by Stephen D. Reese, Academy Faculty
Media literacy, definition and goals (what comes to mind?)
Definition
Ability to access, analyze, evaluate and communicate messages in a wide variety of forms. (often focusing on visual media, television). Media literacy is umbrella concept, which promotes pedagogy of inquiry, to make “asking critical questions about what you watch, see, and read” stand at the center of what it means to be media literate (Hobbs, Journal of Communication 1998, p. 28).
Basic assumptions of media literacy movement
- Media are pervasive and powerful,
Especially television
- Students (consumers) should become more critically autonomous from media
Note distinction between citizens and consumers
- Media as accessible popular culture can be effective teaching tool
Seven Debates of Media Literacy (after Hobbs)
- The evil media? Should media literacy education protect children from negative media influences? Yes response focuses teaching on media pathologies (violence, body image, etc.), but risks protectionist and elitist view. Here we needn’t adopt a blanket indictment of journalism. Consider normative ideals for the press, and evaluate how successfully news media live up to them.
- Amateur Producers? Should media production be essential feature? Risk of reproducing Hollywood, or teaching a decontextualized set of tasks. Journalism students will learn within the context of application. Professional skills should be learned in context and at a critical distance, understanding what purpose the skill is designed to achieve.
- Popular or high culture? Should media literacy focus on popular culture tasks? Students may benefit from connecting the media most often encountered to media literacy concepts, but popular culture may seem a waste of time if it diverts students from more important work. Although journalism is popular culture, it can be linked easily to other “serious” disciplines of literature, economics, politics, anthropology, oral history, and sociology, to name a few.
- Political agenda or neutral? Should media literacy have an explicit political, ideological agenda? Some use media literacy to advance critical citizen goals and political action, while others view as sufficient promoting student’s critical autonomy and reasoning skills. More than that risks resistance from school leadership. Journalism has a normative basis—compare performance with normative standards. And public journalism, other professional critiques, would push it to be more explicit, especially in facilitating democratic discourse.
- Schools or beyond? Should media literacy focus on K-12 school environments? Media literacy often has difficulty producing real reform in school settings, while out-of-class settings may be more flexible and receptive (churches, etc.). Appalachian communities, homeless newspaper, examples.
- Stand-alone or integrated? Should media literacy be taught as a specialist subject or integrated within context of existing subjects? Media materials can enliven other subjects, but stand-alone course can ensure more adequate coverage of crucial concepts. Journalism is stand-alone by definition, but can provide leadership to other courses as well.
- Who pays? Should media literacy be supported financially by media organizations? Media firms, such as cable, newspapers, and others, may support initiatives as socially responsible efforts, but risk blunting critical thrust of media literacy movement. Need to be mindful of the “strings,” even with initiatives from the professional community. (Newspapers in education).
Media literacy approaches or emphases
- media as lens to other subject matter
- training students to produce media
- analyzing and deconstructing messages
- social and institutional critique
Approaches to media critique
The weakest link of media literacy
- unproblematic, celebratory: Newspapers in Education., Channel 1
- Reformist, from within the profession: Freedom Forum, Committee for concerned journalists
- Radical, from without: Community groups, public interest, partisan watchdogs
- Analytic: academic, media theory
Ultimate goal
- sounder education for students
- better media and journalism
- greater civic (global) awareness and engagement
