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The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a “blueprint to achieve a more sustainable future for all” and address opportunities and challenges faced globally. The international standards promoted by UNESCO for media and information literacy curricula development and implementations revolve around  the  SDGs  and  enabling  global  citizen  education.  This  module complements other modules in making the case for media and information literacy as a tool for open and sustainable development. Media and information literacy (MIL) is relevant to all 17 SDGs. MIL reflects the following SDGs in particular: Quality Education (SDG 4); Gender Equality (SDG 5); Decent World and Job Opportunities (SDG 8); Reduced Inequalities (10); Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11); Promoting Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (SDG 16); and Revitalizing Partnerships (SDG 17).

Three illustrations are suggested here. If we consider SDG 4 about quality education for all, MIL contributes by affording youth and adults with critical information, media and digital competencies that enable quality education, global citizenship and peacebuilding. A second example is SDG 5 which prioritizes gender equality and women’s empowerment; MIL helps women and men of all ages to enhance their abilities to detect and counter gender stereotypes, hate and racial discrimination in all types of media and digital platforms and to offer counter narrative through user-generated content. Finally, MIL supports SDG 16, which includes the target to ensure public access to information and fundamental freedoms by raising citizens’ critical awareness of access to information; their communications power and digital autonomy in this regard, their fundamental freedoms, and critical engagement with information that makes cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

MIL promotes awareness and understanding through critical thinking and learning to decode development messages and information availed by diverse content providers. MIL also enables greater understanding of the social context of the role of access to information and the use of technology in achieving the SDGs. An informed citizenry is necessary for increased participation in the Sustainable Development Goals, and MIL is a life skill which helps to navigate through the information, media, and digital landscape. UNESCO’s Member States and bilateral and multilateral institutions are increasingly integrating MIL into their policy priorities and programmes because of its relevance to the Sustainable Development Goals.

A media and information literate citizenry is essential to achieve the SDGs. Another important pillar is the structure and organization of the digital communications companies and media themselves. The structure and organization of media and digital communication companies are related to their levels of freedom, independence, and pluralism (see more on these concepts in Modules 1, 2 and definitions in the Glossary of Terms). The question of ownership and control of digital communication and media is crucial as it affects content and processes. Even as journalists and other information professionals promote sustainable development and democracy in the exercise of free speech and a free press, this freedom and independence are, according to some critics, in some ways impacted by the financial or political concerns of owners, employers or advertisers – subtle in some cases and more blatant in others. Such control, including its pattern and structure, is shaped mainly by pervasive social, economic, environmental, political (and geopolitical) realities and the potential for ownership concentration. Therefore, both the editorial independence and pluralism of media, digital platforms, and information repositories at local and global levels are important. Due to the increasing global connectivity, information flows are now potentially South to North, North to South, and South to South. Some influential regional media and digital communications companies are increasingly changing the configuration of the international media and technological systems.

In a majority of countries around the world, some mass media organizations and digital communications companies are private commercial companies. Others are privately owned but non-commercial, such as those operated by non-governmental organizations, while some are government-owned and controlled. In broadcasting, the public service broadcasting model provides an alternative to both commercial and government-owned media. A positive development is the growing popularity of community-owned media, which involves local residents in content development and give a voice to marginalized sectors of society. This form of plurality in media types and content holds much potential for sustainable development. Alternative media helps to promote marginalized voices, such as people of colour and women and men of all ages. Community media, (considered to be alternative media) can be set up in schools, communities, workplaces, etc. and can be an alternative to larger media outlets. These ‘small’ media channels promote the right to information and offer a platform to communities so their voices may be broadcast and heard.

This module partly based on the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue University Network ().