I would like to add to it that it should be possible – though I find it difficult to make it happen – that measuring media literacy levels could be detached from control and regulation, and be seen, instead, from the development/progress point of view.

In my latest research on Information Society indicators, I found out that all of its aspects are covered (some of them better than others) except digital literacy (of which I understand media literacy being a part of).

It’s astonishing that digital skills and digital competences are not measured at all, while we measure broadband coverage or intensity of use of online public services as a way to proxy the stage of digital development in a specific economy.

From the piece, a key in my opinion, “to develop a critical, participatory attitude toward media”. It is essential that folks find ways to balance or comfortably bounce between critical reflection/distance/action and participatory immersion/flow. I’ve met few educators who do it well, but know most advanced media users/producers I know do it constantly and have strong knowledge/skill sets to support each end of the media relationship spectrum and to synthesize them–critical/participatory.

Perhaps more qualitative research describing such users would help, as well as more profiles of successful ML practices that address these issues (or at least, are analyzed & discussed in terms of the wide range) .

The differences between regions in political control of media regulation and education development are intriguing to consider in how the movement to integrate and develop media literacy in childhood and adult education. Here in the U.S., we advocates of media literacy education face the challenge of nearly completely de-centralized, local control and a research sector that has not emerged as a leader. Developing indicators for media literacy has been hampered by divisions among researchers and educators over purposes of ML. This vital task of establishing benchmarks and indicators have received less attention than efforts to advocate and establish ML in the trenches to serve our many diverse local educational settings.

Mike
Temple University, Philadelphia, U.S.