Media Literacy Now

Name

Media Literacy Now

Legal name

Media Literacy Now, Inc.

Website

https://medialiteracynow.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Policy Advocacy

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Literacy & Media Literacy (Reading/Writing Online) (EDAMAJAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Literacy & Reading Intervention Technology (EDAJAMAF), Professional Development & Teacher Training Media (EDAGALAI), Information & Media Literacy (Evaluate Sources, Misinformation) (EDAAAAAI)

Keywords

• Media literacy advocacy
• Education policy reform
• K-12 curriculum resources
• Digital wellness education
• Grassroots policy advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Watertown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: As a nonprofit organization, Media Literacy Now relies on donations from individuals, foundations, and supporters to fund advocacy operations, resource development, and coalition-building efforts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Media Literacy Now is a nonprofit advocacy organization that drives policy change at local, state, and national levels to ensure K-12 students are taught media literacy. It curates and distributes free educational resources (resource libraries, lesson plans, advocacy toolkits), produces annual policy reports, and develops model legislation for use by state advocates and policymakers. The organization supports a network of State Advocacy Leaders in 25 states working on coalition-building and grassroots advocacy campaigns.

Product overview

Media Literacy Now is a nonprofit advocacy organization that operates as a resource aggregator and policy advocate rather than a software product company. Its core offerings consist of curated databases of educational resources (Resource Library, Science Resource Library, Health Resource Library) containing 130+ lesson plans and activities from 70+ sources; policy tools including its MLN Model Bill and annual U.S. Media Literacy Policy Report; and programmatic initiatives like the Digital Wellness Initiative and Youth Advocacy Council. The organization does not sell a unified software platform but provides advocacy toolkits, policy frameworks, and resource libraries designed to advance media literacy education in K-12 schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Digital Wellness Project: Initiative expanding understanding of media literacy to include online safety, digital wellbeing, and ensuring K-12 health education prepares young people to thrive online and offline.
• Science Project
• Youth Advocacy Council

Products and services

• Resource Library
• Science Resource Library Database of more than 130 lesson plans and activities for science and health teachers to incorporate media literacy into instruction, developed with funding from Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Harbus Foundation.
• Health Resource Library A searchable database of evidence-based health education resources, including digital wellness, online safety, mental health, and media literacy materials for K-12 health educators. The library draws from 70+ sources.
• Advocacy Toolkit for Parents and Individuals A downloadable toolkit providing ideas, activities, and resources to help individuals initiate conversations and raise awareness about media literacy education in their local communities. Has been downloaded more than 1,500 times.
• MLN Model Bill + Supplemental Language Updated model legislation providing ready-to-use language for state legislators and advocates to advance media literacy education, including recommendations for embedding media literacy across school cell phone bans, AI literacy, and safe platform design legislation.
• 2026 U.S. Media Literacy Policy & Impact Report Annual national landscape report on media literacy education policy, documenting legislative progress across states and identifying gaps between policy momentum and classroom implementation. The 2026 edition shows that since January 2024, eleven states have taken new steps to strengthen media literacy education for K-12 students.
• Media Literacy in Massachusetts: A Landscape Scan and Policy Recommendations A joint report with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education outlining strategies to expand K-12 media literacy education, identifying gaps in educator training, resource awareness, and assessment integration.
• Digital Wellness Initiative An initiative expanding media literacy to include online safety and digital wellness within K-12 health education, advocating for policies that prioritize digital wellness at national and state levels and curating evidence-based resources for educators.
• Youth Advocacy Council A platform for young people to share their experiences, inform policy, and help lead the media literacy education movement, providing youth with opportunities to elevate their work.

Quantifiable outcome

• Since January 2024, eleven states have taken new steps to strengthen media literacy education for K-12 students
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Digital Wellness LabcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Digital Wellness Lab (formerly Boston Children's Hospital's Center on Media and Child Health) partnered with Media Literacy Now for a June 2026 virtual webinar exploring how technology impacts developing brains, warning signs of problematic media use, and how media literacy serves as prevention.
• Thriving MindsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Partnered with Media Literacy Now and Digital Wellness Lab for June 2026 virtual webinar on technology's impact on developing brains and media literacy as prevention.
• GENupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2026GENup is a California-based, nationwide student-led organization dedicated to transforming education policy by amplifying youth voices. AB 2071 was authored by students of GENup, making it a key youth advocacy partner in California's Digital Wellness Education Act campaign.
• Media Education LabcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2026Media Education Lab collaborates with Media Literacy Now on advocacy efforts and curriculum development, providing expertise in media literacy education research and pedagogy.
• California Media Literacy CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2026Coalition partner supporting California's Digital Wellness Education Act and broader media literacy advocacy efforts in California.
• University of San Diego's Youth Media Insights LabminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2026Academic partner providing research and insights on youth media behavior, contributing to evidence base for media literacy advocacy.
• National Association for Media Arts EducationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2026Professional association partner supporting media literacy education advocacy and policy efforts.
• Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2025Co-authored report 'Media Literacy in Massachusetts: A Landscape Scan and Policy Recommendations' with DESE outlining strategies to expand K-12 media literacy education in Massachusetts. The report identifies gaps in educator training, resource awareness, and assessment integration.
• American School Health Association (ASHA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025In 2025, Media Literacy Now worked with ASHA to help K-12 educators integrate online safety and digital wellness into health education curricula.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• MediaSmarts: MediaSmarts is Canada's center for digital and media literacy, providing K-12 curriculum, teacher resources, and policy advocacy. It is comparable to Media Literacy Now as a national advocacy organization for media literacy education, but operates in Canada rather than the U.S. and does not directly compete in the same geography.

Broad incumbents

• National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS): NCSS is the largest professional association for social studies educators in the U.S., setting curriculum standards that increasingly include media literacy. It is a broader incumbent whose standards influence where media literacy fits in K-12 curriculum, but it does not focus exclusively on media literacy as Media Literacy Now does.
• Learning.com: Learning.com is an established K-12 educational technology platform providing digital literacy, AI literacy, and digital citizenship curriculum. It is comparable as it operates in the same K-12 media/digital literacy category with a commercial product offering; notably, its CEO Lisa O'Masta also serves on Media Literacy Now's Board.
• ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education): ISTE is the leading membership organization for K-12 ed-tech educators and a broader incumbent in the digital literacy space. It is comparable as it shapes standards and professional development for technology and media literacy in schools, though it operates as a broader professional association.

Direct peers

• Common Sense Education: Common Sense Education is a major nonprofit providing digital citizenship, media literacy, and ed-tech curriculum for K-12 schools. It is directly comparable as it delivers free digital literacy and media literacy resources to educators, though it operates with significantly larger resources and a broader digital citizenship scope.
• News Literacy Project: News Literacy Project is a national education nonprofit that teaches students to discern credible news information and resist misinformation. It is the closest direct peer to Media Literacy Now, addressing overlapping K-12 literacy and misinformation challenges through curriculum, educator training, and resources, though its scope is narrower (news-focused rather than broader media literacy).
• National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE): NAMLE is the leading professional association for media literacy educators in the U.S., advancing media literacy through conferences, professional development, and resource dissemination. It is a direct peer and a partner of Media Literacy Now, with overlapping audiences in K-12 educators and advocates.
• Media Education Lab: Media Education Lab is an academic research and curriculum development organization focused on media literacy education pedagogy. It is a direct strategic partner of Media Literacy Now and shares overlapping work in curriculum development, teacher training, and policy advocacy.

Others

• GENup: GENup is a student-led education policy advocacy organization that authored California's AB 2071 Digital Wellness Education Act. It is comparable as a strategic partner on youth-led advocacy for media literacy policy, though it operates as a broader student advocacy movement rather than a direct competitor.
• Digital Wellness Lab: Digital Wellness Lab (formerly Boston Children's Hospital's Center on Media and Child Health) is a research and advocacy organization addressing youth media use and digital wellness. It is comparable as a strategic partner and coalition member of Media Literacy Now on shared youth digital wellness policy goals, but operates as a research/clinical organization rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/medialiteracynow
• Xx.com/MediaLitNow

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Media Literacy Now