# Media Literacy
Skills for accessing, analyzing, evaluating, and creating media messages.
Canonical page: https://givegigs.com/wiki/media-literacy
Last updated: 2026-11-09T19:00:07.719Z
Parent topic: [media-and-civic-life](https://givegigs.com/wiki/media-and-civic-life)
## Contents
- [Overview](#wiki-section-overview-1)
- [Evaluate a media message](#wiki-section-evaluate-2)
- [Create and share responsibly](#wiki-section-participate-3)
## Overview
Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and participate in media across formats. It asks how a message was made, whom it addresses, what evidence it uses, and what institutions or incentives shape its distribution. Media literacy supports inquiry; it does not require rejecting unfamiliar sources by default.
Explore related topics:
- [journalism](https://givegigs.com/wiki/journalism)
- [fact-checking](https://givegigs.com/wiki/fact-checking)
- [misinformation](https://givegigs.com/wiki/misinformation)
- [information-literacy](https://givegigs.com/wiki/information-literacy)
## Evaluate a media message
Identify the creator, format, intended audience, date, and original context. Separate verifiable statements from interpretation, inspect linked evidence, and compare independent accounts. For images and video, check whether the media is old, edited, or captioned accurately. Recommendation systems can affect what people see without proving a message true or false.
## Create and share responsibly
Add context and a reliable source when sharing a consequential claim, disclose meaningful edits, and seek permission before posting other people's private material. Correct your own mistakes in a visible way. People have different access, language, and safety needs; media education should build agency rather than shame learners.
## Sources
- [UNESCO: Media and Information Literacy](https://www.unesco.org/en/media-information-literacy)
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