The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) is encouraging learning providers to organise events on media literacy for this year’s Adult Learners’ Week.

NIACE has produced a free guide called And now press the red button…, which discusses what media literacy is and why we need to know more about it in time for Adult Learners Week, 21-27 May.

Media literacy events planned for this year’s Adult Learners’ Week include an event at the National Film Theatre looking at the way stars are created; at how audiences identify with them and at how the industry views them as marketing commodities. While Channel 4, will be holding a website-building workshop at the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television in Bradford.

Rachel Thomson, Senior Campaigns Officer at NIACE, said: “The creativity and range of the events planned for this year’s Adult Learners’ Week illustrate the scope and potential for media literacy to become an absolutely necessary know-how for the 21st Century. This is an exciting time to be learning about digital technology - the Internet, I-Pods, video editing – things that can make our lives more fulfilling and help us access and understand the world around us.”

Ofcom, the communications regulator, is supporting NIACE during Adult Learners' Week. Tim Suter, Partner, Content and Standards, Ofcom, said, "One of the key duties Parliament gave us in the Communications Act was to encourage broadcasters, mobile service providers and the internet industry to provide opportunities for people to develop media literacy skills. We welcome the opportunity to work with NIACE and other partners towards this goal."
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