News literacy. Reinventing the ideals of journalism and citizenry in the 21st century

Abstract

Is the concept of ‘news literacy’ something specific, a concept worth distinguishing from a more general understanding of the ‘media and information literacy’ (MIL) idea? Is news (and hence journalism) exceptional? From our point of view, the answer to both questions is unequivocally yes. Whereas the understanding of MIL seems to be intensely discussed and internationally applied, ‘news literacy’ (although lying under the umbrella of the more general MIL declaration) appears to be a detached, specific concept with its own notion and conceptual boundaries. Journalistic news, too, has a history and still progresses within the frame of specific duties and contracts with the democratic society. As we will suggest later in this essay, news literacy can be treated as one specific (and conceptual) way of journalism’s appreciation.[...]