A taxonomy for Media Literacy in Portugal

Characterization of actors, initiatives, and intervention lines

Abstract

Media literacy, which encompasses skills and knowledge considered essential for civic participation in social, political, and professional life, is an area that has been growing steadily. In Portugal, there is a wide range of entities that have developed media literacy initiatives, from public entities, universities, research centers, training centers, media organizations, among others. These actors are adopting different approaches and media literacy is being promoted through training, academic publications, social projects, and learning platforms. These actions, carried out in more or less formal environments, are aimed at different target audiences, from pre-school children to the elderly.

Based on the multiplicity of theoretical approaches to the concept of media literacy, this study seeks to understand the extent to which this diversity is reflected in the multiplicity of actors, approaches and target audiences involved in promoting media literacy in Portugal.

To achieve this goal, using two analysis grids, one dedicated to the actors and the other to their interventions, a mapping of Portuguese entities dedicated to media literacy was carried out, seeking to identify the types of organizations and the professional areas to which they belong, their target audiences, the incidence of literacy promoted, and the pedagogical tools used. The results are presented in the form of a taxonomy of the actors involved in the operationalization of media literacy initiatives in Portugal, making it possible to characterize the landscape of this literacy promotion and its constituent networks, as well as to identify areas to be explored and the types of target audiences in need of initiatives aimed at their needs. The identification of empirical practices to promote media literacy in Portugal also makes it possible to contribute to the global theoretical-conceptual debate on the subject, particularly in terms of the volatility of the concept, its propensity for change and its readaptation according to the contexts in which it is used.