CRITICAL READING OF THE MEDIA IN SCHOOL: FORMING CONSCIOUS CITIZENS

Abstract

This article aimed to understand the possibilities and challenges of critical media reading in schools, considering its relevance for developing conscious citizens. Given the growing influence of media in the construction of social meanings and values, we investigated how schools can play a formative role in the critical mediation of these messages. The research was bibliographical in nature, with a qualitative approach, and was based on authors who discuss media education, critical literacy, and pedagogical practices focused on citizenship. The analysis was structured around three axes: the role of schools in critical media education, teacher training focused on media literacy, and pedagogical practices that integrate conscious media use in the educational context. The results showed that critical media reading requires investment in teacher training policies, integrative curricula, and participatory methodologies. It was found that the implementation of this approach faces institutional limitations but offers significant contributions to the development of students' intellectual autonomy and ethical engagement. It is concluded that the school has a strategic role in promoting a critical education focused on the reflective reading of the media, and that it is essential to deepen studies on its practical applicability.