What is Media Literacy?

Using the readings answer the following questions –In your own words, and without using the words MEDIA, LITERACY, INFORMATION, JOURNALISM, IMAGES, COMMUNICATION, FILM, TV, RADIO, BROADCAST, INTERNET, you are to define media literacy –½ OF CLASS: write 10 attributes a media literate person would portray. A media literate person should display _________________? –At what point to do you consider an individual informed? –As a group, rank on a scale of 1 – 10 how media savvy do you think the youth of today are, in terms of using media and of being active, engaged, and aware participants

Media Literacy The ability to access, evaluate, analyze, and produce all types of communication (Aufderheide, 1993)

The media are undoubtedly the major contemporary means of cultural expression and communication: to become an active participant in public life necessarily involves making use of the modern media. The media, it is often argued, have now taken the place of the family, the church and the school as the major socializing influence in contemporary society (Buckingham, p. 5).

Group Brainstorming Part #2 1.At what point to do you consider an individual informed? 2.Taking Gillmors Principles of Media Consumption/Creation, rank them in order of importance and comment on which you think are the most realistic, and which are the least possible in real life.

Gillmor – Principles of Consumption 1.Be skeptical of absolutely everything. 2.Although skepticism is essential, dont be equally skeptical of everything. 3.Go Outside your personal comfort zone 4.Ask More Questions 5.Understand and Learn Media Techniques

Gillmor – Principles of Creation 1.Do your homework, and then do some more. 2.Get it right every time 3.Be Fair to Everyone 4.Think independently, especially of your own biases 5.Practice and Demand Transparency

Citizenship Timeline Early Citizenship Good Citizenship Informed Citizenship Monitorial Citizenship

Monitorial Citizen a gatherer, monitor, and surveyor of information, who swings into public action only when directly threatened (Lemann 1998).

Are we participatory? Will there be collective intelligence? Is mass media power becoming larger or smaller? Where will converged culture lead us? Citizens in an Information Age

Classic Example…

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Jan. 21, 2009 print version online

Feb. 22, 2008 online politics page online home page

Jan. 21, 2009 print version Newseum Website

And now we are all part of this…

The future tools for media will bring the world together in new ways…

Kevin Sites in Yahoos Hot Zone

Participation, Production, Voice

And now we all have cameras…

–Good Consumers – by teaching how to understand, analyze, evaluate, and produce media messages, and; –Good Citizens – by highlighting the role of media in civil society, the importance of being a responsible, aware, and active participant in local, national, and global communities. Good Media Education focuses on Connections… … which are vital to the future of our civic democracy

CONCLUSION journalism, news, YOU, and the future of civic society CONNECTING Skills to Citizenship CONNECTING Analysis to Production CONNECTING Culture to Creation CONNECTING Responsibility to Empowerment CONNECTING communities, media, and citizenship

As a citizen, I should learn from that not to accept any analysis that tells us the game is over, that the world cant get any better, because, say, the corporations have the politicians in their pockets, or because the corporations run the media….

Seeking diverse, credible, and independent information. Learning how play with power, to cover issues, and to participate in democracy Understanding the absolute necessity of a free press for civil society Appreciating the complexities of information systems in a globalized world (especially a capitalist one) Using our Collective Intelligence Finding diverse, independent & credible voice…. Informed Citizenship in the 21st Century

And what does she have that I don't?

One of us is in the wrong movie. This is our first hit, did we remember everything Face it, Eddie, you dont know where the East River is – pull over and get directions Yo, Ralphie, is that your ring tone?

So then, with all this noise, what does it take to become media literate?

Ways of Looking at Media Media Producers –Who owns media –What is their agenda? Messages Audience –How do people consume media? –Two views Audience are dupes Audience are supplicated mediaconsumers

What we know No direct, powerful effects –People are complicated Audiences view the same media message in very different ways depending on things like: –Education –Racial/ethnic background –Gender –Economic status –Religious belief

What we know If there are effects, they are subtle and cumulative (stalagmite) –Violence for instance Most studied effect – no evidence for a powerful, direct effect Over time, in certain individuals, watching violent shows and movies may make them somewhat more aggressive

What we know Our beliefs are influenced most about things we have the least first-hand knowledge of. –Stereotyping –Messages about different countries and cultures

What we know Media has little effect on our political beliefs –Media Messages primarily confirm what we already believe Media can bring an issue to the forefront -Agenda setting

More fragmentation | More consolidation Multiplicity of voices | Reduction of substantive reporting Information richness | Information fatigue Citizens who know more facts | Citizens who have less truth PARADOXES OF THE INFORMATION AGE

LESSON PLANS FOR MEDIA LITERACY

5 As of Media Literacy Access Awareness Assessment Appreciation Action

How the 5 As work 5 notions of global citizenship: access to media, awareness of medias power, assessment of how media cover international events and issues, appreciation for medias role in creating civil societies, and action to encourage better communication across cultural, social and political divides.

Building a Media Literate Future Story Exercise Analysis Criteria Resources Authorship Ownership Interactivity