The European Media Literacy Week is a new initiative by the European Commission to underline the societal importance of media literacy and promote media literacy initiatives and projects across the EU. From 18 to 22 March 2019, various events around the topic of media literacy will take place in Brussels and in Member States.

Community Media has always promoted Media Literacy in their local communities, among their listeners and staff and volunteers by offering training not only on journalistic and technical skills but also by providing a space for critical thinking and the means to create media content to citizens. In Community Media, Media Literacy is not a celebratory week but a daily event that is supported by the hard work of community broadcasters despise the lack of financial support by regulatory authorities in the majority of European States.

The role of community media in this area has been recognised not only at grassroots and academic level, but also at institutional level. In 2008, the European Parliament Resolution of 25 September 2008 on Community Media in Europe already pointed out:

6.  Considers that community media contribute to the goal of improving citizens” media literacy through their direct involvement in the creation and distribution of content and encourages school-based community outlets to develop a civic attitude among the young, to increase media literacy, as well as to build up a set of skills that could be further used for community media participation

A year later, the role of Community Media in promoting Media Literacy among citizens was once more highlighted by the Council of Europe in the Declaration of the Committee of Ministers on the role of community media in promoting social cohesion and intercultural dialogue, adopted on 11 February 2009 .


Recognising the crucial contribution of community media in developing media literacy through the direct involvement of citizens in the process of creation and distribution of media content, as well as through the organisation of training programmes, issues that are particularly important in the digital environment;

So, on this week, let’s make some space to celebrate and renew community media longtime commitment to Media Literacy and critical thinking.