Call for papers number 29

Posted on 2024-04-10

Call for Papers Issue 29

Call for Papers: Media Literacy from the Perspective of Local Communication

adComunica, a Scientific Journal of Strategies, Trends, and Innovation in Communication is issuing a call for papers for the Report and Tribune sections: research and profession of its 29th issue, scheduled for January 2025. This issue will explore the theme of Media Literacy from the Perspective of Local Communication. The deadline for submitting final texts is November 24, 2024.

The submitted texts must adhere to the publication guidelines outlined in this journal.

adComunica is an international scientific journal aimed at the study and analysis of the current landscape of communication in a broad sense, focusing each issue on a monographic theme, specifically in the Report section. It is currently included in the indexes and catalogs ESCI (Emerging Sources Citation Index, Clarivate Analytics), to which it was added in 2016, as well as in ERIH PLUS, ISOC (SCI/CINDOC), MIAR, ICE, RESH, Dialnet Metrics, Latindex, and Dulcinea. Since 2019, it has also been awarded the Seal of Quality from the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT).

Coordinators: Carmen Marta-Lazo (University of Zaragoza) and Agustín García Matilla (University of Valladolid)

UNESCO regards media education as part of fundamental and universal rights as important as freedom of expression and the right to information, playing a key role in the construction and preservation of democracy. The European Union has aligned with this perspective since its Audiovisual Media Services Directive (2007), positioning media literacy as “the third basic pillar of the communication rights of our time” (Pérez Tornero, 2009). Media education is, above all, an education in rights (Fuente, 2012).

Media literacy starts from an expanded conceptualization of literacy that includes the ability to access and critically analyze media messages, leveraging the power of information and communication to make a difference in the world (UNESCO, 2013). Media education seeks to promote awareness of media influence and encourage an active stance toward media consumption and content creation (Hobbs, 2010). It is also a field that allows for the accountability of communication professionals (Buitrago, Navarro, and García-Matilla, 2015). This approach is not limited to a single medium but encompasses various forms of communication such as television, video games, photography, and audio messages that today integrate into a transmedia digital environment. It fosters a culture of participation (Aparici and Osuna, 2013). Alongside critical media analysis, which allows for examining the purpose and viewpoint in media messages, detecting propaganda, censorship, and misinformation, among other aspects, media literacy also works on developing the ability to create one’s own media messages. Thus, media literacy is crucial for developing critical thinkers, effective communicators, and active citizens in today's world (UNESCO, 2013; Hobbs, 2010).

Throughout this century, media literacy has undergone significant evolution and development. Initially, the focus was on basic media understanding and the ability to interpret messages. However, with the advancement of Relationship, Information, and Communication Technologies (RICT) (Marta-Lazo & Gabelas, 2016) and the proliferation of digital platforms, media literacy has become more complex and encompasses a variety of skills. Authors like Jenkins (2006) have highlighted the importance of “transmedia literacy,” which involves understanding and creating content across multiple media and platforms (Gabelas, García-Marín, and Aparici, 2023). Moreover, media literacy now includes the ability to evaluate the veracity of online information and awareness of digital privacy, as acknowledged through the extensive collective work coordinated by Miguel Ángel Ballesteros for the Government of Spain (2022), with the participation of more than 70 researchers from our country.

From an academic perspective, local communication addresses communicative processes within a specific community, such as a neighborhood, a city, or a region. Analyzing media literacy from the perspective of local communication is essential to understand how media influences communities at the regional and municipal level, as well as how communication can empower communities and give voice to their concerns and aspirations (Rodríguez, 2001). This approach considers the relationship between media and local identity, the representation of specific issues, and citizen participation in the creation and consumption of media content. Furthermore, media literacy in the local context involves the ability to interpret and critically evaluate media messages that directly affect people's daily lives and their media competency (Ferrés, Aguaded, and García-Matilla, 2013) in their immediate environment and how local communication contributes to an informed and active citizenship at the community level.

This special issue aims to delve deeper into the study of media literacy from the perspective of communication that occurs in environments closest to media-consuming audiences.

Therefore, without being an exhaustive list, the following thematic lines of reflection and analysis are proposed:

  • Challenges and opportunities of media literacy in the digital age.
  • Media competency in the new context of AI.
  • Local strategies for promoting media literacy in the digital age.
  • The role of media education in fostering a critical and participatory citizenship.
  • The role of media education in strengthening local communities.
  • The impact of emerging Relationship, Information, and Communication Technologies (RICT) on the practice and teaching of media literacy.
  • The impact of digitalization on local communities: challenges and solutions.
    Strategies to combat misinformation and promote critical thinking.
  • Innovative experiences and case studies in the implementation of media literacy programs.

 

References:

APARICI, R; OSUNA, S. (2013) La cultura de la participación. Revista Mediterránea de Comunicación. Mediterranean Journal of Communication Vol. 4 Núm. 2 Pág. 137-148

BUITRAGO, A.; NAVARRO, E.; y GARCÍA MATILLA, A. (2015) La educación mediática y los profesionales de la Comunicación.

COMUNICAR (Ed.) (2009). Políticas de educación en medios: aportaciones y desafíos mundiales / Mapping Media Education Policies in the World. Comunicar, 32.

DE ANDRÉS, S., CHAPARRO, M. (2023) Comunicación radical. Gedisa.

FERRÉS, J., AGUADED, I, GARCÍA-MATILLA, A. (2012): La competencia mediática de la ciudadanía Española: dificultades y retos. REVISTA ICONO 14. Revista científica de comunicación y tecnologías emergentes, 10(3),23-42.

GABELAS, J.A; GARCÍA MARÍN; APARICI, R. (Coords.) (2023). La invasion del algoritmo. GEDISA.

 

Gobierno de España (2022) Luchas contra las campañas de desinformación en el ámbito de la seguridad nacional. Propuestas de la Sociedad civil. Publicación coordinada por Miguel Ángel Ballesteros. Presidencia del Gobierno de España.

HOBBS, R. (2010). Digital and media literacy: Connecting culture and classroom. Corwin Press.

JENKINS, H. (2006). Convergence culture: Where old and new media collide. New York University Press.

LIVINGSTONE, S. (2019). The challenges of media literacy in the digital age: The need for critical understanding. In M. R. Levy & M. N. Dauber (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of media psychology (pp. 1-18). Oxford University Press.

MARTA-LAZO, C. & GABELAS, J.A. (2016). Comunicación Digital. Un modelo basado en el Factor Relacional. UOC Press.

PÉREZ TORNERO, J. M. (2009). El nuevo horizonte europeo de la alfabetización mediática. Telos, 79, 6-7.

RODRÍGUEZ, C. (2001). Fissures in the mediascape: An international study of citizens’ media. Hampton Press.

UNESCO. (2013). Media and information literacy for knowledge societies: A conceptual framework and competencies. Recuperado de https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000225741