The politics of media and information literacy: Considering the ideological dimension of EAVI’s media literacy project

The authors calls for an investigation of the way media and information literacy (MIL) projects construct and (de)legitimize particular forms of political subjectivity. They argue that the field of critical discourse studies (CDS) offers useful approaches to develop this line of inquiry. They make their point with reference to a case study of the MIL project of the European Association for Viewers Interests (EAVI). The authors work with a concept of discourse understood as a performative articulatory practice, grounded in linguistic pragmatics and poststructuralist discourse theory. Their analysis focuses on the way EAVI, the European Association for Viewers Interests, articulates MIL signifiers with specific concepts of critique and citizenship. The analysis shows that EAVI’s discourse promotes a holistic transformation of the self into an informed, reflexive and critical entity, as well as a type of society that is inclusive, cohesiveand participatory. EAVI is also decidedly pro-EU and opposed to nationalist projects. The authors stress the fact that critical forms of MIL do not merely require a development of media-related competences such as the ability to recognize fake news or the ability to verify sources. If MIL projects are to contribute to critical forms of subjectivity and citizenship they should also promote the development of ideological and historical forms of literacy