Abstract:

Digital media convergence we are witnessing today does not change only the social role of the media but also the role of each media users. On the one hand, members of the media are expecting from media to be adjustable and on the other hand media is expecting from users to actively participate in the changes. Either media show a preference to educate public or public searches guidance and direction in order to generate appropriate content for publication from media. Surveys in Serbia show that young population is enormously dependant upon the media but on the other side there is an indication of a low level of media literacy, lack of understanding of the function and role of the media in society, and a low level of media activism. We consider that the convergence of media from analog to digital and convergence of audience from passive to active occurs in two parallel flows without a serious and meaningful cooperation between the media and educational institutions that media literacy should promote and advance not only in media, but also in other educational and scientific fields. Within a media reality, thanks to the possibilities of new technologies, educational institutions should be designed in a strategic way to prepare and engage students for innovative, creative and critical approach toward the media convergence and its content. If students do not understand that, according to the principles of media literacy, they are the key authors, selectors, critics and consumers of information, according to their knowledge, interests and experience, and educational institutions will not be able to meet the challenges of time ahead of us.

Keywords:

Media convergence, multimedia literacy, educational strategy.