Media literacy, unfinished business in the training of journalists, advertisers and audiovisual communicators

Abstract

Introduction. University communication courses in Spain should respond to recommendations by international organizations concerning the need for Media Literacy training to include future graduates within its scope. Methodology. This article analyses the content of subjects directly related to Media Literacy in the various communication degree courses in Spanish universities and compares them to perceptions of this area of expertise held by syllabus managers and the teachers who teach it, thus combining an analysis of the content of subject guides with in-depth interviews. Results. The study reveals the insufficient incidence of specific subjects within Media Literacy and the overriding association of its content to the area of ideology and values, to the detriment of other dimensions such as aesthetics and interaction processes.