Media Literacy Thom McCain 2006

What is media literacy? 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 Help students become competent, critical and literate in all media forms so that they control the interpretation of what they see or hear rather than letting the interpretation control them

Learning what to look for All messages are constructed Gate-keeping and editing leave more things out than are included Media messages are created using a creative language of their own Understanding the grammar, syntax and metaphor system of media language increases appreciation

Learning what to look for cont. Different people experience the same media message differently Heavy viewers vs. light viewers Arousal Novice vs. expert Media are primarily businesses driven by a profit motive Newspaper news hole Advertisers pay CPM impressions

Learning what to look for cont. Media have embedded values and points of view Character’s age, gender, race, lifestyles, attitudes. Actions and reactions of plot. Setting or location

m/

Five Basic Questions to Ask of Media Who created this message and why are they sending it? What techniques are being used to attract my attention? What lifestyles, values and points of view are represented in the message? How might different people understand this message differently from me? What is omitted from this message?

Questioning process Usually applied to a specific “text.” Sometimes a media “text” can involve multiple formats Uncovering many levels of meaning and multiple answers to every question is an engaging and enlightening activity

How to question the media? Core Questioning The five basic questions What are the differences between a newspaper and a tabloid newspaper? Close Analysis In depth scrutiny of one or two examples Action Learning and Empowerment (Freire) Awareness, Analysis, Reflection, Action

Debates about media literacy Does media literacy protect kids? Does media literacy require student media production activities? Should media literacy have a popular culture bias? Should media literacy have a strong ideological bias? Does media literacy detract from learning the basics of a language?

Texts and the Construction of Meaning Debates Objectivist: Meaning is entirely in the text -- it is transmitted to audiences. Constructivist: Meaning is an interplay between text and reader – it is a negotiation between author and audience. Subjectivist: Meaning is entirely in its interpretation by readers – it is re-created.