Global Media and Information Literacy Week

Global Media and Information Literacy Week grew out of international efforts to help people understand, evaluate, create, and responsibly share information and media. UNESCO and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) helped develop the observance as part of a broader movement promoting media and information literacy—an area that brings together the skills needed to navigate journalism, digital platforms, libraries, advertising, and other information sources. The initiative was first introduced in the early 2010s, with the first Global Media and Information Literacy Week held in 2012.

The observance takes place during a week in October and has developed into an international opportunity for governments, schools, universities, libraries, civil-society organizations, journalists, and technology groups to organize activities. These have included conferences, public discussions, classroom programs, workshops, exhibitions, and campaigns addressing topics such as misinformation, privacy, online safety, freedom of expression, and responsible digital citizenship. Each year’s events reflect current concerns in the information environment while retaining the central goal of strengthening critical and informed participation.

Over time, the significance of Global Media and Information Literacy Week has expanded with the rapid growth of social media, smartphones, artificial intelligence, and digitally distributed news. What was once often discussed mainly as the ability to interpret traditional media now also includes recognizing manipulated content, identifying unreliable sources, understanding how algorithms shape exposure to information, protecting personal data, and engaging respectfully across cultural and political differences. The week therefore connects long-standing principles of education and press literacy with the challenges of contemporary digital communication.

Culturally, the observance emphasizes that access to information is closely connected with education, democratic participation, human rights, and social inclusion. It encourages people not merely to consume media but to question its sources, understand its purposes, and contribute to public conversation responsibly. By bringing together communities from different countries and professional backgrounds, Global Media and Information Literacy Week also underscores the shared international responsibility to build information environments that are more trustworthy, inclusive, and resilient.