Brazil’s largest daily newspaper O Globo interviewed Leo Pekkala, Deputy Director of KAVI, about Finnish media education. The interview covered topics such as multiliteracy, disinformation and democracy from a media education perspective.
When was the media literacy programme introduced in Finnish schools? What is its purpose?
Multiliteracy was introduced in 2014, but this approach has been around since 1970. In the school curriculum it is called ‘multiliteracy’. It is not a subject, but a skill that all teachers need to address in their teaching, whether they are early childhood education teachers or mathematics teachers.
How are media literacy lessons organized for different age groups?
Children as young as 3-4 can use a digital camera or a mobile phone. They take pictures and use them to tell simple stories to share with their friends. It’s just a fun activity for them. Teenagers, who are already thinking more abstractly, understand the difference between fake news and recognize disinformation campaigns and conspiracy theories. High school students create their own news and videos, learning that all content is produced by someone. In this way, they learn to produce content and understand that there is no single, objective truth.
How do you see the role of the media literacy in terms of democracy and transparency in society?
It is a key part of our overall education system. The idea is to prepare children and young people to become active members of society. They learn how society works, the basic structures of society, government, parliament, what elections mean, what rights such as freedom of speech and freedom of the press mean. It’s a long learning process, but by the time you come of age in Finland at 18, you should have a basic understanding of how society works.
Source: O Globo (12.12.2024)