Citizenship and Media Literacy (A Survey of Relationship between Citizenship and Media Literacy among Zanjan Dwellers)

According to social scientists, In order to realize citizenship completely, we are required to become aware of rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Nowadays, the most widespread resource of news and information is media, so media literacy and usage is one of effective variable which explain awareness of rights and duties of citizenship. Knowing the importance of the subject matter, the present article aims to explain media literacy of Zanjan dwellers and its effect on their knowledge about rights and responsibilities of citizenship. The research method is survey and the main tool for collecting data is questionnaire. Statistical population of the research is Population over 15 years. A sample consisting of 383 citizens were selected using cluster sampling method. The results show: 1) dwellers awareness of duties is more than of their awareness of rights, 2) dwellers perceives rate of citizenship notion is at average point, 3) man’s awareness of citizenship duties and rights is more than of woman’s, 4) married persons awareness of citizenship duties and rights is more than of single’s, 5) there was a statistically significant relationship between media literacy and citizenship. Among independent variables, education, media literacy and age have most effect on awareness of duties and rights.