Media literacy curricula that qualify for ACME’s (Action Coalition for Media Education) endorsement must meet Standards #1-3 plus FOUR of the other NINE standards. These are curricula that:
Standard #1: ARE FUNDED through independent means with no direct financial support from transnational media conglomerates.
Standard #2: ARE FREE OF unexamined commercial product placements.
Standard #3: CONTAIN supporting curricula resources – questions and answers, pre and post-viewing activities, and/or background or supplemental materials for classroom and community educators.
Standard #4: PROMOTE critical thinking through the application of various media literacy skills (access, analysis/questioning, evaluation, discussion, reflection.)
Standard #5: FACILITATE active “hands-on” learning activities and independent media production (i.e. - writing, filmmaking, multimedia creation).
Standard #6: ESPOUSE media-related activism in one’s school and/or community, encouraging students to move from “passive consumer” to “active citizen.”
Standard #7: ADDRESS the positive/negative individual and societal effects – social, economic, cultural, political, psychological, spiritual, environmental – of media consumption
Standard #8: EXPLORE the structural and societal implications of media’s creation, financing, and distribution.
Standard #9: CHALLENGE the current corporately-owned Big Media status quo in a specific, documented, and fearless manner.
Submitted curricula that meet standards #1-3 plus FOUR of the other NINE standards, as determined by the ACME curriculum evaluation committee, are eligible for ACME’s endorsement and promotion.