What’s “Educommunication” Anyway?

Education in a media-oriented world is a duty that requires hard work. Yet, it is vital since media can significantly influence consumers' decision-making, especially kids and teenagers.

Educommunication has the purpose of "helping citizens have a deeper knowledge of media to make more profitable use of it." Media, among other multiple functions such as training, informing, and entertaining, may also be an instrument to broadcast specific ways of thinking in politics, socials, or merely publicity.

Why is it essential that Educommunication exists? José Ignacio Aguaded, president of the Spanish group Comunicar, seeks to communicate in a critical, creative, and pluralistic way in the classrooms. He exposes two crucial reasons: media saturation and penetration level in society.

Communication media may mold perceptions and ideas, "building a fictional reality." Therefore, schools must educate young people in having active comprehension of what is being shared through media to later transfer that knowledge to daily life.

Spain is one of the countries that work on Educommunication the most. Since 2010, it has a network of young people under 18 called "CiberCorrespondasales." They are promoted by the government, which activates this group's participation in education in communication media and internet browsing.

At Tierra & Friends, we are aware that educating generations to question, explore, and appreciate one another is a vital topic to approach. In addition, we know that media is now part of kids' nature. Thus, our purpose is to help them create tools that allow them to question the information they are receiving to learn from a free and autonomous perspective.

References:

La educomunicación: una apuesta de mañana, necesaria para hoy. José Ignacio Aguaded. aularia.org

Apuntes para la formación - Educomunicación. Cibercorresponsales. Daniel Aparicio y Fernando Tucho. Aire Comunicación