Literacy as an ally of access to information in the context of digital information environments

Abstract

Objective: This article aims to discuss to what extent only the right of access, as a possibility of reaching information, might fall short of ensuring the effectiveness of transparency from the perspective of the digital information environment.
Methodology: Regarding the characterization of the research, it is a qualitative and exploratory study, whose results are based on the literature review analyzed from the Brapci database, involving themes about information literacy, access to information, and transparency.
Results: The results demonstrate that new digital information environments allow, to a large extent, overcoming limitations. However, they appear to be superficial and mechanical in providing more information without social commitment or representing transparency only through formal conduct without quality. We consider that the right to access to information finds challenges in the face of issues such as social vulnerability, the difficulties encountered by people with limitations, the excess information and illiteracy. On the other hand, it is evident the importance of continuing education, the active citizenship exercise, critical competence, and the actions of information professionals. and mainly information literacy as an ally that combats disinformation, enhancing access and transparency.
Conclusions: We conclude that the lack of information literacy is a limiter for the access to information and the construction of active citizenship.