Content, changers, community and collaboration: expanding digital media literacy initiatives

Abstract

ABSTRACT Digital media literacy (DML) is critical for everyone, everywhere, in the modern era to develop, as DML skills help internet users to be not only consumers of online information but also active digital citizens. This study therefore identifies ways of expanding existing DML initiatives in Indonesia, and elements needed to create a framework that will maintain a coherent national DML policy and support grassroots DML initiatives. It analyses interviews and focus group discussions with representative stakeholders such as academics, activists, members of civil society, government officials, professionals, students, and technologists to identify four elements needed for effective DML education in Indonesia: content, changers, community, and collaboration. The findings provide insight into these critical elements and argue that the process of developing young Indonesians’ DML skills will need to involve multiple stakeholders in an extensive collaboration with proactive policymakers. Local and national changers and various communities will need to collaborate to push forward policy on the national curriculum, making it clear that they and institutions are essential to expanding DML initiatives into a sustainable national program.