Media literacy is increasingly coupled with a particular version of ‘information literacy’. I argue that this is not only conceptually incoherent but also educationally problematic.
Category Archives: literacy
The uselessness of literacies
Who needs data literacy?
Is ‘data literacy’ a useful response to the datafication of contemporary life – not least of education itself? It all depends, not only on how it’s defined but also on how it is practically implemented.
Media in English – reasons to be cheerful?
As media education has effectively disappeared from the government’s prescriptions for English teaching, what are the prospects for the future? An interview with two experts in the field, Jenny Grahame and Steve Connolly.
Changing English – Disappearing Media
Media education has been eradicated from the English (mother tongue language and literature) curriculum in England. Why has this happened, and what consequences will it have?
Who needs ‘digital literacy’?

Policy-makers are showing growing interest in ‘digital literacy’. But what does digital literacy mean, and how and where might we teach it?
What price ‘news literacy’?
How can journalists and news organizations contribute to media literacy education – and what are the pitfalls to avoid?
How much trust in media do we need?
In the face of ‘fake news’ and disinformation, people’s trust in media seems to be declining. But do we need to have more trust in media, or less?
PIRLS of wisdom? The limits of educational data
Education policy is increasingly being led by ‘big data’. Yet how valuable and useful is this data? An argument for ‘critical data literacy’.