Media Literacy: Concepts, Approaches and Competencies

Media Literacy (ML) focuses on educating different categories of public (children, young people and adults), in both formal and informal settings, to critically and consciously consume mediated messages. It encompasses various skills, such as critical thinking, problem solvi ng, autonomy, communication and participation. Although ML is far from being a unified field, there are a number of concepts, approaches and competencies that tend to share a common ground. In addition, despite the fact that there is a vigorous development of ML initiatives worldwide, in Romania the critical deconstruction of media messages is only scarcely present, within narrow niches.