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Our Why

The Maryland Center for Media Literacy & Education is here to support the well-being of all citizens and equip them with the essential media literacy knowledge and skills to be informed decision-makers.

We aim to advance a media-literate society for every individual, from young children to older adults, where exercising healthy media habits become part of one’s daily routine.

Play the following video to learn about how the Maryland Center for Media Literacy & Education is helping all Marylanders become more media-literate in the digital age.

“The need to think critically about the media we consume and create has never been more important, and the need to learn the skills and competencies of media literacy
has never been more vital.”
- Betsy Peisach,
Vice President of Education at Maryland Public Television

The Challenge

The digital age has ushered in a new wave of media and creators, expanding its reach and increasing its influence, especially over our most vulnerable populations—children and older adults.


Young Children

Young children are spending more time on screens without adult oversight, impacting behavior, learning, and social-emotional development.

  • As of 2020, 46% of 2- to 4-year-olds and more than 67% of 5- to 8-year-olds had their own tablet or smartphone.1

Tweens & Teens

Parents and educators often struggle with how to leverage the benefits of media without causing harm.

  • Over half of teenagers say they spend nearly five hours per day on social media.2

  • 55% of students are not confident in their ability to recognize false information online.

Adults & Seniors

Some adults and seniors lack access to adequate media literacy training and fall victim to misinformation, privacy violations, and scams.

  • Older adults reported losing more than $1.9 billion to fraud in 2023.3

  • Social media is cited as a top source source of news and information for adults and teens.

Our Approach

We support media literacy education through our networks, resources, programs, and initiatives.

  Educate

Create effective programs that teach media literacy and support informed choices for all Marylanders.

Offer resources via a robust online hub filled with media literacy training, tips, and toolkits.

Support adults in educating children and themselves through programs and resources.

 Collaborate

Build a statewide network of strategic partners and community leaders who are committed to making a meaningful impact.

Partnerships are critical to driving the initiative and meeting the diverse needs of Maryland communities. This network shares information and promotes access and equity.

 Communicate

Reach all Marylanders and support every community in developing essential media literacy skills.

Produce and distribute a statewide messaging campaign and digital stories to enhance awareness and to keep citizens informed with reliable and trusted information channels.

 Evaluate

Monitor our progress, participate in research studies, and share our results to show how we’re advancing media literacy.

Evaluate the impact of our programs and resources to see what’s working and where we need to improve. These insights help to ensure that our media literacy initiative is effective.


Maryland Public Television - Maryland Center for Media Literacy & Education

 

1Common Sense. (2020, November, 17). The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Zero to Eight.
2Rothwell, J. (2023, October 13). Teens Spend an Average of 4.8 Hours on Social Media Per Day. Gallup News .
3Federal Trade Commission.(2024, October 18). Protecting older adults: A report of the Federal Trade Commission.