Digital and Media Literacy: A Plan of Action

This new report proposes a detailed plan that positions digital and media literacy as an essential life skill.

It outlines steps that policymakers, educators and community advocates can take to help Americans obtain that skill -- and thrive in the digital age. To fulfill the promise of digital citizenship, Americans must acquire multimedia communication skills that include the ability to compose messages using language, graphic design, images, and sound, and know how to use these skills to engage in the civic life of their communities. These competencies must be developed in normal educational settings, especially in K-12 and higher education, as well as informal settings. The inclusion of digital and media literacy in normal education can be a bridge across digital divides and cultural enclaves, a way to energize learners and make connections across subject areas, and a means for providing more equal opportunities in digital environments. This report offers a plan of action for how to bring digital and media literacy education into normal and informal settings through a community education movement.