Global Educommunication Trends: Insights from Intergovernmental Organizations

What is Educommunication?

This article explains that educommunication is the merging of educational and communication strategies aimed at fostering critical media skills in an increasingly digital society. It empowers citizens to not only consume but also produce and assess media content responsibly.

Why is it Relevant Today?

According to the research by Caldeiro Pedreira, Torres-Toukoumidis, Romero-Rodríguez, and Aguaded, educommunication is central to identity formation, civic engagement, and media literacy in 21st-century societies. The key findings indicate that the majority of intergovernmental organizations endorse media education to strengthen democratic participation and information equity.

How is it Reflected in Global Policy?

Study Overview

The study reviewed 2,648 content units from 12 major international bodies—ranging from the United Nations to ASEAN—by analyzing their online documents and statements related to media education, translated into official languages.

Institutional Perspectives

• UNESCO and the UN promote media literacy as critical to social inclusion and informed citizenship.

• The OECD focuses on infrastructure and ICT-based educational strategies.

• The EU integrates media education into major funding initiatives like Horizon 2020, linking it to digital trust and innovation.

• The OAS uses educommunication as a democratic tool to increase access and participation.

Gaps and Opportunities

Two institutions—the African Union and the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries—showed minimal engagement with educommunication, despite having educational mandates. This suggests an urgent need to standardize digital literacy policies across regions.

FAQs

Q: What is the main goal of educommunication policies?

Educommunication policies aim to create informed, critical, and participative citizens by bridging the gap between formal education and real-world media use.

Q: How is educommunication different from traditional media education?

While media education often focuses on passive literacy, educommunication emphasizes active engagement, critical production, and lifelong learning across digital platforms.

Q: Are all global organizations aligned on this topic?

The study shows alignment in 83% of cases, but some institutions lack clear frameworks, highlighting the need for greater integration and international consensus.