Media Literacy Lesson #1

The Media Literacy Lesson #1 initiative is an informal group of 40+ expert individuals and organizations who think that their proposed lesson needs to be included in basic media literacy instruction.

Here’s the language they have proposed first for European media literacy standards and, starting in 2026, beyond:

• A good media literacy initiative takes into account the necessary role of journalism in a democracy.
• Journalism differs from other content due to its role as important for the success of a democratic form of government.
• This form of information puts an emphasis on ethical practice and verification to inform the public.
• Understanding the elements of the ethical journalism that produces quality content also contributes to the ability to decipher the nature of other content.
• It is important to explore the judicial, political and physical attacks some journalists face just to do their jobs.

The Council of Europe’s Guidelines for National Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Strategies ─  Practical Steps and Indicators was approved on 4 December 2025 and offers extremely clear language on why national media literacy standards must include lessons to “promote greater understanding of the role of [news] media and quality journalism in upholding democracy and democratic values.”  It is the first set of guidelines for media literacy standards to so forcefully make that point.

The Media Literacy Lesson #1 initiative aims to reinforce and generalize teaching about the necessary role of journalism and of journalists in a democracy. Too many current media literacy standards lack this element: They mention neither why democracies need journalism and journalists nor how that content differs from everything else. This is as true in Europe as anywhere else.

Because of the increasing hostility toward journalism and those who do it, several experts strongly argue that such basic lessons need to be included in basic European media literacy curricula, where they are largely lacking. Such inclusion in basic media literacy teaching would help the massive efforts in Europe and elsewhere to keep journalistic enterprises alive. Without a continuously renewed audience of people who recognize and appreciate real journalism, those efforts are largely useless.

With all this in mind, the more than 40 experts and organizations listed below have jointly suggested adding language to regional and national media literacy standards in both Europe and elsewhere that encourage teaching about the necessary role of journalism in a democracy as a basic, universal lesson.

Thematics

• A good media literacy initiative takes into account the necessary role of journalism in European democracy.
• Journalism differs from other content due to its codification as important for the success of a democratic form of government.
• This form of information puts an emphasis on ethical practice and verification to inform the public.
• Understanding the elements of the ethical journalism that produces quality content also contributes to the ability to decipher the nature of other content.
• It is important to explore the judicial, political and physical attacks some journalists face just to do their jobs.

How to participate

To submit your application, please fill in the registration form via this link. In the process, you will be asked to upload your CV in English and provide a list of your latest relevant publications. For additional questions, please contact Aralynn Abare McMane, Ph.D. (France) and Josh LaPorte (Belgium), Children’s News Europe and Global Youth & News Media, France: info@youthandnewsmedia.net

For more information, please visit this page.