Abstract: Public information literacy (PIL) is an important part of national qualities and key factor to promote the harmonious development of human society in the information era. In this paper, the research and practice of PIL education at home and abroad are summarized, its connotation and complexity in the environment of new media is elaborated. Furthermore, the situation of PIL in China is analyzed. On this basis, some countermeasures to carry out PIL education are put forward. The authors believe that PIL education should be raised to the height of national development strategy, and development planning and evaluation criteria should be formulated at the national level. On the practical level, the government should integrate all kinds of resources, play the role of colleges, libraries and training institutions, and carry out the PIL education in an orderly way in different regions, groups and levels.