Healthy Media?

1. Healthy Media? • Healthy media sends positive messages to consumers and doesn’t do anything to harm them physically or mentally. One example of healthy media might be a television commercial that notes the importance of exercise by showing a group of children laughing and playing soccer.

2. Example of Healthy Media

3. Unhealthy Media? • Unhealthy media hurts the consumer. Think about a television show in which a group of girls are being mean to another girl because she is wearing a certain brand of jeans. Viewers may end up believing that you’ll only be liked if you wear particular clothes.

4. Example of Unhealthy Media

5. Answer the following questions. • What idea does this poster from the mid-1900s try to sell? • Is this media healthy or unhealthy? Explain your answer.

6. Answer the following questions. • What product is this ad trying to sell? • What techniques of persuasion does this ad use? • Is this ad healthy or unhealthy? Explain your answer.

7. Create your own. • Now it’s your turn. On your own notebook paper, copy the above chart. Design one example of healthy media, and one example of unhealthy media. This can be an ad, a poster, or another form of media. Under your drawing, write an explanation for your media.

8. Hidden Messages • Media-literate consumers have the skill to experience a piece of media and tell what messages it brings. These messages are both obvious and hidden. • For instance, a print ad for soda might show three beautiful, smiling women sipping glasses of soda at a table while a handsome waiter looks on. • The obvious message of this ad is that you should drink this soda. • The hidden message of this ad is that if you buy this soda, you will be beautiful and happy and surrounded by good-looking people.

9. Read the descriptions of media below. Then explain the obvious message and the hidden message. • In a television commercial, a boys eats a bowl of cereal. Suddenly, he is able to fly over his house and his city with amazing super-powers. • On a radio show for children, a doctor is the special guest. He tells listeners that it’s important to eat fruits and vegetables. “That’s what I did,” he says, “and now I’m a doctor!” • On a billboard, there is a photo of a cat with a dead bird in its mouth. Under the picture are the words, “Keep your cat inside because nature is not a snack bar.”