MEDIA LITERACY OF DIFFERENT POPULATION GROUPS IN USA AND CANADA IN INFORMATION SOCIETY

Abstract

In the article the author analyses programs of media education able to provide all population groups with possibility to acquire and develop digital and media competences, without which a citizen’s and specialist’s life is impossible nowadays. The article’s purpose is to analyze media education opportunities for average citizen in USA and Canada by means of informal and non formal education, characterize the ways, target groups and awaited results from acquiring media competences by American and Canadian citizens. Methodology. The research was carried out with the help of general scientific methods: analysis, synthesis, comparison and descriptive method.

Scientific novelty is in determining target groups and awaited results from this media education (national minorities, students with special needs to enable them their own media projects as «voice» of community, young people, who were imprisoned for their active citizenship, newly come immigrants for their employment, elderly people for their self realization as media consumers). The author highlighted main directions of programs division according to certain groups of students (schools and university programs, library and Internet centers programs). Possible ways of acquiring media competences have been revealed (at home, in libraries, with help of special platforms). Conclusion has been made about advantages of informal and non formal education in digital and media competences development.