Media literacy is long overdue for the existential moment it is now undergoing. Since its inception in the 1960s, factions within the movement have stymied its traction and visibility, fostering limited acceptance and implementation and nearly rendering the concept a mere subject. In this seminal work, Media Literacy for the Communication Ecosystem: A Theory of Change for a Healthier Future, McDougall explores various aspects of the media literacy movement on a global basis through the lens of theory of change and its relation and applicability to media education and awareness. In addition, by incorporating the 400 media literacy interventions map McDougall takes an important step in connecting the larger community of media literacy activists, educators and policy makers. The work also examines what has worked in media literacy interventions and what needs immediate change. Several chapters include mini case studies which speak to the broader appeal and applicability of media literacy interventions for media consumers from all walks of life. Many valuable ideas are presented in the work including the notion of requiring media literacy practitioners and audiences to stop and consider how media literacy can help them. He further asserts that media literacy practitioners need to know and understand what the concept and practice entails themselves and advocates for the inclusion of social justice themes. McDougall rightfully ascertains that media literacy cannot be all things to everyone and instead trains the focus of this work on realistic and measurable outcomes such as personal self enhancement, digital well-being and creative collaborations. He also recommends that media literacy be used to increase peace building, gender equity and the end of toxic masculinity. Other relevant themes and imperatives include disability empowerment and society-centered responsive AI. In the end, and although there is wide acknowledgment of the imperative of a critical approach for media literacy to effect health, and foster positive change, balance, increased acknowledgement of diversity and inclusivity, media literacy can do all of these things and effortlessly serve countless members of society when enacted using a sensible approach. While this work and the themes and ideas presented within cannot serve as a magic panacea it is in fact a clarion call for the entire media literacy community to engage in the improvement process for the benefit of all.  Jayne Cubbage: Associate Professor in the Department of Communications at Bowie State University

Media Literacy for the Communication ecosystem: a theory of change for a healthier future makes the case that media literacy is essential and that it matters—a point that needs to be taken again and again, as today’s mass, social and synthetic media are an ever-extending moving target.  Making sense of the plethora of “interventions”, i.e.  approaches and claims about Media literacy is a very useful undertaking, both for academics and practitioners and a long-awaited endeavour that Julian McDougall conducts with humour and brio while maintaining his critical thinking mind.   I enjoyed reading this book for its four inter-related elements of MacDougall’s theory of change – access, awareness, capability and consequences— and was intrigued by the proposal to analyse effective change through their lens… And in spite of the apparent simplicity of the construct and the real modesty of the intent, the lens works, shedding light on a very heterogeneous global media literacy-scape in which most interventions are often motivated by a sense of social justice for all and a nurturing mindset.I also enjoyed reading it … because two of my own projects are featured, which is both a relief and a reward—considering the high stakes of such ventures! But more importantly, my enjoyment came from having access to the 400 media literacy interventions that I can consult to plot my next interventions, as they are inspirational and showcased for positive change.  This is the bonus added-value of this book for our field:  the geographical reach and scope of Media Literacy is at our fingertips with an interactive map in open access.   As such, the book is, literally, a journey, that does not offer closure… but rather the promise of hope and help along the way. A real ecology of the mind for Media Literacy. Divina Frau-Meigs, Professor at Sorbonne Nouvelle University and UNESCO Chair.  

One of the challenges of working in and with media literacy is its wide relevance to all sorts of areas of life, but McDougall manages to turn this into a virtue. Ambitiously mapping a truly global sample of 400 projects, he shows how being flexible and imaginative about media literacy, but maintaining a questioning approach to the change it might create, has produced a robust theory of change based on a reasoned approach to its capacity for change, as well as its limitations and opportunities for improvement. A must-read for media literacy scholars and practitioners alike. Lee Edwards: Professor of Strategic Communications and Public Engagement, London School of Economics. 

This book offers an essential roadmap for making media literacy interventions more impactful in today’s complex world. McDougall’s profound insights and analysis guide the reader through the challenges and opportunities of current approaches, leading to a robust theory of change. The theory of change provides practical tools and evidence to help diverse communities become critical media consumers and recognize their interconnectedness through media and its effects. The accompanying open-access map further clarifies the varied approaches presented in the book. Anyone committed to advancing media literacy must read this book to cultivate a more positive and profound impact in their communities. Yonty Friesem: Associate Professor and Graduate Director in the Communication Department, Columbia College Chicago, Co-Director of the Media Education Lab. 

As a former teacher and now Professor of Media and Education at Bournemouth University, Julian has been working with policymakers and industry to inform approaches to media literacy both in the UK and across Europe. He is a reflexive and values-driven individual, and he is not afraid to confront the field’s limitations. Because people learn as much from failure as from success, Julian explains some of the inadequacies and missed opportunities that are inherent in the trajectory of navigating change, particularly in institutions that are resistant to change. In this book, Julian offers a model that will help fertilize new initiatives in media literacy by synthesizing wisdom acquired over the decades, where a combination of trial-and-error experimentation and careful documentation have helped to discover and learn “what works.”  Renee Hobbs: Professor of Communications, Rhode Island University, Founder and Director: Media Education Lab. 

Read on to consider what a radically inclusive approach to media education looks like and reflect on how increasing rigor may enable media literacy educators and scholars to demonstrate real-world positive change, particularly in the context of social justice and a healthier communication ecosystem.  But as you read, take time to dream. Imagine how you can develop a media literacy program to help the people in your school, community, workplace, or culture. The insights you encounter in this book are certain to inspire, and your engagement as a member of this knowledge community may help to advance the future of the field. 

Activists promoting the commons assert that people will not fight for the commons if they don’t know it exists. The same lesson can be applied to media literacy. In order to defend and advocate for a healthy communication ecosystem, it needs to be modeled and defined. Julian McDougall does just that. In his epic survey, Julian maps an abundant ecosystem of media literacy practices and orients them toward a broader vision of a healthy communication environment, rich in resilient diversity. It’s been said that if we don’t envision a socially just future, we will live in someone else’s. Julian brilliantly charts the future in which media literacy can thrive.  Antonio Lopez: Professor of Communications and Media, John Cabot University. 

Julian McDougall teaches us something important here: to be comfortable navigating uncomfortable tensions in the field of media literacy. The book challenges simplistic, solutionist tendencies that position media literacy as an easy fix for toxic media ecosystems. At the same time, it makes a passionate case for why—and how—media literacy can change the world for the better. And for when it can’t. This is an ambitious project, drawing from a wide range of global initiatives to lay out a roadmap for a theory of change. Yet it is also a humble and situated project. McDougall does not fall into the trap of universalising Western concepts that are too often taken for granted—such as trust, public interest, and access. A brilliant, original, and honest piece of work—produced by a scholar who is not afraid to help us face the field’s limitations, but who is also brave enough to walk us through a journey of imagining healthier media and planetary futures, together. Andrea Medrado, Associate Professorin Global Communications and Research Director for Communications, University of Exeter. 

Julian McDougall latest work is a tour de force for the media literacy community. This text gathers decades of media literacy interventions to connect them all around a theory of change for media literacy across communication ecosystems and in support of healthier relationships with and to media. I don’t think a book in our field has been so ambitious, covered so much ground, and connected so many different approaches.  This book both provides new insights into media education and will be used as an anchor for how we think about media literacies and our ever-abundant media and communication ecosystems. Paul Mihailidis: Professor of Civic Media and Journalism, Interim Dean, School of Communication at Emerson College, Director of the Salzburg Academy on Media and Global Change.

An absolute must-read for anyone interested in media literacy and its indispensable role in a healthy communication ecosystem. Mapping the broad and diverse field to an intellectually crafted theory of change, McDougall brings conceptual and empirical coherence to the multifaceted nature and impact of media literacy and 400 interventions in this space, while respecting and cherishing their complexity. Gianfranco Polizzi: Assistant Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Communication, University of Birmingham.