In a technologically driven
and media saturated
world, citizens (women/
men and boys/girls)
need competencies to
effectively engage with
media and other information
providers, including those
on the Internet. Media
and information literacy
(MIL) policy and strategy
enhance the creation of
knowledge driven, inclusive,
pluralistic, democratic, and
open societies.1
MIL policy
and strategy are crucial
for the survival of modern
governance and global
citizenship in the digital
world. Without a MIL policy
and strategy, disparities
are likely to increase between those who have and those who do not have access to
information and media, and enjoy or not freedom of expression. Additional disparities will
emerge between those who are able and unable to find, analyse and critically evaluate
and apply information and media content for decision-making. New media and information
technologies, while offering greater opportunities for new types of citizens’ engagement,
centred on freedoms and eradicating inequalities, also give rise to issues of safety, security
and privacy. They further create a tension between the need to empower or to protect citizens