Participatory Politics and the Civic Dimensions of Media Literacy
By Erica Hodgin
While the civic dimensions of media literacy have always existed, expanded opportunities for civic media literacy education are needed for youth to successfully navigate civic and political participation in the digital age. The prevalence of youth engagement in participatory politics, the degree to which diverse groups of youth are taking advantage of these practices, and the potential of participatory politics to help youth further their civic and political goals compels the field to increase its attention toward the democratic purposes of media literacy. In particular, there are three civic dimensions of media literacy education that are of key importance in relation to the increasingly participatory era and the implications that has for civic and political life: 1) judging the credibility of civic and political information; 2) producing and circulating civic and political media; and 3) taking civic action that bridges voice to influence.
Included in The International Encyclopedia of Media Literacy. Renee Hobbs and Paul Mihailidis (Editors-in-Chief), Gianna Cappello, Maria Ranieri, and Benjamin Thevenin (Associate Editors). Published in 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. DOI: 10.1002/9781118978238.ieml0179.