Media literacy is taking its place in the array of literacies increasingly recognised as necessary for participating actively in democracy or, indeed, in day-to-day life. Financial literacy is another current example. "Literacy" is a term now widely used in relation to adults. The Oxford English Dictionary describes it as a "condition in respect to education, especially the ability to read and write". Transferring this concept to the electronic media adds the question of the range of the media and their different forms. There is, as yet, no agreed definition as to what constitutes media literacy, nor is the idea understood by most people or thought of as a problem. At its simplest, it can be described as "the ability to access, analyse and respond (critically) to and benefit from a range of media". It is being looked at from two points of view. The positive view is concerned with empowering people, giving people the opportunity to gain more from all the media in terms of education, information and entertainment and total communications potential. The negative view is concerned with protecting people, particularly children, from harmful, unwanted or inappropriate messages. Most work on media literacy to date has focused on the needs of children, schools and teachers. The author argues that it is equally important to place the needs and interests of all the adult population on the learning agenda, and not just as teachers or parents. It is obviously necessary to work together with others to sort out workable and appropriate definitions agreeing what the concept should cover for different types and ages of people and what are the key priorities. It is necessary to ensure that the broader citizen's interest is pursued and not just a narrow technological model or the more limited consumer model. (Contains 1 table.)