On Tuesday 21 February, the European Commission published media literacy guidelines for Member States. Indeed, the 2018 revision of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) introduced new requirements in this area. In particular, Member States are required to promote and develop media literacy measures, and to report periodically on action taken in relation to this.
According to the Commission, these reports should contain all legislative measures to promote and develop media literacy, in particular where these apply to audiovisual media and video sharing platforms. They should also specify which bodies are responsible for implementation and monitoring and the budgets allocated.
Finally, Member States should report on awareness-raising and media skills development activities, including those carried out by market players, scientific bodies or NGOs.
In addition, the guidelines highlight the need to exchange best practice between Member States and invite national regulatory authorities to work with the European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services (ERGA).
In parallel to the publication, Roberto Viola, head of the Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG Connect), stressed that media literacy remains a key tool with which to combat disinformation. “Even if Europe has put in place quite an efficient tool to combat disinformation together with social media platforms – namely the Code of Practice on Disinformation (see EUROPE 13118/21) – it is still the users themselves who have a decisive role to play”, he stressed on his blog.
Although there is a consensus on the role of the AVMSD in regulating the European media sphere, MEPs have repeatedly warned of its incomplete transposition (see EUROPE 13075/23).
To consult the guidelines: https://aeur.eu/f/5h3 (Original version in French by Hélène Seynaeve)