Media literacy, information literacy and digital citizenship: renewed partnership between the French Ministry of Education and arcom

To mark Press and Media Week in Schools (SPME), the French Minister of Education, ÉdouardGeffray, and the Chairman of the French regulatory authority for audiovisual and digital communication (Arcom), Martin Ajdari, today signed a new partnership agreement designed to strengthen cooperation between schools and the regulator in the field of media and information literacy (EMI) and digital citizenship.

In a context marked by the rapid transformation of digital uses, the rise of platforms and artificial intelligence, and the massive circulation of online information, media literacy and digital citizenship represent a major democratic challenge. Schools have a central role to play in training enlightened citizens capable of understanding, analyzing and questioning information.

Drawing on the expertise of Réseau Canopé and the Center for Media and Information Literacy (CLEMI), this agreement is a continuation of the work undertaken since 2020 and strengthened in 2023, while incorporating recent developments in the digital landscape and Arcom's new missions.

The agreement signed today aims to deepen cooperation around shared priorities:

• Strengthening education in critical thinking and digital citizenship, particularly in the face of misinformation, manipulation of information and online hate;
• Provide better support for youngsters' digital habits;
• Train students to make responsible, informed use of digital media and content;
• Support families in their children's digital practices.

The partnership is based on the development and diffusion of educational resources addressing contemporary challenges, in particular media representations, copyright protection and responsible use of the Internet. It is also based on strengthening educational initiatives, notably through Press and Media Week in Schools (SPME), the Médiatiks and #ZéroCliché competitions, and the development of school media.

It also makes provision for training courses for teachers and trainers, both face-to-face and distance learning, to consolidate their skills in media literacy, information literacy and digital citizenship. Particular attention is paid to awareness raising among the general public and families, to better support the use of screens and social networks.

In addition, this partnership mobilizes local networks, in particular academic EMI referents, teams from CLEMI (Réseau Canopé's operator) and Arcom's local delegations, to roll out these initiatives as close as possible to schools and students.

The agreement also makes provision for greater sharing of expertise on the challenges of content regulation, protection of persons under 18 and information plurality, as well as better coordination of actions and communication to increase their visibility and impact. Regular monitoring of our actions will enable us to assess their impact.

Through this renewed partnership, the French Ministry of Education and Arcom are reaffirming their shared commitment to enabling every student to become an enlightened citizen, capable of exercising critical thinking and finding their bearings in a constantly developing information environment.

For Edouard Geffray, French Minister of Education, " faced with the rise of misinformation and the growing influence of social networks in shaping opinions, schools have an essential responsibility: to provide every student with the keys to understanding, verifying and exercising critical thinking. This strengthening partnership with Arcom enables us to work more closely with students and teachers, to train free, enlightened and responsible citizens in the digital space."

For Martin Ajdari, President of Arcom, "the renewal of our partnership with the French Ministry of Education reinforces our joint commitment to preparing our fellow citizens to navigate with discernment in the media and digital universe. Arcom will contribute to this by encouraging the efforts made by both broadcasters and platforms, and by offering educational tools on media representations, information ethics, exposure to screens and the protection of royalties".