What you need to know about the Government’s ‘commitment to media literacy’.
The Ministerial foreword notes that:
“Media literacy must be a central part of our lives in the digital age… Media literacy shapes how we communicate, access information, and take part in democratic life. Strong media literacy helps people make informed choices and engage online with confidence.”
DSIT wants to build on the foundation of the Online Safety Act 2023 to ‘further to support children’s wellbeing and give them the childhood they deserve.’
Alongside supporting children, young people and education settings, the Government has also launched a medica literacy communication campaign to offer trusted advice for parents to use at home.
The vision is ‘for everyone in the UK to have the skills to navigate the internet confidently and make informed choices online.’
Some of the key areas it wants to address include:
- tackling misinformation
- improving trust in the rule of law
- strengthening social cohesion
- reducing impact of toxic online content
- preventing online violence against women and girls
- helping individuals find benefits such as communicating with others, exploring new interests and technologies, finding reliable information and safely taking part in democracy.
Principles
The Government’s vision of a more media literate UK is underpinned by three principles:
- Supporting people where they are – using existing partnerships and tools and trusted places like schools, local services etc.
- Sharing and using what works – using evidence-led practice, adapting as risks and technology changes (including AI) and ‘not repeating work that’s already being done’.
- Helping everyone play their part in strengthening media literacy – working with industry, education, voluntary sector, communities and families with clarified responsibilities so people know where to access support. Making media literacy a consideration in Government policy development.
Priorities, actions and outcomes
Here, we’ve outlined the Government’s four priorities, the projected outcome of these and the actions towards them. We have also included the timetabled date for each of these actions.
Priority 1
Build awareness of media literacy and support access to trusted information.
Outcome: By 2029, more people can confidently recognise misinformation and disinformation and know where to find trusted information.
Example actions:
- Run a dedicated media literacy campaign aimed at parents and carers, to support both adults and children to develop media literacy skills. (February-March 2026)
- Look at options to help trusted voices reach more people when needed. (Ongoing)
- Support local journalism through the Local Media Strategy. (Ongoing)
- As part of the BBC Charter Review, explore an obligation on the BBC to support and improve media literacy across the UK. (December 2027)
- Improve access to trustworthy health information from reliable sources. (Ongoing)
- Ensure people know how to spot fraud and can take steps to protect themselves. (Present-2029).
Priority 2
Prepare children and young people for a digital future.
Outcome: Children and young people build critical thinking skills and safe online habits, and adults feel confident guiding them.
Actions:
- Strengthen media literacy education in the National Curriculum, following the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review. (Consultation: Spring 2027, Implementation: September 2028)
- Expand guaranteed access to the updated curriculum. (September 2028)
- Through the TechFirst Youth programme, support secondary school pupils to develop advanced digital skills that can strengthen their media literacy. (Ongoing – August 2026)
- Clarify and strengthen the Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) guidance. (September 2026)
- Support teachers in line with recommendations from the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review. (Ongoing – September 2028)
- Invest in the National Centre for Computing Education to equip teachers to confidently teach topics such as digital and AI literacy. (Ongoing)
- Develop training for teachers on teaching media literacy skills related to counter-extremism and misogyny. (April 2026)
- Provide a dedicated Kids Online Safety Hub for parents and carers, offering clear and trusted guidance to help families keep children safe online. (February 2026)
- Investigate options for integrating media literacy into initiatives to train and support youth workers. (April 2026)
- Help school pupils to learn about deepfakes through Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education lessons. (Ongoing)
- Deliver a ‘Childhood in the Age of AI’ event in April 2026, brining together experts and young people to talk about the impact of AI on childhood. (20-22 April 2026)
Priority 3
Boost local initiatives to support people facing barriers to participation
Outcome: High-quality media literacy initiatives are delivered in communities across the UK. People who might otherwise miss out can access trusted support, which meets their needs and addresses issues they care about. More people can use the internet safely and with confidence.
Actions:
- Work with the Local Government Association and Belong to develop practical tools and training that strengthen local authorities’ capability to respond swiftly and confidently to harmful online information and digital threats. (2026-2027)
- As set out in the new Protecting What Matters Strategy, continue the Common Ground Resilience Fund with up to £5 million available over the coming financial year to deliver targeted cohesion and integration interventions. (2026-2027)
- Provide funding for local projects that support media literacy under the £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund. (March 2026)
- Invest in projects that tackle antisemitism in education and strengthen media literacy. (April 2026-March 2028)
- Engage with Ofcom as it delivers its Media Literacy Strategy, which includes a commitment to strengthen local delivery by supporting projects in the areas that need them most. (2024-2027)
Priority 4
Ensure a coherent approach across government and support cross-sector coordination.
Outcome: Media literacy is built in across relevant government strategies. Different groups each have a clear part to play. Government departments, local councils, Ofcom, universities, charities, libraries, schools and colleges, news organisations, online platforms and other organisations all support media literacy in their own way, working together to help people build the skills they need.
Actions:
- Make media literacy a stronger part of the services and skills support people use every day and think about how media literacy can be included in wider government work to improve adults’ digital skills, including the Essential Digital Skills Standards and Essential Digital Skills Framework. (2026)
- Build media literacy into a wide range of policies and programmes, so it supports people across different parts of their lives and helps address key challenges. (Ongoing)
- Build an evidence base on the impacts of misleading content online. (April 2026-2027)
- Share findings from media literacy research and initiatives across government. (Ongoing)
- Encourage government departments and other organisations to use Ofcom’s Evaluation Toolkit when delivering media literacy interventions. (Ongoing)
What else do you need to know?
There is an public consultation to help better understand how children use digital technology to help the Government’s work to ensure ‘children’s online experiences are sage and enriching’.
The consultation will consider measures including:
- setting a minimum age for children to access social media – and what age would be right
- restricting risky functionalities and design features that encourage excessive use, such as infinite scrolling and autoplay
- whether the digital age of consent should be raised
- how age verification and age assurance technologies can support effective implementation
- whether the guidance on the use of mobile phones in schools should be put on a statutory footing.
The Government is welcoming responses from everyone and notes how children and young people’s views are an essential part of the process. The consultation closes at 11:19 on 26th May 2026.
Learn more about the Government’s Media Literacy Plan.
References
- Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (2026) ‘A Safe, Informed Digital Nation: Government’s Media Literacy Action Plan (2026-2029)’. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69b7d521b84f01b2be53a252/a-safe-informed-digital-nation-web-optimised.pdf (Accessed: 18 March 2026)
- Gov.UK (2026) ‘Open consultation – Growing up in the online world: a national consultation’. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/growing-up-in-the-online-world-a-national-consultation (Accessed: 18 March 2026)
