About

Media literacy is essential for citizens to participate in society, survive and thrive.

The Advancing Media Literacy in Australia research program is concerned with the critical media knowledge and skills Australian citizens have – and need – to fully participate in society.

The program carries qualitative and quantitative research with young people and adults and supports public engagement through events, exhibitions, consultations and workshops. This includes the Young People and News Survey (2017, 2020, 2023) and the Adult Media Literacy survey (2021, 2024).

The program also supports extensive consultation with governments and policymakers through submissions and roundtables.

The research team has applied the program’s research findings and media literacy framework to provide advice and support to a number of Australian media literacy research programs and projects including SquizKids NewsHounds curriculum, the Alannah and Madelaine Foundation’s Media Literacy Lab, the Australian Associated Press Factcheck Advocacy Campaign (AAP), the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia’s Media Literacy program, the Museum of Australian Democracy’s Media Literacy resources and their Truth, Power & a Free Press exhibition, and the evaluation design of the InQueensland Media Academy training program.

The program collaborates with the Australian Media Literacy Alliance (ALIA), which was co-founded by Associate professor Tanya Notley.

Since its inception in 2017, the program has received funding grants from the Museum of Australian Democracy, the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE), Google Australia, Meta Australia and the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.