The emerging field of media and information literacy studies continues to be influenced by a wide range of interdisciplinary research. An inventory of current research on media and information literacy, using Studies in Media & Information Literacy Education (SIMILE) as a database, reveal emphases in studies about schools and education, library usage, mass media, intercultural communication, and global media. As individuals around the globe are empowered by their media and information literacy skills, it is possible that these abilities will be harnessed as cultural tools in the grassroots battles to maintain local and national identities.