Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2024

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Source Publication

Annals of the International Communication Association

Source ISSN

2380-8985

Original Item ID

DOI: 10.1080/23808985.2024.2354357

Abstract

While media literacy has grown to encompass many topics to provide learners with the skills required to be active citizens and savvy media consumers, there is no clear conceptual framework to define ‘impact.’ This review of literature aims to understand how recent U.S.-based media literacy scholarship defines impact. We analyzed 300 articles published from 2010 to 2020 on the impact of media literacy initiatives in the U.S. We propose the 6 E’s as a framework that captures six categories that media literacy researchers use to describe the impact of media literacy interventions: Evaluation Outcomes, Enquiry, Expression, Experiential Learning, Engaged Citizenship, and Equity. We argue for a need to center equity and community-level outcomes in definitions of media literacy impact.

Comments

Accepted version. Annals of the International Communication Association, Vol. 48, No. 4 (2024): 336-357. DOI. © 2024 International Communication Association. Used with permission.

Available for download on Wednesday, December 31, 2025

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