The case study examines the interplay between media literacy and civic literacy among young citizens in Portugal, revealing a virtuous cycle that promotes civic engagement. Methodological approaches included interviews and focus groups with Portuguese youth, highlighting various levels of news consumption and participation. Findings suggest that continuous civic practices, whether traditional or non-traditional, strengthen the relationship between news and democratic awareness among young participants.

1. RECIPROCAL ROLE OF MEDIA AND CIVIC
LITERACIES: CASE STUDY ON THE NEWS
AND YOUNG CITIZENS IN PORTUGAL
MARIA JOSÉ BRITES
MEDIA AND JOURNALISM RESEARCH
CENTRE/NEW UNIVERSITY OF LISBON
LUSOPHONE UNIVERSITY OF PORTO
BRITESMARIAJOSE@GMAIL.COM
ICA's 63rd Annual Conference:
Challenging Communication Research
17-21 June 2013, London, UK

2. STRUCTURE
 Media literacy is considered in its connections with
civic literacy.
Do these poles act in a virtuous cycle?
 Methodological approach
 Construction of profiles
 Profiles
 Final marks

3. METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH
News and Participation
 Direct observation.
 2010: interviews with 35 Portuguese (mostly 15-18)
youngsters with diverse experiences of civic and political
participation.
 School Parliament Program, youth political parties, graffiti,
school newspapers and assembly in a low income area
 Different backgrounds
 2011: interviews that involved 30 of the initial interviewees.
 2011: traditional and participatory focus-groups (n=15).
 Quasi-reseachers

4. CONSTRUCTION OF PROFILES
 General news;
 Political news;
 Forms of participation.

5. Occasional participation and low consume
of news
(N=5 | F=2, M=3 | 3=15, 1=17, 1=18)
“I watch the news with my mother and my brother. We
comment on that, my mother talks about dangers.[...]
A few days ago, we talked about swimming pool dangers.
She said: ‘Don't jump like that’. My mother alerted my brother
and I.” (Girl, 15, low income area assembly)
Opportunities that come and go;
Low intensity of participation in time.
News box (political news)
Coffee shop
Popular news

6. EMERGENT PARTICIPANTS AND EMERGENT
CONSUMERS
(N=10 | F=6, M=4 | 6=16, 3=17, 1=21)
“Television is the basis of my family life” (Girl, 15,
School Parliament Program)
Diverse types of participation in time.
Talk about news (Family and School);
Directions to act in daily life

7. ALTERNATIVE/NON MAINSTREAM PARTICIPANTS
AND ONLINE CITIZENS
(N=6 | F=5, M=1 | 1=14, 1=16, 1=17, 2=18, 1=21)
“[I share on the web] Issues such as LGBT, racism,
discrimination, contemporary issues such as Egypt, Tunisia,
economical issues.” (Girl, Political Party/NGO on Racism)
Mainly internet;
News related to participation activities.
Political news (Family); arts, human rights (Friends)

8. INFORMED AND ENGAGED CITIZENS
(N=7 | F=3, M=4 | 2=15, 2=17, 3=18);
“What media did you use to get information during the elections?
So many people! My family, colleges from the political party,
thousands of contact activities during the political campaign
[...] with everyone that I know
(girl, Youth political party)
Multiple forms in time;
Produsers.
News everywhere and power fuel to participate.

9. THE RELEVANCE OF THE SELF-CENTRED
(N=7 | M=7 | 1=15, 2=16, 3=17, 1=18)
“Music, I like what I produce. I follow my blog [it is a MySpace
webpage], to know who follows me. And, after that, I ask people if
they enjoyed my music.” (boy, 17, MC)
Non conventional;
Self-centred ;
Boys;
Intense participation in time related to self centred activities and
specific activities;
Produsers.
More diverse;
Different contexts;
But political news = family.

10. FINAL MARKS
 Constant civic practices (traditional but also non-traditional)
can encourage the virtuous cycle.
 Informants with continuous participation in strict
political sense have strong references on the
democratic relevance of news and at the same time
they expand the notion of produsers, because they
consider their internet texts as news.
 Participation – multiple (school)
 News – family socialization

11. Resilience
• Non traditional; deprived areas
Virtuous circle
• Media and civic literacy

12. Thank You!
 Maria José Brites | britesmariajose@gmail.com