What is MEDIA LITERACY?

1. What is MEDIA LITERACY? Some content is based upon W. James Potter’s book, Media Literacy, SAGE Publications: 1998

2. What is Media Literacy? Overview of Concepts Covered • What IS Media? • The definition of media literacy • The importance of media literacy • Media literacy exists as a continuum of knowledge • Media literacy skills need to be developed • (and maintained) • The four domains of media literacy: • Cognitive • Aesthetic • Moral • Emotional • An overview of media literacy skills normal for people during given age ranges

3. What is Media Literacy? What IS Media? • Before understanding Media Literacy, it is important to know what media is. • According to the Godfather of Media Literacy, Marshal McLuhan, (credited for such phrases as “the global village” and “the medium is the message”) media includes, but is not limited to: • Clothing • Advertisements • Games (now including video games) • Music Players • Typewriters • Telephones • Movies • Radio • Television Missing from McLuhan’s definition are other forms of media such as books, magazines, newspapers, and now more recently, computers and the Internet

4. What is Media Literacy? The Definition "Media literacy is not so much a finite body of knowledge but rather a skill, a process, a way of thinking that, like reading comprehension, is always evolving." • According to W. James Potter an accredited professor of Media Literacy… • “Media literacy is a perspective from which we expose ourselves to the media and interpret the meaning of the messages we encounter.”(Media Literacy, SAGE Publications: 1998) More fully defined, media literacy is an informed, critical understanding of all kinds of media. It involves an examination of the techniques, technologies and institutions that are involved in media production, the ability to critically analyze media messages and a recognition of the role that audiences play in making meaning from those messages. Rick Shepherd, "Why Teach Media Literacy," Teach Magazine, Quadrant Educational Media Services, Toronto, ON., Canada, OctNov. 1993/

5. What is Media Literacy? More about the Definition At the heart of media literacy is the principle of inquiry • Media Literacy is the ability to interpret and create personal meaning from the thousands of verbal and visual symbols we take in everyday through television, radio, computers, newspapers and magazines, and advertising. It's the ability to choose and select; the ability to challenge and question; the ability to be conscious about what's going on around you; to not be passive and vulnerable. • Media literacy is the principle of inquiry. It is not so much a finite body of knowledge but rather a skill, a process, a way of thinking that like reading comprehension, is always evolving. To become media literate is not to memorize facts or statistics about the media, but rather to raise the right questions about what you are listening to, reading or watching. Media literacy is more about good questions than correct answers. Media literate people become self-filterers of the messages of the media.

6. What is Media Literacy? The Importance of Media Literacy The purpose ofmedia literacy is to give us more control. Media messages can be manipulative. Some are subtle, some are overt. Either way, we live in a society in which each of us is in inundated with literally hundreds, maybe thousands of messages a day. In order not to mere pawns of the media industry we need to actively pursue media literacy skills to interpret the many messages ourselves and not merely take them at face value. Over time, children of all ages can learn age-appropriate skills that give them a new set of glasses with which they can "read" their media culture."

7. What is Media Literacy? Media Literacy is a Continuum Being media literate is not like being a black belt or Olympic medallist. There is never a point at which you have achieved full media literacy. There is always room to learn more and to improve. Media literacy is best explained as a continuum, and each of us falls somewhere on that sliding scale depending upon our skill level.

8. What is Media Literacy? The Media Literacy Continuum People who have high media literacy skills actively interpret messaging and can offer insightful meanings. They are constantly skeptical of the media and are able to see connections between messaging and intentions of the message makers because of their keen understanding of media techniques and the industry. People who have low media literacy skills do not deconstruct messages or look for the motivation of the message maker while interacting with it. They fully accept the superficial intentions of the message. LOW MEDIUM HIGH People operating at a medium level of media literacy actively process media messaging. They have good ideas and can offer their own interpretations of a message. They are limited however in their options for making a meaning because they have partial, not full, understanding of media techniques and the industry structure.

9. What is Media Literacy? Media Literacy Needs to be Developed One is not assigned a position on the media literacy continuum for life. Your position can change and improve. Some of the improvement occurs naturally, as you mature, and some can only happen by actively seeking and then using media literacy tools.  "We must prepare young people for living in a world of powerful images, words and sounds."

10. What is Media Literacy? Another Perspective • Cultural Critic • Embraces some aspects of media, specifically the cultural and aesthetic characteristics such as film • Celebrant • Embraces and celebrates all kinds of media • Sees entertainment and educational value in media • Protectionist • Highly skeptical and views media as “bad” • Believes that children are passive victims of media Consider your own current perspective • Educated Consumer • Understands the importance of media education and knows the right questions to ask when analyzing media • Believes that children are not passive victims, but active participants in understanding media

11. What is Media Literacy? Media Literacy is Made up of Four Domains There are four inter-related domains of media literacy: the cognitive, emotional, aesthetic, and moral. Each domain exists as a continuum. Therefore, every person’s ability within each area can be found somewhere within their ranges.

12. “The emotional domain is the dimension of feeling. Some people have very little ability to experience an emotion during exposure to the media, while others are very sensitive to cues that generate all sorts of feelings in them.” “The moral domain refers to the ability to infer the values underlying the messages. In situation comedies, the values portrayed in the messages are usually that humor is an important tool in dealing with problems; wit is power; problems are never serious and all are solvable in a half hour.” What is Media Literacy? The Four Media Literacy Domains as described by W. James Potter “The aesthetic domain refers to the ability to enjoy, understand, and appreciate media content from an artistic point of view. This appreciation requires an awareness of the skills used in the craft of producing messages in the various media--including an ability to detect the difference between art and artificiality.” “The cognitive domain refers to mental processing and thinking. Cognitive abilities range from simple awareness of symbols to a complex understanding of how a message was produced and and why it was fashioned in the way it was.” (Excerpted from Media Literacy, SAGE Publications: 1998)

13. What is Media Literacy? Developing Media Literacy Skills Each of us develop (especially regarding media literacy skills at different rates. However, detailed here is an approximate chart of what media literacy skills can be learned at various ages. NarrativeAcquisition Intensive Development Acquiring Fundamentals SocialResponsibility Critical Appreciation Language Acquisition ExperientialExploring Developing Skepticism LOW MEDIUM HIGH 9-adult 2-3 5-9 General Ages when skills are acquired 1 3-5 teen-adult

14. What is Media Literacy? Stages of Media Literacy Skills Development Age Acquiring Children at this age, learn that there are beings other than themselves. They begin to understand meanings of facial Fundamentals 1 expressions and sounds and show signs of basic knowledge of time and patterns. They demonstrate emerging skills recognizing shapes, color, size and spatial relations. Ages Language Understanding speech sounds and reproducing them is characteristic of kids at this age. Most are also able to recognize 2 - 3 Acquisition familiar characters in visual media, follow their movement, and demonstrate emotional responses to the character’s behavior. Ages Narrative This is a important stage for differentiation. Children begin to understand the differences between fiction and nonfiction ads 3 - 5 Acquisition and entertainment, real and make believe. They also begin to connect plot elements - time sequencing and the idea of motive - action- consequence.

15. What is Media Literacy? Stages of Media Literacy Skills Development Ages Developing Kids at this age begin not believing ads. They have preferences between shows, characters and actions. And they may even 5 - 9 Skepticism mock characters that are not intended to be comedic. Ages Intensive Seeking information on specific topics and developing a mini expertise is characteristic of someone at this developmental 9 - Development stage. Youth show an understanding of the usefulness of adult information and begin screening what information they find useful and which they do not. Age s Experiential Youth and adults in this stage seek different forms of content. They seem to search for surprises – things that seem shocking - teen - Exploring in form, emotions, morals, aesthetics, etc. adult

16. What is Media Literacy? Stages of Media Literacy Skills Development Teen and adults in this stage are able to process messages and evaluate their content. They develop a detailed understanding of message systems and the ability to make comparisons among different kinds of message systems Ages Critical teen - Appreciation adult . Ages Social teen - Responsibility Mature persons are able to process a message and take a more stand on it. They can decide when a message is constructive or destructive to society. They understand that we are all connected and that individual decisions impact society (no matter how minutely). adult

17. What is Media Literacy? Media Literacy Skills are Fluid Beware not to think of the positions on the media literacy curriculum as static. They are dynamic, overlapping stages existing in a fluid process. You have a usual position on the continuum, but it is not fixed. Depending on the medium you are interacting with, your experience with the medium and your motive for the exposure, your position will change.

18. Throughout the next six weeks, we will be investigating the following media education concepts, delivered in modules: • Media are Constructed • Media are Constructed with an Audience in Mind and Audiences Interpret Media • Media are Owned and Beholden • Media Express Values and have Bias • All Media Have Conventions Information Literacy and Media Literacy

19. What’s Next? In this course we will examine five essential areas surrounding media literacy and examine the questions that should be asked about any media message. As we examine each concept, consider the many layers of deeper questions that come out of the inquiries. Uncovering many levels of meaning in a media message and multiple answers to every question is what makes media education engaging for kids and enlightening for adults. Always keep in mind how these questions and deeper meanings apply to the population that you specifically work with in your classroom. Refer to your toolkit for the weekly assignment and be prepared to answer the weekly questions posted by your instructor.