Critical citizenship through communication and media literacy

a UNESCO Chair’s contribution

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34629/cpublica.906

Keywords:

UNESCO Chair, communication, media and information literacy, citizenship, democracy

Abstract

In an era marked by digital hyperconnectivity and profound shifts in the way individuals interact with information and with each other, the spread of disinformation and polarization challenges the foundations of democratic societies and the full exercise of citizenship. This paper presents the UNESCO Chair of Communication, Media and Information Literacy and Citizenship, held by the School of Communication and Media Studies of the Polytechnic University of Lisbon (ESCS-IPL). Grounded in UNESCO’s values, this Chair responds to contemporary media challenges through research, education, and civic engagement. This paper situates the Chair within national and international contexts, and outlines its mission, values, objectives, and key activities. The article highlights this Chair’s ambition to contribute to media and information literacy (MIL) advancement as a vital tool for inclusive, informed, and participatory societies. 

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Author Biographies

  • Fernanda Bonacho, School of Communication and Media Studies, Lisbon Polytechnic Institute, LIACOM - ESCS; ICNOVA

    Fernanda Bonacho is a Coordinator Professor at Escola Superior de Comunicação Social/Polytechnic University of Lisbon (ESCS/IPL), where she coordinates the Master’s degree in Journalism. She holds a PhD in Communication Sciences and is an integrated researcher at the Applied Research Laboratory in Communication and Media (LIACOM) and collaborator at the NOVA Institute of Communication (ICNOVA). Her research interests focus on media literacy, especially the relationship between media literacy, journalism and communication. She has coordinated several funded research projects and collaborates with the Council of Europe on education for digital citizenship. She represents ESCS/IPL in the Portuguese Informal Group on Media Literacy (GILM) and she is responsible for the UNESCO Chair on Communication, Media and Information Literacy and Citizenship at ESCS/IPL. 

  • Margarida Alpuim, School of Communication and Media Studies, Lisbon Polytechnic Institute

    Margarida Alpuim holds a M.S.Ed. in Community and Social Change from the University of Miami. She also holds a bachelor degree in Journalism from the School of Communication and Media Studies (ESCS), of the Polytechnic University of Lisbon (IPL). She is particularly interested in advancing knowledge and practices on collective wellbeing and constructive communication. She has published papers on wellbeing and positive ageing, and is the co-author of the book “Psychology for Journalists”, edited and published by the Bonn Institute for Journalism and Constructive Dialogue. She is currently project assistant at the UNESCO Chair of Communication, Media and Information Literacy and Citizenship, at ESCS-IPL.

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Published

2025-06-30

Issue

Vol. 20 No. 38 (2025): Miscellaneous Issue

Section

Teaching and Research

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How to Cite

Critical citizenship through communication and media literacy: a UNESCO Chair’s contribution. (2025). Comunicação Pública, 20(38). https://doi.org/10.34629/cpublica.906