Media Literacy

1. Media Literacy adapted in part from… Media Literacy Clearinghouse www.med.sc.edu/medialit

2. The Laws of Media “It’s like the fish in water; we don’t know who discovered the water, but we know it wasn’t a fish. A pervasive medium is always beyond perception.” Marshall McLuhan

3. What is “media literacy”? Take a few minutes and write your answer to these prompts: • What is media literacy? • Why should we be media literate?

4. What media literacy is: • Set of skills, knowledge, & abilities • Awareness of personal media habits • Understanding of how media works • Appreciation of media’s power/influence • Ability to discern; critically question/view • How meaning is created in media • Healthy skepticism • Ability to produce & create media

5. What media literacy is not: • Media bashing • “Protection” against media • Just about television • Just TV production • How to use AV equipment • Teaching with media; rather it is teaching about the media

6. Media Literacy definition Media literacy empowers people to be both critical thinkers and creative producers of an increasingly wide range of messages using image, language, and sound. It is the skillful application of literacy skills to media and technology messages. As communication technologies transform society, they impact our understanding of ourselves, our communities, and our diverse cultures, making media literacy an essential life skill for the 21st century.SOURCE: Alliance for A Media Literate America, www.amlainfo.org

7. News Stories “About” Media • Congress leaving Washington for a new Capitol? Only in The Onion (see next slide) • Clear Channel fires Howard Stern • Chinese Government Learning How to Spin Media after Riots • Videogames: Designed for Education? • Kool brand targets black teens • Controversy over Blige and fried chicken ad • Meteorologists Argue With Climatologists About Global Warming

8. Check out The Onion • Go to www.theonion.com • Got earphones? Listen to this: • http://www.theonion.com/audio/general-mills-pulls-nitroglycerin-chex-from-store,27882/ • And here’s the classic article: • http://www.theonion.com/articles/girl-moved-to-tears-by-of-mice-and-men-cliffs-note,2029/

9. What is “bias”? When a writer’s personal opinion comes through in a story or news report, he/she is revealing a bias: • Loaded words • Stereotypes • One sided arguments • Facial expressions • Body language

10. What is “fact”? • Something that can be seen or proved • Only facts can be proved • Facts are indisputable • Closely associated with questions of objectivity or truth

11. What is “opinion”? • An opinion reveals what the writer believes or thinks about something • Certain words can signal that a writer is starting an opinion: think probably believe seems should Fact vs. Opinion • Most writing is a combination of the two

12. Core Concepts in Media Literacy • All media are constructed • Media use unique languages, with their own set of rules • Media convey values and points-of-view • Different people experience the same media messages differently • Media are concerned with power, profit Source: Center for Media Literacy, www.medialit.org

13. Critical Inquiry: Key Questions • Who produced the message? • For what purpose was it produced? • Who is the “target audience”? • What techniques are used to attract attention, increase believability? • Who or what is left out; why? • Who gains by the message being told in this way?

14. Resources Media Literacy Clearinghouse Center for Media LiteracyMedia Education Foundation Alliance for A Media Literate AmericaAction Coalition for Media Education National Telemedia Council (publishes TELEMEDIUM journal)

15. Subliminal: “Below Threshold” The word “subliminal” literally means “below threshold.” To elaborate, it means that you are not aware of the message – it is below the threshold of your conscious perception. However, you will still take the message in on some level as your subconscious mind processes it and stores this information. Subliminal messaging, therefore, refers to the action of sending a suggestion directly into the subconscious mind.

16. Subliminal Advertising • James Vicary, an advertising expert, went into a 1950s movie theater to test his devious new tool for persuading others: Subliminal Advertising. • During the movie he allegedly flashed the commands "EAT POPCORN" and "DRINK COKE" so fast that the unsuspecting audience couldn't consciously see the words. Vicary claimed Coke sales jumped 18.1% and popcorn sales leaped 57.7%. • On that day, subliminal advertising was born. • Today subliminal advertising is banned by most major countries. The FCC in America outlaws it by simply saying subliminal advertising is designed to deceive. For that reason alone it is forbidden to be used by any radio or television advertiser. • Still, self-help tapes that claim to have subliminal messages hidden on them continue to sell to the tune of $50,000,000 a year.

17. Take a look at these images See any subliminal messages?

18. What is subliminal about this photo?

19. OJ Simpson • What message is given by Time magazine?

20. Parody • What is the artist trying to convey with this image?

21. Examine this picture closely

22. Examine closely • Notice the boy’s eyes? Why does he look there? • Why is he looking at the man’s hand? • Does it suggest the boy doesn’t want to be there? • What about the man? • Look at his left hand. What does it suggest?

23. The “Rest” of the Story Kramer vs. Kramer • Ted Kramer is a career man for whom his work comes before his family. His wife, Joanna, cannot take this anymore, so she decides to leave him. Ted is now faced with the tasks of housekeeping and taking care of himself and their young son, Billy. When he has learned to adjust his life to these new responsibilities, Joanna resurfaces and wants Billy back. Ted, however, refuses to give him up, so they go to court to fight for the custody of their son.

24. Can you identify the advertisers associated with this alphabet?

25. How Is Media Manipulated? • In public relations, spin is a form of propaganda, achieved through providing an interpretation of an event or campaign to persuade public opinion in favor or against a certain organization or public figure. While traditional public relations may also rely on creative presentation of the facts, "spin" often, though not always, implies disingenuous, deceptive and/or highly manipulative tactics. Or … What Does It Mean to “Polish the Truth”?

26. Who Uses Spin? • Politics has been around for ages, but surprisingly the term spin doctor is relatively recent. It arose during the 1984 US presidential election. • Politicians are often accused by their opponents of claiming to be honest and seek the truth while using spin tactics to manipulate public opinion.

27. What tactics do they use? • Selectively presenting facts and quotes that support one's position (cherry picking) • Non-denial denial • Phrasing in a way that assumes unproven truths • Euphemisms to disguise or promote one's agenda • Burying bad news: announcing one popular thing at the same time as several unpopular things, hoping that the media will focus on the popular one.

28. Cherry Picking • The act of pointing at individual cases or data that seem to confirm a particular position, while ignoring a significant portion of related cases or data that may contradict that position. • Cherry picking can refer to the selection of data or data sets so a study or survey will give desired, predictable results which may be misleading or even completely contrary to actuality.

29. Examples of Cherry-Picking • Car salesmen “assisting” only customers who appear well-to-do • In sports, waiting close to the opponent's goal in hope of receiving the object in play (ball, puck, etc.) and redirecting it towards the goal

30. Clear Example “In fact, National Snow and Ice Data Center records show conclusively that in April 2009, Arctic sea ice extent had indeed returned to and surpassed 1989 levels."

31. Non-Denial Denial • Characterizing a statement as "ridiculous" or "absurd" without saying specifically that it is not true • Saying "We are not going to dignify [that] with a response" • Impugning the general reliability of a source (e.g. Mitchell, "The so-called sources of the Washington Post are a fountain of misinformation") without addressing the particular fact alleged by the source. • Denying a more specific version of events than that which was actually alleged. For example, for an allegation of corruption, saying "I have never received any money from anyone in the party" when an exchange of goods took place

32. Euphemisms • Euphemisms can be used by governments to rename statutes to use a less offensive expression. For example, in Ontario, Canada, the "Disabled Person Parking Permit" was renamed to the "Accessible Parking Permit" in 2007

33. Common Euphemisms • ill-advised for very poor or bad • peer homework help or comparing answers for cheating • fee for fine • alcohol-related, single-car crash for drunk driver • to cut excesses (in a budget) for to fire employees

34. Do you “re-define” stupid? • Lame duck • Half a bubble off plumb • Dorkus Maximus • Lost your marbles • Low brow • Meat head • Slow but sure • Waste of space • Lights are on but nobody’s home The elevator doesn’t go to the top floor Bottom feeder Brain dead Criminal stupidity Bird brained Act the fool Ask a silly question and you’ll get a silly answer

35. Have You Seen This One? • http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-march-31-2009/new-euphemisms---redefinition-accomplished

36. “Burying Bad News” • Announcing one popular thing at the same time as several unpopular things, hoping that the media will focus on the popular one. • For example, guess when this ill-advised memo was released in England: “It's now a very good day to get out anything we want to bury. Councillors' expenses?”

37. Fictional “Spin Doctors” • Nick Naylor - Protagonist of Christopher Buckley's bestseller Thank You for Smoking. • Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty in the American sitcom Spin City. • Conrad Brean - hired to save a presidential election in Wag the Dog.

38. Real Life “Spins” • “Texas Spins History, Again” http://www.prwatch.org/Spin+as+Big+as+Texas • “San Francisco's Toxic Sludge - It's Good for You!” http://www.prwatch.org/node/8885

39. And try this one … http://www.prwatch.org/node/8931 http://www.sweetsurprise.com/news-and-press/advertising Can you detect the “spin”?

40. And How Does Spin Differ from Disinformation? • Disinformation is false or inaccurate information that is spread deliberately. It is synonymous with and sometimes called Black propaganda. It may include the distribution of forged documents, manuscripts, and photographs, or spreading malicious rumors and fabricated intelligence. Disinformation should not be confused with misinformation, information that is unintentionally false.