“Role of Public Institutions in Media and Information Literacy Development in Albania” is the title of the latest report on situation of media and information literacy policies in Albania, published by Albanian Media Institute. The report focuses on providing an overview of the media and information literacy (MIL) initiatives in the country from state, public, and private bodies and civil society organisations, analysing the main trends in the field of MIL. Efforts to address this field are still rare, lack a cohesive effort and vision, and are sporadic rather than ongoing projects. The report concludes that official policy visibly favours ICT, while critical thinking on media and information is not seen as a priority in education. Efforts of civil society to fill this void have not been particularly successful or long-term. Even though ongoing, they have been fragmented and involve a limited number of players; a concerted effort of various players would ensure a greater success of such initiatives. Finally, the public debate and existing efforts visibly favour prohibitionist tendencies towards media and information rather than seeking to educate and nurture, and they favour child safety over education and awareness. Against this background, the research report focuses on exploring the role of media-related public bodies in MIL – universities, the public broadcaster, the regulator, self-regulatory mechanisms – seeking to determine which factors affect the current role and impact of public institutions in promoting MIL among the population.
The publication was produced within the regional program “Media for Citizens – Citizens for Media: Strengthening the Capacity of NGOs for the Development of Media and Information Literacy in the Western Balkans , implemented with the support of the European Union by partner organizations Mediacentar Sarajevo, Albanian Media Institute, Macedonian Institute for Media, Montenegrin Media Institute, Novi Sad School of Journalism, Peace Institute, SEENPM. The publication can be downloaded in Albanian here:
February 18: Roundtable:
