Promoting media literacy
The Ministry of Education and Culture has drawn up Cultural Policy Guidelines to promote media literacy for 2013–2016. The Guidelines draw on the objectives set out in the Government Programme, on the growing range of media education actors, on the constantly evolving media environment and on the field of media education.
One of the Ministry’s strategic cultural policy priorities is to strengthen the position of media education and medialiteracy. The Ministry’s audiovisual culture policies have set good media literacy as one of its priorities. These media literacy guidelines examine media education from various angles, in particular in terms of social inclusion, active citizenship, critical thinking, creativity and self-expression.
The Ministry of Education and Culture Guidelines provide goals and measures involving every-day media education focused on children and adolescents, sustainable structures to help pursue and institute media education, stakeholder profiling and partnerships and Finland’s active role in global efforts. Link to the publication: http://www.minedu.fi/OPM/Julkaisut/2013/Hyva_medialukutaito.html?lang=fi&extra_locale=en
See objectives above.
All in all 9,3 million euros haven been allocated to the programme in 2006-2015 and app. 3,7 million euro in 2012-2015. There is some 0,5 million euro reserved annually in the state budget for supporting media education activities provided by the third sector.
A survey has been carried out of the outcomes of our National Policy Guidelines for 2013–2016”. One of the strengths of the system seems to be that a large number of non-governemental organisations are co-operating in promoting media and information literacy along these policy guidelines. Non-governmental organisations, the private sector and the public sector are all working together towards commonly agreed goals. The main focus has been on participatory approach with children and young people. For more please see:
https://kavi.fi/en/media-education-and-audiovisual-media/publications
Digitalisation is one of the key elements in our current government policy. Afresh report on Media Pluralism states about Finland that “The country has a well developed and implemented policy for promoting media literacy.” (see: http://monitor.cmpf.eui.eu/mpm2015/results/finland/)