This month’s Spotlight was contributed by Alireza Salhi-Nejad. He is a multidisciplinary researcher affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Technology Sydney. Prior to this, he was involved in research, teaching, and executive roles at the University of Tehran for over nine years.

Mass media is a cornerstone of modern political communication, acting as a conduit between political actors and the public while shaping societal perceptions and engagement with political issues. In modern democracies, the public sphere relies heavily on media as a platform for informed debate and contestation. This function, however, has its challenges.

It is worth noting that the media has long wielded the power to set agendas, frame narratives, and influence public opinion, particularly during political campaigns. While this capacity can promote transparency and accountability, it also poses risks of bias and manipulation, potentially favoring specific political actors or ideologies and eroding democratic principles. These concerns have been amplified in the digital age, where algorithm-driven platforms dominate information flows and reshape how individuals can access, consume, and disseminate content.

The digital revolution has profoundly transformed political discourse, introducing unprecedented interactivity, global reach, and personalization. While digital media has empowered marginalized voices, offering them platforms to contribute to political conversations, it has also facilitated the rapid proliferation of biased, inaccurate, or intentionally false information. Ironically, surveys reveal that while public trust in social media as a news source remains low, it continues to serve as a primary medium for news consumption. The rise of digital echo chambers, driven by algorithms prioritizing content aligned with users’ preferences, exacerbates these challenges by reinforcing biases and fragmenting public debate. Consequently, misinformation and polarization threaten informed decision-making and undermine democratic norms.

It is generally accepted that language is at the heart of media’s influence, shaping narratives and guiding interpretation. Notably, political communication in the media subtly influences public perception through framing, appraisal, euphemisms, doublespeak, and metaphors. By the same token, semiotics complements this by delving into visual and symbolic dimensions of communication, exploring how signs and symbols convey meaning. These elements create a rich terrain for analyzing the media’s role in shaping public opinion.

Discourse analysis provides a powerful tool for examining the rhetoric, semiotics, and ideologies embedded in media narratives. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) sharpens this approach by investigating how language reinforces or challenges power structures. Multimodal discourse analysis extends this further, exploring the interplay between textual, visual, and auditory elements to reveal the construction and perception of media messages. While these advanced methodologies offer invaluable insights for researchers, there is a pressing need for accessible tools that empower the broader public to engage critically with digital content.

Media and Information Literacy (MIL) addresses this gap by equipping individuals with the skills to access, evaluate, and ethically create information and empowering them to engage with media content responsibly. Beyond recognizing biases or resisting manipulation, MIL fosters a nuanced understanding of digital communication’s social, cultural, and ethical dimensions. This unified literacy framework provides structured approaches to navigating digital ecosystems thoughtfully, promoting a more profound commitment to responsible and impactful engagement.

This commentary recommends integrating MIL into educational curricula, from middle schools to universities, is essential for building a critically aware and informed society. At the middle school level, MIL can introduce foundational skills, such as identifying credible sources, recognizing misinformation, and understanding rhetorical devices, laying the groundwork for critical thinking. At the university level, MIL programs can incorporate advanced methodologies like discourse analysis, enabling learners to examine the complex interplay of language, power, and ideology in media messages. This comprehensive approach ensures that digital literacy extends beyond technical proficiency to encompass critical engagement with information and discourse, preparing individuals to navigate cyberspace and the complexities of contemporary media landscapes confidently. Promoting MIL is not merely a pedagogical initiative but a societal necessity.

Addressing the challenges of misinformation and media bias requires a multi-faceted and collaborative effort. Policymakers, educators, and media organizations must unite to integrate MIL into national education policies, equipping citizens to evaluate information and resist manipulation critically. Universities can lead these efforts by organizing workshops and training sessions that empower educators and students with advanced critical thinking and discourse analysis skills. Concurrently, media organizations must uphold ethical journalism by clarifying editorial biases, adopting transparent practices, and investing in fact-checking initiatives. As has been noted, balancing the transformative potential of digital media with its inherent risks is among the most pressing challenges that modern democracies face. Achieving this balance requires media practices rooted in inclusivity, accuracy, transparency, accountability, and democratic integrity, fostering a critically aware and informed society. By forging partnerships across sectors and leveraging technology to promote transparency and combat misinformation, societies can build resilience against manipulation.