Motion for a resolution | Doc. 14448 | 07 December 2017
Media education in the new media environment
The media environment of modern society is changing rapidly. The changes are bringing undisputable benefits for the public: a wide range of sources as alternatives to the mass media; instantaneous global circulation of information; and unprecedented access to cultural, historical, political and technical knowledge.
At the same time, the rapid development of the media environment is generating new risks and excesses such as fake news and hate speech. These trends are also affecting the news media, which sometimes sacrifice their quality and integrity under the pressure of increased competition. The public seem to be losing confidence in the traditional media (newspapers, magazines, radio, generalist and specialised television channels) and are turning instead towards social media, blogs and websites of an often questionable nature that disseminate unreliable information.
Given these challenges, the Parliamentary Assembly should encourage member States to take action in two key directions and support properly targeted training programmes:
- firstly, it is necessary to step up training for journalists: apart from techniques and craftsmanship, professional ethics and responsibility should be a priority for journalists in their work;
- secondly, it is also necessary to find appropriate ways to raise awareness among members of society, and among young people in particular, regarding challenges and risks brought by the new media environment, so as to increase their ability to distinguish information from opinion and objective facts from propaganda or fake news; to make them conscious of possible manipulation, disinformation or hate speech; and to immunise them against indoctrination and radicalisation.