BRUSSELS, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission announced plans on Thursday to promote among citizens "media literacy," the ability to critically analyze what they find in the media and to make more informed choices.

    "In a digital era, media literacy is crucial for achieving full and active citizenship," said Viviane Reding, European Union (EU) commissioner for information society and media.

    "The ability to read and write -- or traditional literacy - is no longer sufficient in this day and age. People need a greater awareness of how to express themselves effectively, and how to interpret what others are saying, especially on blogs, via search engines or in advertising," she said.

    The commission's plans focus on three areas: media literacy for commercial communication, covering issues related to advertising; media literacy for audiovisual works, which is in part about raising awareness of European film and enhancing creativity skills; media literacy for online contents.

    Ordinary people are increasingly accessing and posting on-line content. Yet today, not everybody always fully understands the context within which such material is written, seen or read, or the possible consequences of publishing something themselves, said the commission, the executive body of the EU.

    Therefore, everybody needs to develop new skills, as active communicators and creators of content, argued the commission.

    The commission also tries to promote the development and exchange of good practice on media literacy in the digital environment.

    The plans were put forward following an EU-wide survey on media literacy.