Requirements and Essentials for Promoting Media Literacy and Media Rights among Citizens in Smart City Governance
Keywords:
Media literacy, Media rights, Smart city, Smart governance, Data securityAbstract
The expansion of information and communication technologies (ICT) has confronted cities worldwide with new opportunities and challenges, making the development of smart infrastructures essential for improving quality of life and urban governance. However, the success of smart cities does not rely solely on technological advancements; it also requires enhancing citizens’ levels of media literacy, digital literacy, and media rights awareness. The aim of the present study is to explain and evaluate the requirements for improving citizens’ media literacy and media rights within the governance and development processes of smart cities. Using an analytical–descriptive approach, this study identifies and evaluates the essential prerequisites for enhancing media literacy and media rights among citizens in the smart city development process. The findings indicate that the realization of smart urban governance depends on the interaction of three categories of institutional, human, and technological factors. In the institutional dimension, participatory governance, transparent policymaking, and the active role of municipalities in strengthening citizens’ media literacy were evaluated as influential. In the human dimension, the level of media awareness, the digital divide, critical thinking skills, and smart media behavior play decisive roles. In the technological dimension, stable access to communication infrastructures, data security, and digital trust are considered fundamental requirements. Moreover, social media platforms were identified as key environments for increasing citizen participation, facilitating inter-sectoral communication, and enhancing urban transparency. According to the results, the absence of coherent educational policies and weaknesses in media rights regulation are major challenges in the path toward smart city governance. Therefore, designing interactive educational programs, developing supportive regulations, and institutionalizing a culture of media literacy can pave the way for effective governance, reduced social vulnerabilities, and the achievement of urban sustainability in the smart era.
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