Media Literacy: Are We Passing the Test?
If you are the type of person who starts every morning with a cup of Joe and a morning newspaper, or sometimes tunes into the television or radio, you have acquired to some degree a level of media literacy.
Media literacy is the ability to sift through and analyze the messages that inform, entertain and sell to us every day by using critical thinking skills to question what lies behind media productions —the motives, the money, the values and the ownership— and to be aware of how these factors influence content (Tallim).
The first step in developing media literacy is to make one’s self aware of what media content your consuming on a daily basis. If you become aware that you are on the receiving end of the media, you can start to evaluate the deeper prospects of what is being presented.
This is important because in our world of multi-tasking, commercialism, globalization and interactivity, media education isn't about having the right answers—it's about asking the right questions (Tallim). If we make ourselves aware of media literacy, we can condition ourselves to start inquiring these questions about what we are consuming, and in doing so make ourselves a more informed member of society.
So next time you encounter media in your daily routines, take a step back and think about who produces the media we experience—and for what purpose? Who profits? Who loses? And who decides? (Thoman).
Develop your media literacy so that you may see the truth in the media and make informed decisions yourself, rather than letting them make it for you.
Work Cited
McChesney, Robert. "The Global Media Giants We are the World." EXTRA! (1997): n. pag. Web.
Tallim, Jane. "What is Media Literacy?"Media Awareness Network. Web.
Thoman, Elizabeth. "The 3 Stages of Media Literacy?" Media Awareness Network. Web.
Well said! It is important to learn to analyze the real message being sent by the media.
ReplyDelete-PF
its so true to understand the real message sent by the media but often times the media can send mix messages or the reader can be getting messages intended for a different target audience which further confuses the issue. this is why i believe that highschools and even elementary schools should take more ownership for making their students more media saavy. i'm not saying that a media studies course should be mandatory but just that topics taht are important for youth knowledge should be infused more into the outstanding curriculum.
ReplyDeletejust some thoughts...
-Browntown