UNESCO’s actions focus on providing people with the skills for critical reception, assessment and use of information in their professional and personal lives through media and information literacy (MIL) programmes. UNESCO emphasizes the training of teachers to sensitize them to the importance of MIL in the education process, to enable them to integrate MIL and ICT into their teaching and to provide them with appropriate pedagogical methods, curricula and resources.

The capacity building of media professionals and institutions are the two other core focus areas of UNESCO’s Communication and Information Sector. Through its regular programmes and projects under the International Programme for Development of Communication (IPDC), UNESCO helps impart continuing education and lifelong learning to journalists and media professionals to improve their knowledge, skills and awareness. Also, recognizing that many journalists from developing countries lack access to quality journalism education and training institutions, UNESCO emphasizes building the capacities of journalism education institutions, notably through the development of centres of excellence, and on providing training to trainers.