Hellenic Film & Audiovisual Center (H.F.A.C.) – Creative Greece celebrates 13th UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy Week
The importance of audiovisual and digital literacy
In the digital environment of the 21st century where media act as social catalysts that play a structural role in communication, information sharing and interaction among users-viewers-consumers, it is more than imperative to set up a long-term sustainable media policy reinforcing all media with advanced educational mechanisms towards a digital citizenship, a prerequisite for democracy.
Taking into consideration the European and global developments in the field of audiovisual and digital literacy, the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center S.A.-Creative Greece (H.F.A.C.-Creative Greece) aspires to become a media and information literacy creative hub, where exchange of know-how and good practices will cater for all citizens, especially young people, students, educators, academics and media professionals towards an informed citizenry.
Audiovisual and digital literacy constitute fundamental components of media literacy that is defined by the European Commission as: “The set of technical, cognitive, social, civic and creative skills in the broad media environment” (COM 2007/833, REC 2009/625/EC, COM 2018/22). More specifically, media literacy is a wide concept that incorporates the skills to:
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Access traditional and new media, all digital platforms included
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Understand, analyse, filter and critically evaluate all messages in media contents
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Create communications in all media formats and in a variety of contexts
Media literacy addresses all media and imagery in society: Press (news literacy), photos, radio and television (audiovisual literacy), film and audiovisual works (film literacy), the Internet and new technologies (ICT/digital literacy), advertisement and marketing (commercial literacy), video-games and VRs (gaming literacy), animation, and any other expression in the digital environment that caters for a competitive knowledge society.
In addition, UNESCO approaches the field in an all-encompassing perspective, unifying the two schools of thought, that of media literacy and of information literacy, into one term: “media and information literacy (MIL)”. The new term comprises of a set of social and technical competences that foster a strong information-sharing society. HFAC-Creative Greece endorses this new definition, recognizing that in the light of converging content delivery platforms, it is more appropriate to embrace the media and information providers mechanisms in an umbrella term.
On that note, HFAC-Creative Greece launched a new partnership with UNESCO and the educational network of GAPMIL-Global Alliance for Partnerships in Media and Information Literacy on Thursday, October 25th 2018, in Lithuania, at the 8th UNESCO International Conference on Media and Information Literacy. The partnership involves the coordination of GAPMIL European Sub-Chapter Mediterranean Group by HFAC-Creative Greece, with the aim to promote MIL skills as basic component for the 21st century citizen in Southern Europe. Read the full Press Release here.
As coordinator of UNESCO-led GAPMIL European Sub-Chapter Mediterranean Group, HFAC-Creative Greece offers the “MIL CLICKS PACT – Think Critically & Click Wisely” policy paper advocating for the wise and ethical use of the internet and social media, in Greek. MIL CLICKS movement is a global social media initiative for Critical-thinking, Creativity, Literacy, Intercultural, Citizenship, Knowledge, and Sustainability (MIL CLICKS), towards better Media and Information Literacy. The MIL CLICKS PACT is available in 5 languages.
Contact with the Audiovisual Literacy and Research Department of HFAC-Creative Greece: educate@ekkomed.gr
Educational Actions
HFAC-Creative Greece carries out a series of special actions and targeted interventions aimed at strengthening young people’s critical thinking, regarding the use of digital media and visual culture.
International Student Competition For Board and Digital Games Design
The Competition invites students to reflect creatively on the school subject of their choice by engaging with game design.
Mediterranean Group UNESCO MIL Aliance
EKOME collaborates with UNESCO and the educational network of GAPMIL – Global Alliance for Partnerships in Media and Information Literacy for the creation and coordination of the GAPMIL Euro-Mediterranean Sub-Chapter.
Vocational Education and Training
EKOME is constantly developing training and education programmes for professionals (reskilling, upskilling)
Key Point
HFAC-Creative Greece aims at becoming a national point of reference for audiovisual and Media and Information Literacy through targeted actions for media professionals, educators, students, academics and the public, in order to make full use of the advantages of the new information era. The Centre means to create a prominent international network bringing together all organisations, institutions, academics and audiovisual and media industry professionals, alongside EU and global media literacy stakeholders (UNESCO).
To that end, HFAC-Creative Greece invites all interested parties to collaborate and establish creative synergies with the scope to develop a sustainable Media and Information Literacy policy that will put Greece on the map as an important constituent of the global media and audiovisual infrastructure.
Launch of the White Paper of HFAC-Creative Greece on Media and Information Literacy
HFAC-Creative Greece presents its first policy paper, the White Paper on Media & Information Literacy available in Greek & English. The White Paper is HFAC-Creative Greece’s viewpoint on the third pillar, Education, setting out a paradigm for a national infrastructure on media and information literacy. By highlighting the main priorities in the field, the White Paper of HFAC-Creative Greece aims to contribute to a national strategic plan and build a constructive relationship with the creative industry.