01_Understanding  the Media Literacy

 

What is media literacy?

Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create and act, using all forms of communication.

 

The messages, images, information, and experiences we engage with every day through media help shape our

beliefs,

attitudes,

values,

and identity

 

CORE CONCEPTS OF MEDIA LITERACY (5)

1.   All Media Are Constructed

 

- Media create an emotional experience that appears real, but it isn't.

- Just like buildings, media are carefully constructed.

- Through editing, choices are made about what to include and what to leave out.

- Although media aren't real, they affect people in very real ways.

 

2.   Media Are Constructed Using Unique Languages with Their Own Set of Rules

- The way the message is constructed matters.

- Elements like words, music, color, , lighting, body language, symbols, and more all play a role.

- Language is used repeatedly to convey meaning.

- Media language is unique to each form of communication, whether it's a magazine cover or a horror movie.

 

3.   Media Convey Values and Points of View

 

- Mainstream media often reinforce and affirm the existing social system's values.

- Characters’ age, race, gender, attitudes, and lifestyle all convey specific values.

- Settings, whether affluent, poor, or urban, also communicate underlying messages.

- The plot, through actions and reactions, reflects certain viewpoints.

  

4.   Media = Power + Profit

 

-      Most media messages are organized to gain profit and/or power.

-      Consider whether and how a message may have been influenced by money, ego, or ideology.

-      The audience is being sold to advertisers; the program brings you to the sponsor.

-      Sponsors pay for ad time based on the number of people predicted to watch.

 

5.   Different People Experience the Same Media Message in Different Ways

 

-      No two people perceive the same movie or Instagram post identically.

-      Each audience member brings a unique set of life experiences, which shape their interpretations.

-      We are constantly trying to "make sense" of what we see, hear, or read, leading to diverse understandings of the same media message.