Supporting media literacy
Why is media literacy important?
Media literacy is the ability to critically analyse stories presented in the media and to determine their accuracy or credibility.
Research indicates that many young people lack the critical-thinking skills and media literacy to critically engage with the news and evaluate information. In a Stanford test, young people were set six tasks to test their ability to think critically about online information. Nearly all students floundered. 90% received no credit on four of six tasks. In the UK, a 2018 report evidenced that only 2% of young people could identify fake news.
The confidence gap
But teachers feel unprepared to teach media literacy, despite recognising its importance in young people's development. Dame Sara Khan, the government’s independent adviser on social cohesion said teachers feel ill-equipped and are concerned about political impartiality. The commission into countering online conspiracies in schools, 2025, found that teachers don’t always feel confident facing issues such as conspiracy theories, even though they are identified as intervention vehicles.
Looking to build media literacy skills in your classroom? Join our free Topical Talk summer webinar
How Topical Talk helps
Topical Talk supports media literacy in three ways:
- Technical skills: some lessons provide specific opportunities to practice building technical media literacy skills, such as identifying misinformation
- Critical thinking: all lessons support the development and tracking of critical thinking skills
- Real-world application: lessons provide varied and evolving current affairs content to practice these skills in complex, real-world scenarios
Access our lesson collection on media literacy
Explore lesson collection
First-prize
winner of the UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy Awards 2022
Topical Talk and Ofcom's outcomes
Ofcom’s evaluation toolkit includes an overview of media literacy outcomes. We’ve mapped Topical Talk against these outcomes.
Green indicates where Topical Talk embeds these outcomes across the whole programme. Orange indicates where Topical Talk achieves outcomes within specific lessons.
| Area 1 Access, use and content creation | Area 2 Online safety, privacy and protection from harm | Area 3 Critical thinking about content | Area 4 Digital and media savvy | Area 5 Digital citizenship and media engagement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outcome 1.1 Better able to access media and manage use | Outcome 2.1 More aware of applicable law and regulations governing online activity | Outcome 3.1 Better understands mis- and dis-information | Outcome 4.1 More aware of different types of media, online content and information sources | Outcome 5.1 Makes more considered decisions about media engagement |
| Outcome 1.2 Better able to find information online and through different media | Outcome 2.2 Better able to identify and assess online risks and harmful content | Outcome 3.2 Better understands the importance of evaluating information | Outcome 4.2 Better understands how different content is made, distributed and promoted | Outcome 5.2 Behaves more respectfully online |
| Outcome 1.3 Better able to share information online, communicate and collaborate with others | Outcome 2.3 Better able to manage, deal with or get support in response to online risks and harmful content | Outcome 3.3 Better able to identify mis- and dis-information | Outcome 4.3 Better understands the motivations of platforms, media companies, content providers and information sources | Outcome 5.3 Better able to achieve personal goals through online media |
| Outcome 1.4 Better able to create and manage their own content | Outcome 2.4 Takes more effective action to keep their personal data safe | Outcome 3.4 Better able to fact-check and verify information | Outcome 4.4 More aware of persuasive design and technology and its effects on user experiences | Outcome 5.4 Makes greater use of the internet and media for civic participation |
| Outcome 2.5 Takes more effective action to protect their reputation | Outcome 3.5 Thinks more carefully before sharing information online | Outcome 5.5 Plays a more positive role supporting online communities | ||
| Outcome 2.6 Takes greater steps to safeguard their mental health and wellbeing |
