Supporting Media Literacy in Australia
The Adult Media Literacy in Australia project (2020-2021) was led by Associate Professor Tanya Notley in partnership with researchers from the University of Canberra and Queensland University of Technology, alongside the members of the Australian Media Literacy Alliance. The Project was funded by the National Association for Literacy Education (NAMLE) in the United States, who in turn received funding from Facebook.
The ability to access, analyse, evaluate and create different forms of communication is widely acknowledged as essential for full participation in civic life, yet research shows that Media Literacy education for young people and adults falls short.
Building on recent research by Associate Professor Notley and Professor Michael Dezuanni on children and Media Literacy, the project addresses a gap in knowledge about adult Media Literacy in Australia.
The first study in the project involved the co-design and implementation of Australia’s first national survey of adult Media Literacy. More than 3,500 adult Australians were surveyed using a representative sample based on quotas set by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The findings show that most Australians use several different types of media each day and believe a diverse range of media activities are important in their lives – but their confidence in their own media abilities is unexpectedly low. The findings also show that far too many Australians don’t have access to any Media Literacy support when they need it.
The second study is based on interviews with people in the social services sector. It reports on the Media Literacy needs of people who live in aged care facilities, people living with a disability, culturally and linguistically diverse people, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Both studies informed a national consultation process that sought to identify a pathway forward to advance the Media Literacy of all Australians. Six workshops were hosted, involving 121 people representing 89 organisations from every state and territory in Australia. This resulted in the report, Towards a National Strategy for Media Literacy, which was presented to Federal Government in October 2021.
For more information, contact Associate Professor Tanya Notley.