Visual and Media Literacy, the Overlooked Competencies: How We are Influenced by What We See

1. Visual and Media Literacy, the Overlooked Competencies: How We are Influenced by What We See Frances A. May University of North Texas LOEX Conference 2009 Albuquerque, NM – May 2, 2009

2. Information and Visual Literacy • Breivik (2005) argues that information literacy should incorporate multiple types of literacy including computer, library, media, network, and visual literacy. • Goal: Provide resources and understanding for participants to engage in visual literacy instruction. • Visual Literacy: The ability to decode, comprehend, and analyze visual images in order to construct meaning from visual representations of ideas and concepts. (Burns, 2006)

3. The more we know, the more we see (Natharius, 2004) Visual literacy is a prerequisite for the comprehension of visual media. Awareness of Visual Manipulation Aesthetic Appreciation Why is VL important?

5. Understanding Visual Literacy Images are texts that use a powerful shorthand form of communication (Burns, 2006). Visual communication is powerful because it is “meta-indexical” (Marcum, 2002). Visual images are examined in conjunction with the written text provided.

6. Visual Rhetoric • Relationship between written texts and images • Studied by communication scholars, artists, art historians, writing instructors • Seeks to understand how visual images are used to build arguments in an attempt to persuade others or portray a specific ideology

7. Text – The medium through which the author/rhetor delivers the act (e.g., television show, ad campaign, picture, this PowerPoint presentation)

8. Rhetorical Criticism/Analysis • studies a speaker’s use of words, phrases, & visual texts to explicate how her/his arguments have been built in order to make intended point.

9. Intertextuality- cognitive connections we make when we see something and understand that the visual text references an earlier text (Natharius, 2004).

10. Intended Audience: Who is the target of the visual image? Desired Outcome – The effect (on the intended audience) that the creator/author of the image is trying to accomplish.

11. Classical Logical Argument– Syllogism: Major Premise “All men are mortal” Minor Premise “Socrates is a man” Conclusion “Therefore, Socrates is mortal” Most arguments do not provide all parts of the syllogism, but instead rely on the audience to provide part of the argument based on past experience or referents. Scholars have defined this process as an enthymeme. What is the argument?

12. Ethos – The perceived credibility of the author/rhetor of the image. Logos – The logical appeals used by the author/rhetor in an attempt to affect the intended audience in the desired manner. Pathos – The emotional appeals used by the author/rhetor in an attempt to affect the intended audience in the desired manner.

16. Intertextuality and Visual Manipulation: Camera Angles Visual References Lighting

17. Intertextuality and Visual Manipulation: Camera Angles

21. Intertextuality and Visual Manipulation: Visual References

27. Intertextuality and Visual Manipulation: Lighting

37. Summary of Tricks of the Trade • Camera angles • Looking up • Looking down • Perspective changes • Visual References and changing them • Lighting

38. Practice!

50. Who is the author? Is the author credible? Who is the intended audience? What is the desired outcome? What is the main argument of the image? Do the images use intertexuality? Are the images being manipulated? What is left out? “What is not seen is as important as what is seen” (Natharius, 2004, p. 244). Example: US Media Coverage of Iraq War Questions to guide your analysis