rather than to be shaped by it. The Digital citizenship education handbook offers information, tools and good practice to support the development of these competences in keeping with the Council of Europe’s vocation to empower and protect children, enabling them to live together as equals in today’s culturally diverse democratic societies, both on- and offline. The Digital citizenship education handbook is intended for teachers and parents, education decision makers and platform providers alike. It describes in depth the multiple dimensions that make up each of ten digital citizenship domains, and includes a fact sheet on each domain providing ideas, good practice and further references to support educators in building the competences that will stand children in good stead when they are confronted with the challenges of tomorrow’s digital world. The Digital citizenship education handbook is consistent with the Council of Europe’s Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture and compatible for use with the Internet literacy handbook.