The House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee has launched a new inquiry into media literacy.

The inquiry calls for evidence surrounding how media literacy initiatives int he UK are currently working, what examples of good practice are, and if the UK has the right regulatory and legislative framework for delivering media literacy.

Media literacy is crucial to ensure individuals can understand, and make informed decisions about what they see, hear, and read in both traditional and online media, the Lords committee says.

According to Ofcom, only 45% of UK adults are confident they can judge whether sources of information are truthful. Just 30% are confident they can identify whether content is AI generated.

Children and young people, who are increasingly active online, face challenges in recognising online advertising, and distinguishing between real and fake content.

Despite its importance, media literacy initiatives have suffered from short-term and small-scale funding. While media literacy is taught in some schools, it does not form part of the national curriculum.

The inquiry asks if any changes are needed in how formal education is treating media literacy, and investigates the role it plays in its development.

“The ability to critically analyse media, communications and online content is of increasing importance to us all,” launching the inquiry Baroness Keeley, chair of the committee, said.

“Being media literate can help protect people of all ages from scams, disinformation and exposure to harmful content.

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“As online AI tools become increasingly powerful it is vital that the public can understand what they are seeing and why. The fact that less than a third of adults are confident they can identify AI-generated content is deeply concerning.

“We want to understand how the UK can get better at media literacy. We are falling behind internationally, so it is important to examine what we can do to improve media literacy education both in schools and into adulthood.

“The strength of our inquiry will depend on the quality of the evidence we receive, so I would encourage anyone with knowledge or an interest in this area to submit their evidence to us by 11 April.”