Media education - the voice of NGOs
22.02.2022
On 18 February 2022, as part of a series of meetings devoted to media education, members of the NBC (National Broadcasting Council) met with NGO representatives working for media, digital and information education.
The meeting was attended by representatives of: Open Education Coalition, Polish Society for Media Education (PTEM), Orange Foundation, Dajemy Dzieciom Siłę Foundation, Szkoła z Klasą Foundation, Institute for Discourse and Dialogue, Information Society Development Foundation, Digital Centre Foundation, Public Media Analysts Association, Demagog Association, Polish Development Fund Foundation, edTech Poland Foundation, Foundation for the Development of the Education System, "Dbam o mój Z@sięg" Foundation, as well as the Committee for Social Communication and Media Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Institute for Social Communication and Media Studies of Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin.
Under the directive on audiovisual media services, the National Broadcasting Council conducts activities focusing on the promotion and development of aware and critical reception of media as an important part of civic education.
The National Broadcasting Council has been cooperating with non-governmental organizations for years, promoting initiatives targeting improving digital skills and developing competencies in aware media consumption. It supports information campaigns conducted by these institutions to improve the aware and critical reception of media messages. It also appreciates activities undertaken by fact-checking organizations.
Given increasing disinformation, fake news or manipulation of media messages and publications on the Internet, it is becoming very important to consciously use the media, to be able to verify the source of information, to distinguish between comments or opinions and the information itself.
During the meeting at the National Broadcasting Council, there was a discussion about the possibility of taking joint action, forming a broad coalition for fact checking and signing the Code of Good Practice.
The National Broadcasting Council emphasized the role of the third sector as an expert in the assessment of the effectiveness of the media education activities in Poland so far, including those implemented by state entities and public institutions. According to the regulator, NGOs have a broad insight into initiatives implemented also in public-private partnership.
The participation of non-governmental organizations will be a valuable help in the development by the NBC of an Opening Report on the state of media education in Poland, together with recommendations for state bodies to take further action. The document will also serve to prepare a report for the European Commission and to develop an Action Plan for Media Education.
Meeting participants highlighted the need for a systemic approach to the issue of media education on the part of state institutions. They emphasized the importance of coordination and coherence of activities. Welcoming the regulator's activity in media education, they declared broad cooperation within the framework of the NBCs initiatives and their own.