British social and pedagogical experience in media education

The article analyses the social and pedagogical conditions for contemporary mass media education in the UK, studies progressive tendencies in mass media education in Great Britain, and extends the notion of Russian scholars about British leading media education centers. Media education in the European variant is considered a human right that guarantees citizens their involvement in social life and at the same time enhances the informational security of children and youth by developing their critical thinking and informed attitude to varied media content. Media competence as a result of media education, in its turn, ensures the realization of core personal democratic liberties and protects audiences from media manipulation. Hence, media education is seen as a factor of democracy promotion, and modern ICTs are seen as a requirement for developing open civil society. Present-day British media education is acknowledged worldwide and is a complex system based on different but interconnected approaches: practical, sociocultural, protective, critical and semiotic. It is realized either as an independent course such as Media Studies or as an integrated part of other academic subjects depending on the educational objectives. The British experience in media education, especially the integrated variant with significant educational potential, needs further analysis and investigation.