Media literacy is vital to strengthening our democracies and enhancing their resilience, OSCE leaders say

VIENNA, 27 May 2024 – Media literacy plays a pivotal role in ensuring informed political participation and strengthening the resilience of our democracies, OSCE leaders said at the opening of a two-day conference today.

More than 200 people from across the OSCE region registered for the conference in Vienna to discuss the interlinkage between media literacy and democracy. Organized by the OSCE Chairpersonship of Malta, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the event brings together representatives of OSCE participating states, international organizations, civil society, and the media.

Media Literacy is a key priority for Malta’s Chairpersonship of the OSCE. Chair-in-Office Minister Borg has consistently emphasised its significance, stating that “in an era characterized by rapid and often unchecked information flows, media literacy is not just beneficial but essential. This is especially true during this important election year, where an informed electorate, capable of critically assessing the information they encounter, strengthens the resilience of our democracies and enhances trust and confidence in our electoral processes.”

Technological advances have revolutionized access to a wide range of sources and sophisticated tools that enrich public discourse. However, social media and artificial intelligence do not only provide a vast array of opportunities but also numerous challenges, potentially threatening democratic public debate and undermining trust in democratic processes.

"Media literacy is not only about recognizing fake news; it's about empowering citizens to navigate the digital landscape with discernment and critical thinking, ensuring informed democratic participation," said the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro.

The need to differentiate between information and disinformation is becoming ever more crucial. Participants of the Conference will therefore begin with an in-depth exploration of the transformative potential of media literacy in enabling citizens to critically navigate a rapidly evolving digital era and manage the complexities of the information they are receiving each day. This does not only include the importance of cultivating critical thinking skills, but also the need to adapt the concept of media freedom to meet the demands of the digital age.

The significance of media literacy for the democratic election process will be a second focus of the conference. Strategies to enhance media literacy specifically in the context of elections will help to strengthen the foundations of democratic governance and ensure that citizens are empowered to make well-informed decisions at the ballot box.

“To fully enjoy the right to freedom of expression and our other human rights, we need to have the tools and knowledge to read critically and put the vast array of information we receive every day in a broader context,” said ODIHR Director Matteo Mecacci. “And nowhere is it more important to have all the facts than when we are standing in a polling booth to cast our vote.”

A final topic of the conference is the concept of media freedom literacy, which aims to equip people with the capacity to critically assess and create media and information content. Emphasizing the indivisible link between media freedom, democracy and security will allow participants to underscore the importance of protecting media freedom in order to safeguard our democracies.

Supplementary Human Dimension Meetings are a platform for the OSCE’s participating States and OSCE institutions, as well as international organizations and civil society, to exchange views and good practices in order to find common solutions for the challenges facing societies across the OSCE region. Today’s discussion is the second SHDM of 2024, with one more planned for this year.