Written by: Zachary J.A. Rondinelli
“This is a manifesto, not an academic text” (Buckingham, 2019, p. 119).
One of academia’s preeminent scholars on media literacy education and young people’s interactions with electronic media, David Buckingham has authored, co-authored, or edited thirty books, and published more than 220 articles and book chapters. That said, his latest offering, The Media Education Manifesto, is a provocative, accessible call-to-arms. This short, reader-friendly text is a personal statement built on a lifetime of research and educational experience that presents a new vision for media education and how it should be approached to prepare students for 21st -Century life. The book is written with passion, expertise, and determination. Buckingham clearly and precisely expounds upon the history, both political and educational, of media literacy/education in the UK, while also describing how these insights could be used more globally.