Transcript Media Literacy

Media Literacy:
Critical thinking about media
Frank W. Baker
[email protected]
Media Literacy Clearinghouse
www.frankwbaker.com
Generation M; “digital natives”
College students and high-school
students preparing to enter college
are sorely lacking in the skills needed
to retrieve, analyze, and
communicate information that is
available online… only 13 percent of
the test-takers were information
literate.
The Chronicle of Higher Education, October 17, 2006
What students need to know
“Adolescents need to learn how to integrate
knowledge from multiple sources, including
music, video, online databases and other media.
They need to think critically about
information….they need to participate in the
kinds of collaboration that new communication
and information technologies enable, but
increasingly demand.”
Bruce Bertram, “Diversity and Critical Social Engagement: How Changing
Technologies Enable New Modes of Literacy in Changing Circumstances”
”Our students are growing up in a
world saturated with media
messages…yet, they (and their
teachers) receive little
or no training in the skills of analyzing
or re-evaluating these messages,
many of which make use of language,
moving images, music, sound
effects.”
Source: R.Hobbs, Journal Adult & Adolescent Literacy, February 2004
What is “media literacy”?
Take the next few minutes to draft
your own definition.
Media literacy is…
The ability to:
 Access
 Analyze
 Interpret
 Produce
communication in a variety of forms
"Media literacy is concerned with helping
students develop an informed and critical
understanding of the nature of mass media,
the techniques used by them, and the impact
of these techniques. More specifically, it is
education that aims to increase the students'
understanding and enjoyment of how
the media work, how they produce meaning,
how they are organized, and how they
construct reality. Media literacy also aims to
provide students with the ability to create
media products. "
With the advent and popularity of YouTube,
Current TV, and similar venues, young
people have become media producers.
DIY (do it yourself)
What media literacy is:
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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
Access to media
Ability to produce & create media
What media literacy is not:
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media bashing
“protection” against media
just about television
just TV production
how to use AV equipment
only teaching with media;
it is also teaching about the media
5 Key Concepts in Media Literacy
1. All Media Are Constructions
5 Key Concepts in Media Literacy
2. Media: languages with unique rules
The Language of IM
BRB
Be Right Back
POS
Parent Over Shoulder
LOL
Laughing out Loud
The Language of Film
Cameras
Lights
Audio (sound, music)
Editing
Set Design
Costume
Actors’ expressions
Makeup
5 Key Concepts in Media Literacy
3. Media convey values & points-of-view
5 Key Concepts in Media Literacy
4. Different people experience the same media differently
5 Key Concepts in Media Literacy
5. Media= power + profit
FOX (News Corp)
NBC (NBC/Universal)
CBS
ABC (Disney)
CNN (AOL/Time Warner)
VIACOM
Impact of media consolidation:
Media consolidation comes at the
expense of ethnic diversity and
serving the interests of women and
minorities
Benton Foundation/Social Science Research Council
October 23, 2006
TV
What would your students
say is the purpose of
television?
Audience-Advertiser-Program
This
program
is brought to
you by the
sponsor.
You are
brought
to the sponsor
by the
program.
Media literacy in the classroom
Assignment Media Literacy
Introductory video
ML in Ohio Teaching Standards
English Language Arts
Communication: Oral & Visual Standard
B. Explain a speaker’s point of view
and use of persuasive techniques in
presentations and visual media.
English: examples
Non-print texts (TV, film, music)
 Understanding bias & stereotypes
 Analyzing techniques of persuasion
(for example– in advertising)
 The language of TV/film
(camera work, lighting, music)
 Visual literacy (photography)
 Blogging; graphic novels
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ML in Ohio Teaching Standards
Social Studies
9th grade
-identify sources of propaganda,
describe the most common
techniques, and explain how
propaganda is used to influence
behavior
Social Studies: examples
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Analyze/produce editorial cartoons
Examine historical photographs
Study past/present propaganda
History of U.S. mass media
Understand communications policy
Analyze political advertising
ML in Ohio Teaching Standards
Health
Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drugs
Investigate how alcohol/tobacco
company ads target young people
Examine media portrayal of body shape/
/type
Health: examples
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How media market consumer
products
Nutrition messages (i.e. junk food)
Alcohol & tobacco advertising
Body image and the media
Media messages about sex
ML in Ohio Teaching Standards
VISUAL ART
Identify examples of visual culture
(e.g. advertising, political cartoons,
product design, theme parks)
and discuss how visual art is used to
shape people's tastes, choices, values,
lifestyles, buying habits and opinions.
ML in Ohio Teaching Standards
Library Media
Benchmark A: Explain the intended effect of media
communications and messages when delivered by
various audiences & for various purposes
Benchmark B: Examine a variety of elements and
components used to create and construct media
communications for various audiences and &
various purposes
Benchmark C: Critique and evaluate the intended
impact of media communications and messages
when delivered and received by society as a whole
Media literacy=critical thinking
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Who created/paid for the message?
What is the message’s purpose?
Who is the message trying to reach?
What techniques are used?
Who or what might be left out?
How do we know what it means?
Who benefits from the message?
Media literacy=critical thinking
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What lifestyles are promoted and why?
Does the message contain bias or
stereotypes?
What can I do with the information?
Visual literacy
Understanding images
“If video is how we are
communicating and
persuading in this new
century, why aren't
more students writing
screenplays
as part of their
schoolwork?”
Heidi Hayes Jacob
Ed Consultant
The languages of TV-Film
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CAMERAS (point-of-view)
LIGHTS
SOUND & MUSIC
EDITING (post production)
SET DESIGN
ACTOR: wardrobe; expression
Examples
Cell phone
script
DOVE
Political Ads
Film Examples
Opening Credits- symbolism
Pocket Watch
Fear- lighting; music
Film Examples
In what ways does the
director use techniques
which make us, the viewer,
1978 Docudrama
believe what we see is actual
Civil Rights footage?