During the past decade, the integration of technology into education has been a catalyst for profound transformations in teaching and learning methods. Indeed, this transformation process accelerated with the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in significant changes in education owing to the massive adoption of digital technologies, imposing a technology-mediated pedagogy (Hernández Ortega and Cortés de las Heras, 2020).

In addition to its advantages such as interactivity and personalization of education, the rapid adoption of digital technologies has also led to new challenges. The lack of training of both teachers and students to adapt to these changes has become evident, highlighting the need to develop digital and informational competencies (Díaz Vera et al., 2021). These competencies are crucial not only for the effective use of technologies, but also to help students navigate this information-rich digital environment in a critical and reflective manner (Gutiérrez-Martín et al., 2022).

Therefore, technology not only has the potential to contribute to learning by expanding access to information but can also motivate the development of critical thinking (González-Mohíno et al., 2023). In this sense, global organizations such as UNESCO (2024) as well as authors such as Ferrés et al. (2018) and Pérez-Rodríguez et al. (2019) have stressed the importance of fostering the development of critical competencies in various environments when it comes to using information and digital technologies, through critical media literacy or educommunication.

At the same time, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged during this same period as a tool with the potential to personalize education, and its use has already become widespread among the academic and student community (Cornejo-Plaza and Cippitani, 2023). However, for AI to have a positive impact, it must be used within an ethical and reflective framework to ensure proper training, regulation, and trust in its use (Bond et al., 2024), and to promote not only efficiency but also the development of critical and analytical thinking (Ortiz et al., 2024). The implementation of AI in classrooms must therefore also be aligned with a critical media literacy approach that enables students not only to use such technologies to their advantage but also to understand their implications and associated risks (Flores-Vivar and García-Peñalvo, 2023). In this regard, teachers have a key role to play through their teaching methods and the responsible use of these technologies within them (Sanabria-Navarro et al., 2023).

In light of the rapid growth and evolution of digital technologies and content, there is an urgent need to reconsider both the role and the implementation of critical media literacy in education. Yet, most existing studies tend to focus on theoretical frameworks or isolated interventions, without offering a comprehensive perspective that integrates expert insights with empirical data from students.

This article seeks to fill that gap by employing a mixed-methods approach to explore how future educators perceive the challenges and opportunities of media literacy within the context of technological transformation —alongside students’ perceptions. By bringing together expert discourses and student experiences, this research aims to contribute to the field of educommunication by proposing an integrated, participatory, and critical framework for media education in higher education. This framework addresses pedagogical, didactic, and curricular dimensions, while also engaging with broader social issues highlighted in prior studies (Arcila Rodríguez et al., 2022).

In this context, this article poses the following research questions:

The concept of educommunication was introduced in the 1980s by the popular educator Kaplún (2001), and was further developed by other influential figures such as Freire (2015), Martín-Barbero, and Prieto Castillo (Toth et al., 2012), who contributed to the construction of critical pedagogies that promoted dialog and the interrelation between education and communication as key tools for social transformation.

While many definitions have been proposed for educommunication, a concise and widely accepted definition of media literacy emerged over a decade ago as “the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create messages in a variety of forms” (Livingstone, 2004), to which one can add its suitability for educating citizens so they can use information critically (Lopez-Gonzalez et al., 2023).

According to some experts in the field of educommunication or media literacy (Aguaded et al., 2022; Buckingham, 2020; Kellner and Share, 2019; Livingstone, 2004), the integration of technological tools, including AI, has facilitated access to information and provided other advantages (such as collaborative learning) but has also posed significant challenges, such as vulnerability to misinformation (Marta-Lazo, 2023) or fake news (Pérez Forteza and Izquierdo Cuellar, 2020), thus underlining the need for critical training for both teachers and students. In this sense, in the educational context, the ability of students to distinguish between true and false information is fundamental for their development as critical and responsible citizens (Marta-Lazo, 2023).

An additional challenge regarding the use of advanced technologies in the classroom is the management of information overload, which some authors have even described as an infodemia (Sánchez-Reina and González-Lara, 2022) or infoxication (a portmanteau of information and intoxication) (Barriga Cano, 2014; Gómez Nieto, 2016; Portugal and Aguaded, 2020). Society in general, and students in particular, are constantly bombarded by information, which can make it difficult to digest and to perceive its impact, as well as to distinguish between trustworthy and unreliable sources. Educommunication or critical media literacy becomes crucial in this context by providing students with the tools necessary to filter and evaluate information critically (González-Mohíno et al., 2023).

Some approaches to educommunication focus on digital literacy, limiting themselves to the operational use of devices without engaging with the critical analysis of content. However, beyond this, there is a need for an approach that combines media and information literacy with digital literacy, where both are included in a critical way, so that students can use technologies and media content effectively and critically during their learning processes (Mesquita-Romero et al., 2022).

Within this context of technological transformation, it is also crucial to consider how structural inequalities continue to shape students’ access to media literacy. Factors such as socioeconomic status, cultural norms, and the unequal distribution of educational resources and opportunities significantly influence not only access to digital technologies but also students’ ability to engage critically with media content — highlighting the persistence of the digital divide in educational contexts (Villao Salinas and Matamoros Dávalos, 2024). Research indicates that students from lower-income backgrounds and minority groups often face barriers beyond device and internet access; they also struggle to develop the media and digital literacy skills essential for participation in 21st century society (Miah, 2024). These findings emphasize the extent to which socioeconomic factors shape technological access, engagement, and educational outcomes (Joshi et al., 2024). Addressing these structural barriers is therefore key to fostering a more equitable media literacy — one that enables all students to fully and responsibly participate in digital society.

This study employs a mixed-methods approach that integrates both quantitative and qualitative techniques to gain a comprehensive understanding of the topic. On one hand, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with experts in media literacy and educommunication to address Research Questions 1, 2 and 3. These interviews aimed to capture insights from leading scholars regarding how critical media literacy and educommunication competencies are integrated into formal education systems, and how these experts conceptualize their relevance in addressing current educational challenges and technological transformations. On the other hand, a survey was administered to university students enrolled in education and journalism programs to collect data on their media consumption habits, perceptions, and self-assessed media literacy competencies, in response to Research Question 4. The qualitative data from expert interviews enrich the survey findings by adding interpretive depth, theoretical grounding, and pedagogical perspectives drawn from diverse cultural and institutional contexts.

The survey was conducted in person with a total of 141 participants. The questionnaires were completed by future educators and journalists—students enrolled in undergraduate programs in Journalism, Social Education, Early Childhood Education, and Primary Education at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). Data collection took place between October 2023 and March 2024 in the Faculty of Education (on the Araba, Gipuzkoa, and Bizkaia campuses) and in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Communication (Bizkaia campus). Among the respondents, 87.2% were between 18 and 21 years old. A total of 82.7% of participants were women, which can be partly attributed to the highly feminized nature of the degree programs included in the study.

On the other hand, the study also adopts a qualitative approach by using the semi-structured in-depth interview method, recognized for its suitability for research that requires detailed analysis of experiences and perceptions. In accordance with Vallés (2002) recommendations regarding qualitative interview design, the interviews were structured according to the research questions to be explored. The key issues to be addressed were determined, then participants were selected on the basis of their relevance to the study, considering the contributions they could potentially make.

The number of interviews was established by using the principle of theoretical saturation (Glaser and Strauss, 1967). This approach suggests that saturation is reached when the information collected is sufficient to meet the research objectives or when the data obtained do not provide new information that is relevant to the analysis (Guest et al., 2006). Meanwhile, the semistructured interview approach allows for flexibility to facilitate the adaptation of questions according to each interviewee’s answers, thereby maximizing the depth of knowledge obtained (Kallio et al., 2016). This type of interview is especially useful when both general and specific information is sought, since it combines a basic set of questions with the possibility of exploring themes that emerge during the conversation (Galletta and Cross, 2013).

The recruitment was carried out by the researchers themselves. The interviewees were informed via e-mail about the objectives of the research and the importance of their contribution. A date and time were set for an interview lasting approximately 45 min. Prior to the interview, the confidential treatment of all the data collected during the conversation and obtained explicit consent from the interviewees to participate in the process were explained orally.

A total of seven interviews were conducted with leading professionals in the academic field who are specialists in educommunication and from different regions (Table 1). The participants were selected on the basis of both their importance in the field and the geographic diversity of their institutions. To ensure varied territorial representation, three professionals from US universities (UCLA and Temple University), one from a Latin American university (University of Lima), and three from Spanish universities (University of Huelva, University of Valladolid, and European Atlantic University) were included. The interviews were conducted online and recorded digitally. They were carried out according to the availability of the interviewees, between May 2023 and April 2024.

The interview guide was designed to elicit reflections that bridge theoretical depth with practical applications of media literacy. Experts were invited to reflect on the pedagogical implications of digital transformation, the role of educommunication and technology in the classroom, and the potential of critical media literacy to respond to contemporary educational and social challenges. The questions were open-ended and intentionally broad, allowing participants to articulate their own definitions, highlight existing gaps, and identify structural factors that influence students’ engagement with media literacy (Table 2).

The guide included a core set of common questions for all participants, along with specific questions tailored to each expert’s area of work (see Table 2). The questions were guided by three main objectives: (1) to explore experts’ conceptualizations of educommunication and critical media literacy, (2) to identify structural and pedagogical challenges to integrating these frameworks into education; and (3) to reflect on dialogical and transformative strategies for educational praxis that could reinforce media literacy from a comparative regional perspective.

The first set of questions invited participants to define key concepts and interrogate dominant dichotomies in the field — such as technocentric versus critical paradigms. Subsequent questions delved into the political, pedagogical, and institutional dimensions of educommunication, particularly its capacity to foster critical thinking and dialogic practices within educational systems. Further questions addressed the current state of teacher training, the tension between fascination with technology and critical engagement, and the competencies required for educators to become educommunicators in an era of technological transformation. Finally, targeted questions encouraged deeper engagement with each expert’s specific contributions—for example, the use of dialogical-critical method or the Critical Media Literacy Framework— drawing connections between theory and classroom practice.

This progression ensured that the interview captured both theoretical perspectives and concrete educational experiences, offering nuanced insights into the transformative potential of educommunication in educational and social contexts. Table 2 below outlines the core questions posed to all participants, as well as the specific questions adapted to the flow and focus of each individual conversation.

The results were analyzed using the NVIVO software, through which the data were coded for qualitative analysis with the aim of achieving an accurate and transparent depiction of the data (Welsh, 2002). Through the coding of the seven interviews that were conducted, three general ideas were identified. Together, these reveal the points of consensus and the issues where disagreement was found among the interviewees. These ideas and the subthemes within them were classified and are presented in Table 3 for schematic purposes and to facilitate their use in the “Results” section.

The results of this study coincide with recent research highlighting the importance of media literacy in the digital educational context or focusing on the development of critical thinking (Bulger and Davison, 2018; Escribano-Muñoz et al., 2024; Lopez-Gonzalez et al., 2023). Without such a solid critical base, students cannot adequately face the information overload, disinformation, and hyperdigitization of the digital sphere (García-Ruiz et al., 2020).

Integrating these critical media competencies into educational curricula should be a priority. However, the main challenges include a lack of institutional support and insufficient teacher training to effectively convey these skills to students (Moreno-Gil, 2024). In this regard, political will, along with the activism of engaged educators interested in the subject, civil society and academia, are key to promoting the integration of critical media literacy into formal education (Rojas-Estrada et al., 2024). Furthermore, this work also highlights the need to broaden the concept of media literacy to include a critical perspective that considers the economic, ideological, and cultural dimensions of media and technologies and their power to reinforce democracy (Share et al., 2019).

At the same time, it is essential to recognize how cultural, economic, and geopolitical contexts shape digital inequality and exclusion (Andrade-Vargas et al., 2021). Although internet use has become widespread, this does not imply that social inequalities have disappeared (Micheli, 2016) — on the contrary, many have been reproduced — or even deepened — within the digital sphere. The COVID-19 pandemic further intensified these digital divides, which reflect underlying structural inequalities that disproportionately affect low-income populations (Tripathi, 2024) and rural communities (Morales Romo, 2017). These disparities restrict access to knowledge and limit future employment opportunities (Agudelo Ramírez and Zuluaga Cruz, 2022). Moreover, the ongoing digital gap between the Global North and South risks exacerbating inequalities in educational outcomes on an international scale (Seoane, 2025).

These structural and digital disparities also pose significant barriers to learners’ ability to become active and critical media users. Critical thinking skills can only be meaningfully developed when students have the opportunities to engage with media not only as consumers but also as producers. In this context, ensuring access to technological tools and resources becomes a fundamental step. Addressing issues related to connectivity, availability, and accessibility is essential for enabling knowledge appropriation (Terreni et al., 2017) and fostering critical thinking. This, in turn, underscores the importance of treating digital inequity as a central concern in any educational strategy (Meng et al., 2024). It also supports Buckingham’s (2019) argument that media literacy must be approached through an inclusive and structural perspective — one that acknowledges the social, economic, and ideological factors shaping access, participation, and agency.

Given these disparities, media literacy education must move beyond a one-size-fits-all model and be grounded in the specific financial, cultural, and regional contexts of learners. When developed through inclusive, context-sensitive frameworks, media literacy can serve as a powerful tool to ensure that individuals from diverse backgrounds have equitable opportunities to critically engage with — and benefit from — media content and narratives (Bozdağ, 2022).

Likewise, recent studies have pointed out the need for educators to develop critical media competencies that go beyond the simple, instrumental use of technology (Osuna-Acedo et al., 2018; Sánchez et al., 2024). As mentioned in the “Results” section, the integration of technologies into education is often superficial owing to a lack of deep technological culture and institutional support for teachers (Cruz, 2019). This reflects a broader trend in which technology is used without sufficient pedagogical grounding, as many teachers lack both technical understanding and media literacy training — largely due to institutional priorities that favor technological and instructional skills over media education (Gutiérrez-Martín et al., 2022).

Artificial intelligence, with its capacity to process large amounts of data and adapt to individual needs, is considered a promising tool to enhance educational quality and optimize teaching–learning processes (Ríos Hernández et al., 2024). In fact, AI-based methods have proven effective in educational settings for identifying fake news, helping reduce the impact of misinformation on the public (Chiang et al., 2022). In this regard, the use of technology must be combined with transparency, critical media education, and regulation to mitigate the increase of misleading content and its effects (Gómez-De-Ágreda et al., 2021).

Given its potential for both positive and negative impact, artificial intelligence must be approached with awareness and critical reflection, including the definition of ethical guidelines and a rethinking of assessment methods (Mateus et al., 2024), to ensure that it does not become a tool for control or disinformation. The success of this will depend on how it is integrated into pedagogical processes and its combination with social and human competencies, which are key to fostering a balanced coexistence between technological advancement and critical-reflective practices in education.

Finally, this study has certain limitations that point to potential directions for future research. While the qualitative component draws on interviews with international experts, all of them were based in Spain, Latin America, and the United States. Incorporating perspectives from additional global regions would enrich the comparative understanding of how critical media literacy is conceptualized and applied across different contexts. Similarly, the survey data were collected exclusively in the Basque Country, which limits the generalizability of the findings. Future research could broaden the empirical scope by including student surveys across a wider range of national and regional settings, offering a more comprehensive view of how media literacy is perceived and practiced within diverse educational systems.

Moreover, the study’s cross-sectional design provides only a snapshot of current perceptions, without capturing how these views and competencies evolve over time. Longitudinal research could offer valuable insights into how awareness and skills develop in response to ongoing technological change. Finally, future studies should prioritize the creation of robust and inclusive assessment tools that measure not only proficiency but also the ethical, critical, and reflective dimensions of media engagement—elements that are essential to a truly transformative media literacy.

Although university students generally acknowledge the relevance of acquiring media-related skills, these competencies are rarely addressed in depth throughout their academic training. Concepts such as media literacy, media education, or educommunication remain unfamiliar to many, and are often absent or only superficially introduced in coursework. Meanwhile, students tend to consume news frequently, primarily through television and social media, combining traditional and digital sources. Despite this regular exposure, many do not feel adequately prepared to critically analyze media content or manage the overwhelming volume of information they encounter daily. However, there appears to be a connection between more frequent media consumption and greater confidence in one’s critical abilities, suggesting that active engagement with information sources may help strengthen media-related competencies. When reflecting on the influence of media on their opinions, students tend to express mixed views, with traditional outlets often inspiring more trust than digital platforms. These patterns point to a disconnection between the perceived importance of these skills and their actual development within university curricula. They also offer a clear direction for improvement: the need to revisit educational programs in Communication and Education so that students are not only exposed to media, but also empowered to understand, evaluate, and engage with it critically and responsibly.

The results of this study highlight the importance of and urgent need for critical media literacy in the current educational context, as the associated skills are essential for effectively and safely navigating a digital environment saturated with technology and information. However, media literacy must not be limited to the use of technological devices and digital tools but must always incorporate criticality as an educational practice.

On the other hand, critical media literacy should allow not only the ethical and reflective consumption of content but also its conscious production. In this regard, it is essential to structurally and transversally integrate this competency into educational curricula, since its absence can expose students to vulnerability and even risk owing to their constant overexposure to advanced technology and digital information, which may not always be accurate.

This lack of integration of a key competency not only facilitates the spread of disinformation and fake news but can also contribute to social polarization. Therefore, educommunicative tools, such as the Critical Media Literacy Framework, the dialogic–critical method in educommunication, and critical pedagogies, are essential to construct a critical population, to promote democracy, and to build an education system that is at the service of values and capable of providing students with the skills required to analyze, question, and evaluate information in increasingly complex contexts.

Although digital tools have the potential to transform and improve teaching–learning processes, the lack of a deep scientific and technological culture often leads to a superficial implementation of technology in educational environments. Sometimes, both teachers and students limit their interaction with technology to an operational use but without a reflective approach capable of fostering a critical and responsible use that genuinely benefits the educational system at a structural level. In addition, the expansion of technologies such as artificial intelligence adds a new level of complexity to their use and implementation in the educational environment, requiring specific, critical, and adequate training on their potential, limitations, benefits, and risks.

In this context, it is really important to develop critical media skills at all educational levels, including teacher training, and to develop evaluation tools that assess not only technical proficiency but also critical media competencies. Educators should implement assessments that measure ethical reasoning, analytical skills, and students’ ability to engage in reflexive media practices.

Nonetheless, it is essential to acknowledge that the implementation and impact of media literacy education are profoundly shaped by the cultural, regional, and structural contexts in which they take place. In countries and regions marked by inequality, limited access to technological infrastructure and educational opportunities creates additional obstacles to developing critical media skills. These disparities are not merely technical—they are deeply social and political, calling for context-sensitive strategies that address the structural roots of exclusion. Therefore, advancing critical media literacy must go beyond pedagogical innovation: it requires structural commitments to equity in access, participation, and representation within both media and education systems.

To sum up, this article contributes to the field of media literacy and digital education by exposing a persistent gap between the importance that both students and experts attribute to media literacy and its limited integration into educational programs. The study identifies curricular gaps and underscores the need for a more critical, participatory, and inclusive approach to media literacy pedagogy. By incorporating diverse regional perspectives and emphasizing critical reflection, social justice, and technological ethics, this article offers both empirical evidence and a conceptual framework to support educators and policymakers in rethinking media education in the context of digital transformation.