What exactly IS Media Literacy Education? 

Media literacy education is intended to promote understanding of how the media we use and create affects our lives and the lives of others in our communities and our world.

NAMLE envisions a day when everyone, in our nation and around the globe, possesses the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act using all forms of communication. Media literacy education refers to the practices necessary to foster these skills.

Why is Media Literacy Education important? 

In today’s media and technology saturated world, navigating the overwhelming amount of information around us is a challenge. This challenge has far-reaching implications for our society and has bred a need for action. Media literacy education: 

  • Produces wiser consumers of media
  • Cultivates responsible production of individuals’ own media
  • Fosters critical thinking
  • Promotes respectful discourse (and, hence, collaboration)
  • Develops citizenship skills necessary for the digital world

What exactly does NAMLE do?? 

A lot! NAMLE’s small, dedicated staff produces and supports an impressive range of activities and materials ⎯ all aimed at understanding of how the media we use and create affects our lives and the lives of others in our communities and our world.. In addition to providing resources for individuals, NAMLE furthers the work of a large pool of media literacy organizations and individuals with boots on the ground across the country and the globe. 

Signature NAMLE programs include:

Some recent highlights of NAMLE’s work include: 

  • Engaging in an International Research Initiative, addressing information gaps related to the media literacy values, practices, and needs of the citizens of the United States and Australia
  • Hosting “Media Literacy + Social Justice” theme at the 2021 national conference
  • Organized two global multi-day conferences with U.S. Department of State reaching participants in 60 countries
  • Expansion of organizational partner network to include groups who focus on underserved populations

NAMLE continuously supports educators and practitioners, out in the field, connecting with students and citizens. 

What do my unrestricted donations fund?

Unrestricted donations may be used for any purpose and support everything NAMLE does. 

How is Media Literacy Education important to Equity and Social Justice? 

Media literacy has many connections with social justice; in fact, many would say that media literacy is social justice. Specifically, media literacy helps us to understand the relationships between media, information, and power; this is often referred to as critical media literacy. 

The process of developing media literacy skills helps us to decipher what a piece of media wants you to believe and why, who benefits from you believing it, whose perspectives are valued in mainstream media, whose perspectives are marginalized or missing, and how we might elevate them. It helps us to unpack stereotypes and circulate ideas about various groups. 

Media literacy promotes inquiry into the effects that propaganda and mis/dis-information have on our politics and how they perpetuate injustices against marginalized groups, the environment, and our sociopolitical climate. In sum, media literacy helps us to understand issues of systemic inequity and who benefits from their maintenance, while also inspiring action, critical change, and the democratization of media industries.

Is my gift tax deductible?

Yes. NAMLE is exempt from federal income taxes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable under the law.

Is my gift tax deductible?

Yes. NAMLE is exempt from federal income taxes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable under the law.

What is NAMLE’s EIN number?

NAMLE’s EIN number is 84-1482241.