Competence and Literacy in Relation to Media

Abstract

Since the expansion of literacy and the popularization of reading, and even more so since the advent of film and subsequently television, attitudes towards the media from the perspective of education, sociology and psychology have been critical, with a gradual shift to rational optimism and even occasional moments of euphoria. Over the course of history—once censorship and strict protection have been overcome—children, young people and adults have been expected or required to have different abilities and skills for dealing with media, depending on the state of development of the media environment. In the English-speaking countries and on an international level, this discourse has mainly been conducted in terms of ‘literacy’ or ‘media literacy’, while in the German-speaking countries in particular, but also in other European regions, the term ‘competence’ or ‘media competence’ can also be found. The concept of media competence is similar to that of media literacy in many respects, and in practice the term is often translated into English as ‘media literacy’. In actual fact, however, the terms are not synonymous, as their theoretical roots and those of the related concepts differ. The aim of the following section is to take a closer look at the theoretical approaches and concepts behind the terms ‘media literacy’ and ‘media competence’, in order to detect differences, identify common ground and highlight mutually illuminating perspectives.