According to NAMLE., the National Association for Media Literacy Education:  "Media literacy is the ability to ACCESS, ANALYZE, EVALUATE, CREATE, and ACT using all forms of communication. In its simplest terms, media literacy builds upon the foundation of traditional literacy and offers new forms of reading and writing. Media literacy empowers people to be critical thinkers and makers, effective communicators and active citizens."

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Following are the core principles of Media Literacy Education in the U.S.

Media Literacy:

• Requires active inquiry and critical thinking about the messages we receive and create.​​

• Expands the concept of literacy (i.e., reading and writing) to include all forms of media.

• Builds and reinforces skills for learners of all ages. Like print literacy, those skills necessitate integrated, interactive, and repeated practice.

• Develops informed, reflective and engaged participants essential for a democratic society.

• Recognizes that media are a part of culture and function as agents of socialization.

• Affirms that people use their individual skills, beliefs and experiences to construct their own meanings from media messages.​

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