How online platforms, broadcasters and streaming services should promote media literacy

Ofcom has finalised a series of recommendations designed to drive action by online platforms, broadcasters and streaming services to give people the skills and information they need to critically and safely engage with the content they see. 

Ofcom has a statutory duty to promote media literacy and their three-year strategy outlines plans and approaches in carrying out this work. As part of these duties, they are required to publish a statement recommending ways in which services might develop, pursue and evaluate activities or initiatives relevant to media literacy.

Taking account of feedback to their consultation, the final 10 recommendations set out a clear, ambitious and unified vision for how a broad range of services can empower the public to navigate and thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

The recommendations, which they expect services to adopt, are designed to achieve four broad aims:

• Services are designed to give people meaningful choice in how they engage with content (Recommendations 1 and 2). That means making inclusive design and policy choices right from the start and providing transparent information – including explaining how recommender systems operate – at key points in the user journey.
• People are empowered to actively manage and control their own experience (Recommendations 3 to 6). Services should equip people with practical tools to manage and personalise their online experiences and empower them with the skills to critically assess the credibility of the content they encounter. Services should also support parents and caregivers to guide younger users in an age-appropriate way and engage third parties to extend the reach and impact of their media literacy initiatives.
• Services contribute to the broader media literacy landscape through partnerships and outreach to build trust (Recommendations 7 to 9).  Services should create and  promote relevant programming or educational initiatives to support critical engagement with content. We expect platforms to commit to long-term, sustainable investment in media literacy campaigns, content and partnerships, including those which target underserved and diverse audiences.
• Driving continuous improvement through ongoing evaluation of what works (Recommendation 10).  Services should regularly assess the impact of their design choices and media literacy activities and publish their findings, as well as an annual statement.

Ofcom will report on how online services and broadcasters have adopted these recommendations, in advance of revising them in 2029.