Media literacy as a cross-sectoral phenomenon: Media education in Finnish ministerial-level policies

Abstract

In international comparisons, Finland has often appeared as a frontrunner in promoting media literacy, especially from the perspective of national-level policies and structures. In this study, our aim is to broaden knowledge about the meaning of media education in the Finnish ministerial-level policy framework by examining in which administrative sectors policy documents concerning media education have been published and how the concepts of media education and media literacy have been framed. The results suggest that media education and media literacy are addressed widely across the different administrative sectors in Finland, but mostly by the Ministry of Education and Culture. There is also variance in the ways in which the concepts are presented in the policies. In the article, eight identified frames of media literacy are discussed, including protectionism, cultural participation, future working competences, inclusion, broad media education, democracy, national security, and cosmopolitanism. The article highlights the importance of nuanced understanding of the meanings and limits of media education and research-based policy development.

Kansalaistaitoja vai kilpailukykyä?

“…(Kupiainen 2017. ) Uusia lukutaitoja, kuten tieto ja viestin täteknologisia taitoja, pyritään edistämään esi merkiksi opetus ja kulttuuriministeriön ohjel mien ja hankkeiden kautta (Palsa & Salomaa 2020).…”

“…Esimerkiksi media ja informaatioluku taitoa on alettu aktiivisesti edistää Euroopan ko mission strategioissa ja informaatiolukutaidon kansallisissa toimintapolitiikoissa (Grizzle ym. 2014;Palsa & Salomaa, 2020).…”

Policy responses to false and misleading digital content

“…However, digital tools have revolutionised the ways in which society consumes information, enabling easy creation and rapid dissemination of content. The challenge posed by misinformation, disinformation and other forms of false and misleading digital content is by now well-recognised in societal discourse, as illustrated by the selection of "post-truth" 1 and "infodemic" 2 as the Oxford English Dictionary's 2016 and 2020 words of the year respectively (Oxford Languages, 2016 [1]; Oxford Languages, 2020 [2]). These terms are in reference to the flood of online information and conspiracy theories, brought into focus by events such as the 2016 election in the United States and the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Children’s News Media as a Space for Learning About Difference

“…Internationally, Finland is often seen as a forerunner in media education. Finland scores highest in the Media Literacy Index, considers media education in national-level policies and structures, and was one of the first countries in the world to include media education in its national core curriculum (Palsa & Salomaa, 2020). Despite this position, diversity issues are not particularly underlined in policy documents on media literacy.…”