Ibero-American Regulators Promote Media Literacy to Strengthen Citizens’ Digital Resilience

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The initiatives are one of the concrete outcomes of the International Course on Media and Information Literacy for Ibero-American Regulators, held between September and November 2025 by the MIL Working Group of the Ibero-American Audiovisual Regulators Platform (AMI-PRAI), the Audiovisual Council of Catalonia (CAC) and UNESCO, in collaboration with Lusófona University of Lisbon. 

During eight weeks of intensive training, representatives from regulatory bodies worked on designing public policies and projects aimed at strengthening critical thinking, combating disinformation, and promoting a safe digital environment. The result was a diverse set of initiatives reflecting the richness of approaches and priorities across the region. 

As a conclusion to the training, participants agreed to give visibility to and promote the implementation of these projects, as well as to organize periodic meetings of the MIL community that emerged from the course, thereby consolidating a regional cooperation agenda in the field of media literacy.

Projects Presented

• Critical education on mobile phone use 

The project presented by Neus Riera, Davinia Ligero, Imma Cabré, Rosa Maria Mestres and Mònica Duran, “Let’s Talk About the Mobile Phone Without the Mobile Phone,” promoted by the Audiovisual Council of Catalonia (CAC), proposes working with students aged 9 to 10 to reflect on the responsible use of technology. Through educational sessions in schools, the program aims to create spaces for dialogue between students, teachers, and families on issues such as privacy, digital footprint, disinformation, and screen time, promoting a balanced relationship with the digital environment. 

• Community radios to strengthen participation 

The project “Every Voice Counts,” promoted by Ecuador’s Council for the Regulation, Development and Promotion of Information and Communication (CCE) and presented by Cristina Lara and Jenny Pauta, aims to strengthen media literacy through community radio stations by promoting citizen participation, diversity of information, and local communities’ access to content production. 

• National MIL initiatives platform in Spain 

Spain’s National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC) presented, through Rubén Samaniego and Lucía García, the proposal “CNMCmedia Platform,” which seeks to bring together in a single digital space all media literacy initiatives developed in Spain by public institutions, regulators, digital platforms, media outlets, and civil society organizations. The goal is to facilitate the exchange of best practices, avoid duplication of efforts, and improve coordination of public policies in this area.

• Learning through play: media literacy for youth 

From the Audiovisual Council of Andalusia (CAA), Ana María Millán, Carmen Lucas, and Juan Pedro López presented “Level Up: Play with Purpose,” an educational project based on game dynamics aimed at developing young people’s critical thinking when engaging with digital content, social media, and video games. 

• National diagnosis of media literacy skills in Colombia 

Commissioner Mauricio Vera Sánchez, from Colombia’s Communications Regulation Commission (CRC), presented a project to develop a national assessment of media and information literacy skills among secondary school and higher education students. The study seeks to identify how young people access, evaluate, and use information, generating a baseline for designing public policies on MIL. 

• National repository of MIL educational resources 

Also from Colombia’s CRC, Commissioner Andrea Muñoz, Catalina Jurado, and Javier Cruz presented a proposal for a National Media and Digital Literacy Repository, aimed at consolidating educational materials, best practices, and open pedagogical resources for children, teachers, and families. The initiative seeks to promote safe digital environments and strengthen media education through the education system. 

• Development of a public MIL policy in Quito 

The project presented by Diego Andrade of Ecuador’s CCE proposes the development of a public policy on media and information literacy for the city of Quito, bringing together local authorities, the education system, and civil society to strengthen digital education in the urban context. 

• Methodological guide for teachers in Peru 

Peru’s Advisory Council on Radio and Television (CONCORTV) presented, through its President Juan José Garazatúa, Technical Secretariat Head Miriam Larco, and collaborators Grizly Ruiz and Jeremy Chávez, a MIL Guide for teachers in basic education designed to integrate the critical analysis of media, digital technologies, and artificial intelligence into pedagogical practices. The proposal seeks to strengthen civic competencies and critical thinking in the classroom. 

• Manual for student journalism clubs 

Michelle Moretti, from Ecuador’s CCE, presented the project “Manual for Student Journalism Clubs,” promoted by Periodismo Violeta, which aims to encourage responsible journalistic practices among school students through workshops, pedagogical materials, and content production focused on preventing violence against women and strengthening freedom of expression. 

• Legislative framework on digital content 

Cecilia Passavanti from ENACOM (Argentina) presented a Digital Content Bill aimed at strengthening audience protection and promoting standards of responsibility within the digital ecosystem.

• Artificial intelligence to prevent disinformation 

The CAC, through Maria Solé, Àngels Soto, and Maria Bragós, also presented ALERTIA, an innovative artificial intelligence–based tool that acts as a digital assistant to warn users before they share potentially sensitive or misleading content. The application aims to promote responsible practices on social networks and strengthen digital citizenship. 

• Breaking information bubbles in Portugal 

Bruna Afonso, from Portugal’s Media Regulatory Authority (ERC), proposed “Bubble-Breaker Generations,” an initiative aimed at promoting intergenerational dialogue and exposure to diverse sources in order to combat polarization and information bias. 

• Digital inclusion for older adults 

The project “Overcoming Technological Gaps,” also promoted by Ecuador’s CCE through Paola Martínez, Andrea Ordoñez, Fernanda Espinoza, Evelyn Rubio, and Carlos Vizuete, proposes the development of a manual and training programs for older adults to strengthen their digital skills and their informed participation in public life. 

• Critical thinking for children 

Claudia Jorquera, Soledad Suit, Alejandra Petrasic, Montserrat De la Paz, and Carla Ponce from Chile’s National Television Council (CNTV) presented “Information Detectives,” a series of animated clips aimed at children aged 7 to 10 that teach, in a playful way, how digital content is created and circulated, encouraging critical thinking from an early age. 

• A Regional Agenda to Strengthen Digital Citizenship 

The presentation of these projects reflects the growing commitment of Ibero-American regulators to promote policies and initiatives that strengthen media literacy in a context shaped by disinformation, artificial intelligence, and the transformation of the information ecosystem.

The diversity of proposals — ranging from technological tools and regulatory frameworks to educational programs, resource repositories, and community projects — demonstrates that media literacy has become a central pillar for strengthening citizens’ resilience in the face of the challenges posed by digital environments, while helping to protect the integrity of information and the right of access to information as a foundation of democratic societies. 

READ MORE: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/ibero-american-regulators-promote-media-literacy-strengthen-citizens-digital-resilience?hub=701