INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA LITERACY

1704 - The first newspaper advertisement, an announcement seeking a buyer for an Oyster Bay, Long Island, estate, is published in the Boston News-Letter 1729 - Benjamin Franklin begins publishing the Pennsylvania Gazette in Philadelphia, which includes pages of "new advertisements."

1882 - Procter & Gamble Co. begins advertising Ivory soap with an unprecedented budget of $11,000. 1843 - Volney Palmer opens the first advertising agency in Philadelphia.

1898 - N. W. Ayer helps National Biscuit Co 1898 - N.W. Ayer helps National Biscuit Co. launch the first prepackaged biscuit, Uneeda, with the slogan "Lest you forget, we say it yet, Uneeda Biscuit." Eventually, the company launches the first million-dollar advertising campaign for Uneeda.

1906 - Congress passes the Pure Food & Drug Act, forcing product labels to list the active ingredients. 1908 – The Ford motor company unveils the Model T for $850

1911 – The American Advertising agency establishes the first ‘truth in advertising’ codes 1910 – Domestic electricity is standardized, creating a market for household appliances 1920 – America’s advertising industry sits at $3 billion (in 2011 it sat at $497 billion)

1928 – Listerine advertises its mouth wash as a cure for colds and sore throats In 1976, the FTC declares these claims to be lies, and Listerine is forced to pay $10 million on ads stating their product “will not help prevent colds or sore throats or lessen their severity”

1930 – The first day time soap opera, “Clara, Lu, and Em” is created.

1929 - American Tobacco Co. spends $12 1929 - American Tobacco Co. spends $12.3 million to advertise Lucky Strikes, the most any company has ever spent on single-product advertising.

1929 – Following the stock market crash, advertising spending plummets 1929 – Following the stock market crash, advertising spending plummets. From its high of $3.5 billion, it sinks to $1.5 billion by 1933.

1938 – Debeers launches its “a diamond is forever” slogan 1942 - The War Advertising Council is organized to help prepare voluntary advertising campaigns for wartime efforts. The council garners $350 million in free public service messages. After the war it is renamed the Advertising Council.

1954 – TV ad revenue surpasses that of radio and magazines 1955 – The Marlboro Man campaign debuts

1958 – The National Association of Broadcasters bans subliminal ads. 1956 – Videotape recording makes pre-recorded commercials possible.

1960 – Madison avenue becomes the epicentre for creative advertising – which is where the term ‘madmen’ comes from.

1963 – “The Pepsi Generation” kicks off the cola wars. 1964 – After the U.S. surgeon general determines that smoking is "hazardous to your health," The New Yorker and other magazines ban cigarette ads. 

1967 – McDonalds launches its first TV commercial claiming burgers, fries and shakes are “fun” First Super Bowl airs on CBS and NBC 1970s – Telemarketing emerges

1971 - Congress prohibits broadcast advertising of cigarettes. Coca – cola airs “Hilltop” featuring a united, multicultural group singing on a hillside

1984 – Apple launches its mega-successful Super Bowl commercial directed by moviemaker Ridley Scott. 1981 - MTV debuts with frenetic video images that change the nature of commercials.

1993 – The Internet becomes a reality as 5 million users go online. 1995 – Search engines Alta Vista and Yahoo! Launch 1998 – Google and MSN launch

1999 – Internet advertising breaks the $2 billion mark and heads toward $3 billion as the industry, under prodding from Procter & Gamble, moves to standardize all facets of the industry.

2003 – The National ‘Do Not Call’ registry is created to stop telemarketers from calling MySpace launches 2005 – Youtube, Facebook (for college students only) and Reddit launches

2006 - Mobile ad platform is incorporated to bring banner ads to mobile apps, browsers, and games - Nike and Apple partner up to launch Nike+iPod to enhance the running experience with music

- Twitter launches and Facebook launches social ads 2007 – Apple releases the first iPhone

2013 – Oreo wows the world when it launches “you can still dunk in the dark” during the Super Bowl power outage.

What is media?  A medium is: something we use when we want to communicate indirectly with other people-rather than in person or by face-to-face contact. a channel of communication between a person and their intended audience. any form of communication that carries a message. Media: 1pl. of Medium. 2 the main means of mass communication

Forms of Media Books Magazines Newspapers Television Radio Weeklies Journals Films Newsletters Telephone Snail Mail Voice Mail Teleconferences Faxes E-mail Posters Memos/Notes Web Sites Electronic Billboards Cell Pones Computer and Video Conferencing

The media serves four main purposes: Inform Educate Entertain Sell

Why media literacy is important The influence of media in our central democratic processes. In a global media culture, people need three skills in order to be engaged citizens of a democracy: critical thinking, self-expression and participation. Media literacy instills these core skills, enabling future citizens to sort through political packaging, understand and contribute to public discourse, and, ultimately, make informed decisions in the voting booth.

The high rate of media consumption and the saturation of society by media. When one considers cell phones, social networking, video games, television, pop music, radio, newspapers, magazines, billboards, the internet—even T-shirts!—we are exposed to more mediated messages in one day than our great- grandparents were exposed to in a year. Media literacy teaches the skills we need to navigate safely through this sea of images and messages—for all our lives.

The media’s influence on shaping perceptions, beliefs and attitudes. While research disagrees on the extent and type of influence, it is unquestionable that media experiences exert a significant impact on the way we understand, interpret and act on our world. By helping us understand those influences, media education can help us separate from our dependencies on them.

The increasing importance of visual communication and information. While schools continue to be dominated by print, our lives are increasingly influenced by visual images—from corporate logos to huge billboards to cell phones to Internet websites. Learning how to “read” the multiple layers of image-based communication is a necessary adjunct to traditional print literacy. We live in a multi- media world.

The importance of information in society and the need for lifelong learning. Information processing and information services are at the core of our nation’s productivity but the growth of global media industries is also challenging independent voices and diverse views. Media education can help both teachers and students understand where information comes from, whose interests may be being served and how to find alternative views.