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to use and understand ICTs). Finally, the most general definition came
from Cees Hamelink. He did not use the concept of literacy, but
proposed information capital, as used in the tradition of Bourdieu’s
forms of capital (Hamelink, 2001). It indicates four abilities: 1) the

financial ability to pay for the costs of computers and networks, 2) the
technical skill to deal with them, 3) the capacity to filter and evaluate
information and 4) the motivation to look for information and the

capacity to use this information in society. This concept is extremely
broad; the first ability clearly indicates that it means more than skills. In
fact it has become a synonym for access.
Jan van Dijk (2005) further developed the concept of media

literacy and used the term digital skills. He regarded digital skills as a
sequence of operational skills, information skills and strategic skills
needed to work with computer media. Strategic skills refer to the ability

to use digital media as means to reach particular personal and
professional goals in daily life. Additionally, he made an attempt to
apply these three types of skill to print media, audiovisual media and

computer media (Van Dijk, 2005, p. 74-75).

ASSIGNMENTS

1. Formulate the general idea of the text.
2. What does the author mean by saying that “the Internet today is a
widespread information infrastructure, the initial prototype of what
is often called the National (or Global or Galactic) Information

Infrastructure’?
3. What components does the term ‘information literacy’ include?

Fig. 4.5 Information Literacy Components

4. What does the term ‘media literacy’ mean? Use the figures below.