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CLO 1: Discuss types, theories and issues related to information and media literacy (C2,A2)

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CLO 1: Discuss types, theories and issues related to information and media literacy (C2,A2)

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SGDT5113 GROUP FOR ASSIGNMENT_A233_Final Project

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The Current State of Media & Children Our children live in a world of powerful 24/7 media. In addition to children's exposure to traditional forms of media and advertisements like television, print (magazines, books), and billboards, new media has exploded in recent years.

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Have you ever wondered how much of the media you consume is factual? With so much of our time taken up by different forms of media, we need to make sure that we are consuming it wisely.

In this article, we will explore what media literacy is, what makes it so important and ways you can become more informed about media literacy. We will also take a look at the impact of media literacy and some media literacy skills.

What is media literacy?

For those of you who haven't heard of this term before, it may seem a little confusing. Perhaps you know what 'media' and 'literacy' mean but haven't heard them used together before. Before we can understand the term, we need to understand the meaning of media and literacy separately.

What is media?

Media is a broad term, and encompasses many different forms. Media is any communication outlet used to distribute information, entertainment and data. Essentially, media is the method by which messages are distributed to an audience.

When referred to as 'mass media' this is in relation to forms of media that can reach mass audiences in a short amount of time (such as newspapers and television). Let's take a look at some other commonly used media:

Social media (this includes platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We use these to distribute content amongst our connections on these platforms)

Film

Radio

Video games

Books

What is literacy?

We can define literacy as the ability to identify, interpret, understand and communicate. Literacy skills include the ability to read, write, speak and listen effectively.

So, how do these two words tie together? Media literacy is the ability to understand information that is presented to us and respond appropriately. We need to make a conscious effort to understand how all forms of media are created and consumed. We'll discuss why this is so important later in the article.

The impact of media literacy

Whether it's scrolling through Instagram or soaking in the daily newspaper, we are surrounded by various forms of media on a daily basis. Media is how we stay entertained, connected and informed, so it has a huge impact on our lives.

Many of us shape our opinions based on media, stay connected with friends and family via media, and educate ourselves using media. There's no doubt that the media influences our lives in many different ways.

Media messages vs media effects

As we discuss media literacy, it's important to distinguish between two central concepts; media messages and media effects:

Media messages

This is the underlying message and intention of all media that is distributed. Media messages usually aim to entertain, persuade or educate. It's possible for a media message to have multiple intentions, such as an entertaining yet persuasive advertisement, for example.

To put it simply, media is created to serve a purpose. Media messages are the intended information that creators wish to convey to push their goals, whatever that may be.

Media effects

On the other hand, media effect is a measurable effect that occurs as a result of media messages. The type of effect and level of effect is dependent on the media message itself, and the audience it is broadcasted to.

Mass media can impact an audience's thoughts, attitudes, and behavior, often playing part in shaping modern culture. Such effects can also reinforce existing beliefs, whether for good or ill. The media we consume also has the potential to evoke important changes - big or small.

Why media literacy is important

Despite many positives, there are many risks and issues within the world of media. Without cautiousness and care, these risks can make media consumption potentially problematic. Media literacy allows us to question the intent of media and protect ourselves from any negative impacts of media.

So, what are some of the negative aspects of media consumed without media literacy?

Fake news

Thanks to the power of the internet, we are all able to share information with the world. We can share information on social media, email, or even update open-source websites such as Wikipedia. With so much free reign on sharing information, it's inevitable that not all of it can be considered trustworthy.

and disinformation has become widespread in the internet age, so it's important to be able to differentiate between fake news and real news. The media we consume shapes our opinions on many different important topics - including politics, healthcare, and current events.

The last thing we want is to base such important opinions on lies and misinformation. Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook allow rapid sharing of information, which gives news a chance to spread quickly, often making the fake news seem believable.

Media bias

This is an extremely important issue to tackle; without the knowledge of media literacy, people could completely miss or misinterpret the huge events that are happening due to media bias. Journalists and news producers often paint situations in a light that favours one side of the story.

We need to be able to form our own opinions and views on situations. Media bias can lead to consumers not getting a full understanding of scenarios and topics, and affect our opinions massively. This is why media literacy is important; it allows us to think critically about the information we take in.

Mental health concerns

Along with the risk of bullying and harassment online, there is also the pressure of comparing yourself to everyone else on social media platforms. Influencers are now prominent over all social media platforms, painting a picture of what you should look like or should be doing.

However, as with a lot of things online, these posts are not always truthful. These photos do not portray every aspect of people's lives and tend to only highlight the luxuries. Often, they're sponsored or highly curated content with the intention of selling or promoting a certain brand or product.

Younger audiences, in particular, may not understand the full extent of these posts and compare themselves to what seems like an ideal life. Critical thinking skills are essential for viewing such content objectively.

Internet and media access

Another thing to consider is access to media and the internet. For many of us, having a strong wifi connection and the technology to access the internet does not seem like a luxury. However, there are many people who do not have such a privilege.

Those who are not fortunate enough to have easy access to online platforms may not be as accustomed to news formats and information online. When exposed to media they may struggle to differentiate fake information from real information, so it's important to educate everyone on the topic of media literacy.

Media literacy skills

To ensure you are safely consuming media, you can pick up some key media literacy skills and start your journey to being media literate. Let's look at some helpful skills to get you started:

Analyse and evaluate media content

We are living in an era with a vast library of information available to us. In order to pick what media we consume, it's best to first analyse the information in a media literate manner. When analysing a piece of media, you should take note of the relevance, accuracy, bias and reliability of the content.

Create content

As we've mentioned throughout this article, it is easy for us to produce media on the internet ourselves. Some of the ways we can contribute to the world of media are via blog posts, YouTube videos, podcasts and even social media posts.

Act based on your knowledge

The ability to act on your knowledge of media literacy is a very important media literacy skill. Making a change in your life based on a very reliable source of media is acting on your media literacy knowledge.

For example, if a reliable source shares information about a world issue and you commit to volunteering to help aid that cause - that's acting on your media literacy knowledge.

How to become media literate

We now know that we shouldn't believe everything we see and read in the media. But how do we know what to trust? Let's look at some ways you can become media literate.

Educate yourself on media literacy

You're already one step ahead by taking the time to read this article. But you can never have enough knowledge, and a great way to develop your skills is to carry on learning. There are plenty of resources available online to help you on your media literacy journey.

Practice your skills

Considering the amount of media we are exposed to each day, it's near impossible to analyse every single piece of media in great depth. However, the more you practice your media literacy skills, the better you'll be at analysing and evaluating media.

As you work on these skills, your critical eye for the media and cautiousness around what you consume will become a habit and you'll be able to consume content in a healthier manner.

Question the media you consume

You should make a conscious effort to assess the media you consume. You can do this by asking yourself some key questions about the media you come across. By doing so, you can find out the intent of what you consume and determine whether or not it is worth consuming.

Here are some things you could ask yourself:

What is the purpose of this content?

Who is it geared towards, is it targeted to a specific audience?

How could this be interpreted by different audiences?

Has this information come from a reliable source?

What, if any, information has been left out?

The future of media literacy

By now, you should be able to tell that being media literate is a great skill to have. So, what does the future hold for media literacy as a whole?

Algorithmic literacy

This new concept stems from the algorithms that websites and applications use to provide you with media that is specific to you. A lot of the content that is presented to you online is shown to you based on previous activities and habits.

Algorithmic literacy is the ability to understand that these things are shown to you based on algorithms. It's important to understand that you may not be receiving the full information available on a topic if it is personally targeted towards you; you may only be shown what algorithms determine is relevant to you.

As algorithms grow stronger and manage to target you with even more specific content and ads, we can expect algorithm literacy to become more important in the future.

Final thoughts

With so much information and media consumed on a daily basis, media literacy is more important now than ever before. We hope that this article has broadened your knowledge on media literacy, and prepared you to critically evaluate any media you come across in the future.

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What is media literacy and why does it matter? - FutureLearn

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Have you ever wondered how much of the media you consume is factual? With so much of our time taken up by different forms of media, we need to make sure that we are consuming it wisely. In this article, we will explore what media literacy is, what makes it so important and ways you can become more informed about media literacy.

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In the United States, the average screen time per day hit seven hours and three minutes in late 2023. Children between the ages of 8-18 now spend, on average, a whopping seven and a half hours in front of a screen for entertainment each day. Streaming platforms have replaced cable television for a majority of people, and social media has become the main source of news for even more.

Reading Partners champions literacy as a transformative tool in the lives of children because it is fundamental to improving their capacity to learn both in and out of the classroom. Literacy also serves as a building block for children to learn empathy, interpersonal understanding, and vital critical thinking skills that will help them well into adulthood. In an age of media saturation, with both children and adults spending more and more time online, these critical thinking skills are one of the most important skills relevant to media literacy.

What is media literacy?

Media literacy is a set of skills that help people, not just youth, analyze the content of media messages that they receive and send. It ensures that each of us is not a passive consumer, but rather, an active one, using tools to question the things that we are told or see throughout our media consumption. Without media literacy, you wouldn't understand how to fact-check a piece of content or be able to distinguish between credible news and biased content. It helps you recognize an author's intent, recognize abstract concepts such as determining the role of media in our culture, and even helps you understand differing perspectives on complex topics such as politics.

How you consume media, however, is only one part of the equation. Media literacy also helps us create our own content responsibly. This could be something as small as sending your friend a meme you made in a direct message or something that holds as much weight as a hard-hitting expos é written for the New York Times .

Media literacy skills help us realize that our words carry weight, rid our creations of bias, and even recognize our own point of view. It would be an understatement to call media literacy a necessary tool to navigate the modern-day world-when we are surrounded by media at a rate like never before, this type of literacy is essential to understanding and interacting with the world around us.

The traditional media of previous generations, such as television, radio, and newspapers, were historically the gatekeepers of news-these entities decided who created news and what was deemed newsworthy to share with audiences. The digital age has brought the gift of content creation to everyone, yet one thing remains the same: media, whether created by CNN or a 16-year old on TikTok, is still being created by a person. It is, therefore, up to the user to ask how and why that piece of content was created, consider the author's or organization's goals in creation, and assess the client's level of authority and impact through this lens.

Changing sentiments

Media literacy is a subject that has historically been neglected in the American school system. A recent survey by Media Literacy Now found that nearly half of adults ages 19 to 81 did not learn media literacy skills in high school. The average age of respondents was 41.

The tides are changing, however. Whether it be because of the proliferation of AI, shifting modern sentiments, the 24-hour news cycle, or a newfound interest from legislators and early childhood professionals about the impacts of screen time, the subject of media literacy is finally being brought into the classroom curriculum.

Journalism and its importance to democracy

With the Maryland Primary Elections this month, it is especially important for all citizens to be media literate so that they can be conscious of any misinformation, propaganda, or fake news they encounter throughout the election cycle. Developing media literacy skills is crucial to interpreting the reliability of different sources, which fosters informed decision-making and encourages participation in democratic processes.

To become an informed citizen throughout the election season, it's important to go out of your way to have a healthy "news diet." A news diet refers to the diversity, quality, and legitimacy of the news you consume and how you consume it.

Social media algorithms often only serve us content, whether that's advertisements or articles, that align with our current political beliefs. This practice can become a never-ending cycle of affirmation, or an "echo chamber," preventing you from truly being informed about issues from all sides. It is important to seek out opposing viewpoints from time to time so that you can look at your own beliefs more objectively.

Attention-grabbing, clickbait-inspired headlines also play a part. These headlines may not accurately represent a legitimate opinion or the content of the piece, but rather, focus on what will drive the most traffic to that content's site. It is important to recognize the business side of journalism and not fall victim to bad actors who are trying to elicit strong emotions, and therefore, clicks, over quality content. Having a good news diet means being cognizant of your relationship with the news, knowing the role of the news, knowing how to determine what is credible and what is fraudulent, and being brave enough to seek out different opinions that will make you question your own beliefs.

Techniques to practice media literacy

RumorGuard, of the News Literacy Project, is a nonpartisan education nonprofit focused on improving news literacy throughout American society, creating better informed, more engaged, and more empowered citizens. When consuming your "news diet" throughout the election cycle and beyond, try these five techniques to discover misinformation and analyze news through a media literacy lens:

Check to see if something is authentic or not. Can you find any other organizations or blogs covering this same piece of news? News organizations are quick to cover newsworthy topics. If a piece of news is credible, it's safe to say that piece would be covered by a bevy of different sources.

Verify if something has been posted or corroborated by a credible source. Does the author or sources throughout the content have a proven track record of fair and honest reporting? Are they a part of a larger network, or are they an independent journalist? Standards-based news organizations have guidelines to ensure the accuracy, fairness, transparency and accountability of their content. While these organizations are not perfect, these regulations can offer a baseline level of credibility over other, more independent sources.

Look to see if there is evidence that can be used to back up what is being claimed. Is the piece using evidence that is being taken out of context? Does what is being claimed have any evidence at all? Double-check linked sources to determine their legitimacy or what biases might be present. Fabricating or having a lack of sources can be a telltale sign of

Determine if a piece's context is accurate. Is a particular event or photo being taken out of context? Use reverse image search to find out the original date and context of when a photo was taken. An aerial photo of a crowd of passionate sports fans celebrating their team's win years ago could be spun as a political protest that happened yesterday, for example. Context is everything.

Ask yourself if the post is being made using solid reasoning. Check for logical fallacies and other errors in reasoning that are often used in place of actual evidence. For example, the slippery slope fallacy, alludes to a small action inevitably leading to a chain of larger, unfounded reactions. "If the U.S. were to lower the voting age to 16, then 15-year-olds will be wanting to vote too! Then eventually, we'll have to let babies vote!?"

Incorporating techniques such as these will help shield you from bad actors or media made with the intent to deceive or confuse you. Those who are media literate will realize when they are being fed news that reinforces one opinion or confirms their preexisting doubts, and won't completely write off other news sources solely because the outlet published a piece they did not agree with. Please keep in mind though, that none of these techniques on their own is a silver bullet to determine whether a news source is credible or not. Rather, these techniques should all be used in combination with each other to ensure your time spent consuming news media is well spent. Without media literacy, you may find yourself believing something that was taken completely out of context, especially during the highly sensationalized political election cycle.

Conclusion

Preparing children to navigate the internet by themselves and teaching them how to be conscious, deliberate users is essential for empowering well-informed future voters and citizens. But, media literacy isn't just an issue for future voters. All of us need to practice this essential form of literacy to consume the whirlwind media cycle through a critical eye.

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The importance of media literacy - Reading Partners | Reading Partners

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Media literacy is a set of skills that help people, not just youth, analyze the content of media messages that they receive and send.

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Sejarah Tahun 5 Unit 5

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Join a solo game of kahoot here. Kahoot! is a free game-based learning platform that makes it fun to learn – any subject, in any language, on any device, for all ages!