Paul Moore – Content Board member for Northern Ireland

1. Paul Moore – Content Board member for Northern Ireland Opportunities and challenges ahead?

2. What is Media Literacy? How did we get here? • Concerns about ‘the media’ are not new • New technologies present further opportunities but also risks • The Communications Act 2003 (Section 11)

3. What is Media Literacy? Media Literacy It is an umbrella term covering a set of skills, knowledge and understanding of the media and communications technology - i.e. media savvy. It is an expert term. While there are several definitions of Media Literacy, the purposes and competences of Media Literacy, and our priorities, are more useful to refer to than the definition itself. Knowledge Skills Understanding

4. What is Media Literacy? What is media literacy? (Our definition) ‘The ability to access, understand and create communications in a variety of contexts’ Understand Read Deconstruct Evaluate Create Produce Distribute Publish Access Use Navigate Manage

5. What does this mean in practice?

6. What is Media Literacy? What is the purpose of media literacy? To help produce... Informed consumers Active citizens

7. Why is media literacy important? The media literacy spectrum:why ensure people can access, understand and create communications? • Protection • Empowerment • Culture

8. An example… Five key questions • Who created this message? • What creative techniques are used to attract my attention? • How might different people understand this message differently than me? • What values, lifestyles and points of view are represented in, or omitted from, this message? • Why is this message being sent? From Centre for Media Literacy

9. Who are they, who has editorial/financial control, what is their political or cultural background? Five key questions Images, voice over, music, lighting, camera angle, narrative • Who created this message? • What creative techniques are used to attract my attention? • How might different people understand this message differently than me? • What values, lifestyles and points of view are represented in, or omitted from, this message? • Why is this message being sent? Cultural context, political inclination, language, education, ethnicity Western, commercial, religious, political Motivation, What do they want? Money, influence, support, actions From Centre for Media Literacy

10. The Communications Act 2003 • (1) It shall be the duty of OFCOM to take such steps, and to enter into such arrangements, as appear to them calculated- • (a) to bring about, or to encourage others to bring about, a better public understanding of the nature and characteristics of material published by means of the electronic media; • (b) to bring about, or to encourage others to bring about, a better public awareness and understanding of the processes by which such material is selected, or made available, for publication by such means; • (c) to bring about, or to encourage others to bring about, the development of a better public awareness of the available systems by which access to material published by means of the electronic media is or can be regulated; • (d) to bring about, or to encourage others to bring about, the development of a better public awareness of the available systems by which persons to whom such material is made available may control what is received and of the uses to which such systems may be put; and • (e) to encourage the development and use of technologies and systems for regulating access to such material, and for facilitating control over what material is received, that are both effective and easy to use. • (2) In this section, references to the publication of anything by means of the electronic media are references to its being- • (a) broadcast so as to be available for reception by members of the public or of a section of the public; or • (b) distributed by means of an electronic communications network to members of the public or of a section of the public.

11. How we ‘do’ media literacy • Our role is to provide leadership and leverage • Achieve our objectives through partnerships

12. Our strategy: consulted on and set out in our autumn 2004 statement Three key strands • Research • Connecting, partnering and signposting • Labelling (content information) The Content Board subsequently approved a fourth strand - ‘embedding media literacy across Ofcom’

13. Research Media Literacy Audit

14. Connecting, Partnering & Signposting

15. Connecting, Partnering & Signposting

16. Media Smart

17. Media Smart Media Smart • Launched in UK in 2002 • Media literacy programme, focused on advertising • Classroom materials for 6 – 11 year olds • Broadcast advertising • Website

18. Media Smart Media Smart UK supporters

19. Connecting, Partnering & Signposting

20. Content information

21. Content management Kite marked Internet Access Control software: • includes verified means to prohibit access to internet-based content that is not suitable or desirable for youngsters • has the means through which parents can prohibit communications via internet-based services that parents deem are not suitable or desirable - for example instant messaging or file-sharing sites • can prevent unauthorised users from changing or disabling the access control system. It must also show it can remain up to date (within the terms of any licensing or subscription requirements). • will be easy to install, configure and be easy to use and update. • Is accompanied by an easy way for users to get support

22. The promotion of: • Content management eg Kitemark and PINs • Content information eg labelling • Critical awareness – understanding media messages Research Partnerships Education and information Paying particular attention to the following gaps: • older people – access and understanding • younger people – understanding (critical awareness) • parents – access (content management tools e.g. filters) Priorities for the future

23. Including Minority ethnic groups Groups with a disability Older people Nations and regions 437 496 1816 495 A total of over 3,200 interviews Media Literacy Audit - Adults Who did we speak to?

24. 336 355 523 322 Over1500 children Over 1500 parents Media Literacy Audit - Children Who did we speak to?

25. Internet Mobile TV Radio Access Create Understand Games Scope of the Audit 4 main platforms – • Usage levels and types of usage • Preferences for types of media • Extent and types of concern • Competence in using content controls plus 3 types of literacy – • Knowledge of how TV is funded • Trust in types of TV programme • Trust in and checks made of internet sites • Attitudes to media • Attitudes to learning about media • Amount of and interest in content creation • Levels and types of interaction

26. Across all platforms Confidence • Digital TV users in Scotland are more likely to say they are confident about using it • Those in Wales are more confident about the internet, and those in Northern Ireland more confident about mobile phone tasks Knowledge of funding and regulation • Across all four platforms, people in England have the highest levels of knowledge of funding and regulation, and those in the South West, Wales and Northern Ireland among the lowest Trust • Respondents in Northern Ireland are less likely to trust TV news outlets, and more likely to trust newspapers, as are those in the West Midlands

27. Interest in features Aware of features of interest Volume of usage Breadth of usage Competence Concern Funding/ regulation Trust Aged 16 to 24 Aged 65 plus Minority ethnic group Any disability (aged under 65) Low income (aged under 65) Rural Media literacy is particularly related to age