1. Media Literacy for Political Engagement Critical Thinking and Media in COM 110

2. Media Literacy Skills Access: Know how to use technology and sear for and find relevant information. Understand: Know how to make sense of media information. Analyze: Examine the content to ascertain purpose, point of view, accuracy, and timeliness. Evaluate: Determine the value of media content for yourself and others. Create: Produce your own media messages—video, photographs, web page, podcast, documentary, etc.

3. Applying Media Literacy Concepts Focus on News

4. News Messages are Constructed Who decides what is newsworthy? Who writes, edits, designs and produces the news? What is the purpose of the message? How do deadlines of time and space affect news coverage? Who are the readers, viewers, and listeners?

5. News Media and Language How is the news story reported? Does it meet the ethical standards of fairness, objectivity, and balance? What elements or techniques are used to gain the audience’s attention? How are visuals used (photographs, editorial cartoons, etc.)?

6. News Audiences and Perception How does news coverage affect perceptions of people, places, and ideas? What meaning does a news story have for people with differing values, beliefs, and attitudes? How do people of different ages, incomes, genders, sexual orientations, racial and ethnic backgrounds interpret the news?

7. News as Business Who owns, profits from, and pays for news? How is content affected by organizational forces, resources, constraints, and geographical focus? Does the profit motive undermine the social responsibility of news organizations?

8. Media Literacy Assignment Define a problem/issue within the community that needs to be addressed. Conduct a search for information to determine the scope of the problem—local, state, national, or global. Identify current or pending policies (local, state, national, or international) that affect how the problem might be solved. Develop three strategies (solutions to the problem) to actively address the problem. Design a way to communicate your analysis of the problem and proposed solution to others (e.g., public service announcement, advertising campaign, documentary, letter to the editor, etc.). Reflect on your experience. What does this project tell you about the importance of media literacy both as a consumer and producer of media information?