Speaking at a press conference on 28 September 2006, the charter steering group representatives, with Commission DG INFSO head of unit Aviva Silver also in attendance, reiterated their belief that “reading and writing are no longer enough to achieve the internationally agreed literacy objectives…European nations think that they have literacy levels of well over 90% in their populations, though their definitions of “literacy” are still based on 19th century concepts.”
According to the charter, to play a full role in 21st century European culture, democracy and social life, European citizens need a broader portfolio of literacy skills, such as:
- Accessing a wide range of content across television, internet, film, press and radio;
- choosing their media consumption;
- challenging biased or offensive media representations, and;
- taking full advantage of increasing opportunities to make and distribute their own messages and ideas.
The charter website at www.euromedialiteracy.eu has been online since April 2006 and has already collected more than 100 signatories from a wide range of countries, institutions and individuals.
