This new benchmark shows if media authorities have a clear mandate to promote media literacy and the main roles they undertake for that purpose. It also shows if other government authorities oversee media literacy. Media literacy usually refers to the skills, knowledge and under¬standing that allow consumers to use media effectively and safely.

Our research shows a split situation with four member states (Germany, Poland, Spain and the UK) that have given a clear mandate to media regulators to promote media literacy, while five regulators do not have a defined mandate on this. In the countries where the regulator has a clear mandate, media literacy is either not defined, or is defined in a wide manner.

The type of actions media authorities adopt to promote media literacy is varied, from the publication of reports on the level media literacy to the support of programmes/projects by other organisations, with sometimes a focus on the protection of minors. 

In some member states such as Finland and Sweden, authorities other than media regulators have the mandate to promote media literacy. In most countries, various ministries can also have a role to play, such as the ministries in charge of education, culture or of economic development/digital business.

This new benchmark has been published in the scope of our European Media service.