Media Literacy In Greece

By Irene Andriopoulou

Media
literacy field in Greece
is quite segmented as it draws interest from various research grounds and
therefore requires a multi-faceted approach. The Hellenic Audiovisual
Institute, the national research organization on audiovisual media in Greece, is the
main public service actor in the field of media literacy for children and
youth, through the development of media literacy initiatives with the aim to
protect, directly or indirectly, children and young people from their exposure
to the media.

 MEDIA LITERACY
PROFILE – GREECE

        For International Media Literacy Research Forum, OFCOM

 

What was the origin of
media literacy in Greece?

Media literacy field in Greece is quite
segmented as it draws interest from various research grounds and therefore
requires a multi-faceted approach. The primary interest is drawn from the mass
media and communication field from both the academic[1] and public policy
engagement, with the educational approach, to follow. The main target is
children and young people, as they are considered the most susceptible to
influence as well as those who lack the correct frames of reference and hence,
are in greater need for support from the abundant mass media presence. In other
words, the two axes that the media literacy action is mainly derived from are
the academia and the public sector[2]. The other areas that
media literacy draws concern from are:

– Public health and pediatrics (with TV & internet being in the spotlight)

–
Child Psychology

–
Social and cultural studies

–
Telecommunication, New Technologies, Digital Media

–
Film and Animated studies

–
Journalism & Media production, Vocational approach

–
Regulatory issues (protection of minors, protection of copyrights)

Each of these approaches focus on a certain strand of media literacy, without
taking into account always the more broad context that it operates in.

 

The reason why media
literacy research originated from media and communication and not the
educational area is multi-dimensional.

To begin with, the role
and impact of media in the public sphere has always been the focus of media and
communication studies, due to the more in-depth analysis that they offered. The
educational system, ever since its establishment, has always been a rather
conservative one, with its roots to be found on the old pedagogy system where
elitism and social education were the main characteristics. Additionally, the
old pedagogy system involved forms of education that lacked direct feedback
from the students, interactivity, hence the students were not able to engage an
open dialogue with their tutors. When mass media came into the picture, their
expressive norms were relatively new to the school system, they were norms that
required interaction and active response, therefore they were rejected and
marginalized. As a response to the “unknown intruder”, mass media studies were
excluded from formal educational environment. The situation has changed in the
recent years with the system being more open to media education in the curriculum,
with the presence of the media in the Flexible Zone Program[3], as an option course that
accompanies the core lessons. However, that presence is not holistic nor
systematic, and needs further development in order to synchronize itself with
the global media literacy scene.

 

How is it defined?

In
the new digital media landscape, media literacy is becoming a vital element for
promoting citizens’ active participation in the democratic society. It empowers citizens with the critical thinking to make them judicious
consumers and active producers of content (“pro-sumers”) and helps them to
recognise how the media filter perceptions and beliefs, shape popular culture
and influence personal choices.

It is imperative that
media literacy addresses all media
users, both as individuals and social actors, in all communication and media platforms, and as a lifetime learning experience.

 

Although there is yet a
multitude of definitions in the Greek language regarding the exact term of
media literacy due to the linguistic variety and semiotics, there seems to be a
primary agreement regarding its content, as a whole. So, the Greek definition of
media literacy adopts the EU definition as it was agreed in the EU Communication
COM (2007)833, that is … “the ability to access, to understand and to critically evaluate different
aspects of the media and media contents and to create communications in a
variety of contexts”, recognizing thus, the
importance of access, critical skill’s development and creative expression. In
addition, the Hellenic Audiovisual Institute approaches media literacy in a
more broad context, that of being an “agent”, able to control and exert social,
political and economic influence in the media sector. At this point, it should
be mentioned that a tension has been spotted between the notions of media literacy and media education: the former tends to lean towards the ideal
situation of a media literate environment whereas the latter reflects to the status quo of the pedagogical system, the situation in the formal educational environment.

 

What other literacies
share areas of common interest with “media literacy” in Greece?

In the educational
environment, media literacy is often associated or co-developed with “digital
literacy”, that is, the ability necessary for the technical use of the new
technologies and the dissemination platforms (internet, mobile phones, ipods
etc.). To this end, digital literacy is prioritized and hence incorporated in
the school curriculum, but only from a practical point of view, as an
instrumental tool, leaving behind the awareness raising process regarding the
safety use of the internet and more.

Another element that is
often discussed and associated with media literacy, is “film literacy” (or
cine-literacy), with initiatives that focus on the creative use of film
projects for educational purposes to students. This kind of activity is not
restricted to the familiarization with the film production, film language and film
aesthetics but to the cultivation of a broad cultural identity and further media
autonomy.

 

Moreover, as new information and communication
technologies make it ever easier for anyone to retrieve and disseminate
information, communicate, publish or broadcast, media literacy becomes even
more essential for active citizenship and democracy. In
this broad context, media literacy supports freedom of expression and the right
to information, adding to social emancipation, building and sustaining
democracy, leading thus to “citizen literacy”. There is also, a liaison between
media literacy and media regulation, because a media-literate society is one
that is empowered to make its own judgments and choices, and is hence, in less
need of detailed protective rules.

 

What are the relevant key
contextual factors and developments in Greece?

 

–        
Regulatory
Context

The National Council for
Radio and Television (NCRTV), the Greek independent regulatory authority for
radio & television market as well as the Hellenic Telecommunications &
Post Commission (EETT), the Greek regulatory body on the supervision and
regulation of the telecommunications, have no duty on media literacy issues,
whatsoever. The Hellenic Audiovisual Institute has been assigned with the
national representation for media literacy issues in the EU but with
non-regulatory strands.

In 2009 the General
Secretariat of Communication & Information launched a public consultation
on the adoption of the revised EU Directive “Audiovisual Media Services”
2007/65/EC by the Greek legislation, where there is a clear reference on the media
literacy protection levels. Currently, the Directive is under implementation
(deadline Dec. 2009) in Greece.

 

–        
Market Context

Limited activity has been
recorded in the media industry on media literacy initiatives. Some programs
have been launched in the past but, in their majority, they are scattered and
non-continuous mostly due to lack of funding and long term vision[4]. The Hellenic Audiovisual
Institute in cooperation with the Hellenic Association of Advertising
Communication Agencies (EDEE) coordinated the Greek Media Smart, the
educational program for media literacy at schools, starting with advertising
and commercial literacy on television. The National Greek Broadcaster, ERT SA,
has shown increasing interest for the launch of a national audiovisual campaign
on media literacy, but nothing has been developed yet. It has cooperated though
with the EU-funded Safer Internet for the Greek Safer Internet Awareness
campaign. No such activity has taken place among the private broadcasters who
are solely driven by the competition. Moreover, the mobile telephone operators usually
appear as sponsors for the above initiatives.

 

–        
Learning
Context

Despite the multiple
reviews and reforms of the school curriculum in Greece (with the last one just
recently), we cannot report a single media literacy policy in the educational
system. As it is aforementioned, there is some, weak presence of media literacy
issues in the Flexible Zone Program, but its non-compulsory character leaves
the option of teaching to the educator himself, according to his own judgment
on the necessity of it. The educators themselves do not have a systematic
training on how to teach media literacy at schools, apart from sporadic
workshops and hands-on that reach a minor population, due to their local/regional
character.

 

Furthermore, in autumn
2009, a new initiative was launched by the Ministry of Education, for
2009-2010, in Secondary Education, entitled “Digi Classroom” addressing both
students and teachers. The initiative aimed at improving access, familiarizing
and upgrading students and teacher’s ICT skills in the classroom, through the
free distribution of laptops to the first grade of secondary level. The project
received great appeal in the beginning, but gradually it declined as a variety
of issues came up that proved its problematic character: lack of filters, unlimited
access and use of online gaming during the lectures, lack of parental control
etc. However good the intention might has been towards digital literacy
integration in the classroom, the project was not properly tested and in-depth
evaluated before its launch but was rather hastily developed, not fitting the
true needs and certain pedagogical criteria for media literacy education in the
classroom.

 

In sum, the situation remains
where schools are primarily being taught technical skills (i.e. how to use
computers) but seldom critical thinking skills relevant to digital learning.  As important as expanding internet access is,
so too is the development of educational initiatives that teach media consumers
how to critically interpret the information they receive.

 

However, the most
important barrier with regards to the integration of media literacy in the
curriculum is NOT their sophisticated and multi-dimensional content, but the
challenge to make the educators and the State primarily to overcome the biased
and preconceived approach regarding the popular, marginalized character of the
media, move away from the protectionist shield and infiltrate the curriculum
with creative and cultural approaches. In other words, what is truly needed is
to put an end to the ambiguous protectionist discourse and to welcome the
critical analysis and reflection on the media’s symbolic messages.

 

–        
Policy Context

The main problem with
media literacy policy is that all action is (re)set upon a new framework each
time a new government enters the picture and a new policy is engaged. A
sustainable, long term policy is difficult to be maintained as it contradicts
certain, short term, policy interests. Currently, a new, holistic discourse on
the new school reform is under way, results of which remain to be seen.

 

In the audiovisual sector,
the Hellenic Audiovisual Institute has adopted a multidisciplinary approach on “media
literacy”. Taking into account the changing conditions in the broader
audiovisual sector in the European and international communities, the Hellenic
Audiovisual Institute is called to respond with a respective activity with a
view to becoming a Media
Literacy Center.

 

The Hellenic Audiovisual Institute
is the national applied research organization in the field of audiovisual
communication in Greece,
established in 1994. Among its main strands of action is media literacy,
according to its Presidential Decree (art. 15, par.1, Act 3444/2006) with a
special care to children and youth. With a primary aim to improve the
audiovisual environment for the benefit of children and youth, the Institute
processes and develops media literacy initiatives, structural actions and
interventions designated to protect, directly or indirectly, minors from their early
exposure to media, while encouraging a critical spirit towards the function of
media, as information, education and entertainment mechanisms. At the same
time, the Institute has set up a European and international network, as a
founding member of the International Media Literacy Clearinghouse for Young
Children, member of the EAVI, of the EU Media Literacy Expert Group and more.

 

–        
Social Context

Children and young people
are mainly addressed in the media literacy agenda. Parents will follow as their
need for education is also great and it goes along with their willingness to
learn more, but they do not know where to turn to. Being the situation as it
is, media literacy is not an issue for the elderly and senior population.

NGOs are the main actors
that advance activity on media literacy, trying to overcome the barriers
derived from incorporating media literacy in formal education.

 

How do these affect the
development of media literacy?

With “digital literacy”
being the main notion that draws public concern, private initiatives have taken
place in order to ensure a protection umbrella, with the Greek Safer Internet
Awareness Node being the main actor.

 

In
terms of measuring media literacy, the Hellenic Audiovisual Institute’s
presence in the Greek scene is multi-dimensional:

 

–        
Providing ad
hoc research, regulatory advice and scientific expertise to the supervisor
body and other State bodies.

–        
Conducting applied research measuring impact
through reports and publications

–        
Practicing actions (conferences), projects and
programs for the media literacy education of young people, students, teachers, parents
and the stakeholders.

–        
Mapping media literacy activity in Greece, through
the first Greek Media Literacy Database for Children, Young People and the
Media (www.medialiteracy-iom.gr)
with a view to contemplate for the lack of a complete information centre for
issues concerning education on mass media.

–        
Advance knowledge and latest developments on the
media literacy field through extensive presence in publications, articles and
the media

–        
Providing scientific, educational support and
know-how to national, local, regional events, conferences, seminars, etc.

–        
Facilitating cooperation between the stakeholders,
especially media industry and the public stakeholders

–        
Supporting parents and teachers working towards
media literacy education

 

By
and large, there is an improved and strong public discourse on the evolvement
of media literacy in the new media infrastructure in the digital era, the future
of which remains to be seen.