As of the end of 2019, 14 U.S. state legislatures have passed some kind of legislation requiring or supporting media literacy education in schools, according to a report by Media Literacy Now. Florida and Ohio are leaders in this area, as both require that state standards include media literacy. Texas comes close behind, with its requirement that school districts incorporate digital citizenship in school curricula. Other states are moving ahead by suggesting media literacy be offered as an elective, requiring the development of best practices in media literacy instruction, and convening advisory groups to study the need for such instruction.
Media Literacy Now defines media literacy as “the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create and take action with all forms of communication.” It includes skills related to digital citizenship and internet safety. Since the organization was founded in 2013, more states have joined the effort to make this topic a priority in schools; however, many have not begun the effort.
This report focuses only on the statutory language that states have on the books. More research is needed to determine how well schools and districts are implementing these laws and whether they are effective in improving students’ skills.
Source: Media Literacy Now. (2020). U.S. media literacy policy report 2020. Watertown, MA: Author.
