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24 October 2026: Global Media and Information Literacy Week
People worldwide are seeing a vast increase in access to information and communication. While some individuals are flooded with information, others are starved for it. To address this discrepancy, UNESCO observes Global Media and Information Literacy Week.
The UN observes Global Media and Information Literacy Week, citing the need for the circulation of factual, timely, clear, accessible, and science-based information. The resolution recognizes that there is a substantial digital divide and data inequalities that exist among, and within, different countries. This divide can be addressed, in part, by improving individuals’ ability to seek, receive, and impart digital information.
The theme of this year’s observance is “We All Play a Part – Media and Information Literacy for the People.” The 2026 theme is a different structural framework. Rather than relying on a global host city, the 2026 theme is a decentralized and participatory approach – calling on global citizen action.
Emphasizing that media and information literacy should be the “nexus of human rights”, UNESCO has suggested five laws governing the topic, which were inspired in 1931 by S.R. Ranganathan’s seminal piece, Five Laws of Library Science.
The five laws address distinct areas central to media literacy: (1) all media and information providers hold equal value in fostering civic engagement; (2) citizens should be empowered to access new knowledge and express themselves irrespective of gender; (3) the use of knowledge is not always independent of biases, and its application should make this truth transparent to citizens; (4) citizens’ rights should not be compromised when acquiring new information; and (5) media and information literacy is a lived experience, complete only when supplemented with skills and attitudes, and spanning access, evaluation, use, and production.
However, the educational goal of media literacy has been negatively impacted by the presence of broad national security laws which impede access to information and enable the mass surveillance of civilians. For example, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has criticized Hong Kong’s National Security Law for broadly criminalizing “subversion” and “collusion with foreign forces” in order to clamp down on independent pro-democracy journalistic entities such as Apple Daily, with its founder Jimmy Lai later charged with conspiracy to publish seditious material.
HRW has also condemned Tunisia’s Decree-Law no.2022-54 which has been weaponized to stifle criticism of the government and charging journalists with terrorism-related charges, which the rights group says is unfounded. Internet censorship in countries like China which is managed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is known by the Great Firewall which blocks foreign websites and silences collective expression, with online discourse strictly limited to topics that do not directly threaten the government’s hold on power, according to the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
Under international law, Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) states that every individual has the right to seek, receive, and share knowledge across borders. Although Article 19 on its own is not legally binding, this sentiment was echoed in Article 19(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
Access to information is a cornerstone of legal frameworks across the globe. Citizens have a role to play in the dissemination and integrity of digital information.
The post We all play a part: observing global media and information literacy week appeared first on JURIST - News.
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People worldwide are seeing a vast increase in access to information and communication. While some individuals are flooded with information, others are starved for it. To address this discrepancy, UNESCO observes Global Media and Information Literacy Week.
The UN observes Global Media and Information Literacy Week, citing the need for the circulation of factual, timely, clear, accessible, and science-based information. The resolution recognizes that there is a substantial digital divide and data inequalities that exist among, and within, different countries. This divide can be addressed, in part, by improving individuals’ ability to seek, receive, and impart digital information.
The theme of this year’s observance is “We All Play a Part – Media and Information Literacy for the People.” The 2026 theme is a different structural framework. Rather than relying on a global host city, the 2026 theme is a decentralized and participatory approach – calling on global citizen action.
Emphasizing that media and information literacy should be the “nexus of human rights”, UNESCO has suggested five laws governing the topic, which were inspired in 1931 by S.R. Ranganathan’s seminal piece, Five Laws of Library Science.
The five laws address distinct areas central to media literacy: (1) all media and information providers hold equal value in fostering civic engagement; (2) citizens should be empowered to access new knowledge and express themselves irrespective of gender; (3) the use of knowledge is not always independent of biases, and its application should make this truth transparent to citizens; (4) citizens’ rights should not be compromised when acquiring new information; and (5) media and information literacy is a lived experience, complete only when supplemented with skills and attitudes, and spanning access, evaluation, use, and production.
However, the educational goal of media literacy has been negatively impacted by the presence of broad national security laws which impede access to information and enable the mass surveillance of civilians. For example, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has criticized Hong Kong’s National Security Law for broadly criminalizing “subversion” and “collusion with foreign forces” in order to clamp down on independent pro-democracy journalistic entities such as Apple Daily, with its founder Jimmy Lai later charged with conspiracy to publish seditious material.
HRW has also condemned Tunisia’s Decree-Law no.2022-54 which has been weaponized to stifle criticism of the government and charging journalists with terrorism-related charges, which the rights group says is unfounded. Internet censorship in countries like China which is managed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is known by the Great Firewall which blocks foreign websites and silences collective expression, with online discourse strictly limited to topics that do not directly threaten the government’s hold on power, according to the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
Under international law, Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) states that every individual has the right to seek, receive, and share knowledge across borders. Although Article 19 on its own is not legally binding, this sentiment was echoed in Article 19(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
Access to information is a cornerstone of legal frameworks across the globe. Citizens have a role to play in the dissemination and integrity of digital information.
The post We all play a part: observing global media and information literacy week appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.