Why media literacy is important

Non-mediated communication is any communication that occurs directly between one party and another through face-to-face interaction. This means that a conversation had, between a professor and her student at her desk after class, is an example of non-mediated communication Pavlick and McIntosh, There is no program helping to make that conversation between the professor and her student possible.

Mediated communication differs from non-mediated in that it requires some sort of outside influence in order to occur.

When two girls are having a conversation with each other via tweets sent back and forth to one another on Twitter, it is a form of mediated communication. It is mediated because the two girls actively logged onto Twitter and typed their message using the program.

Another example of mediated communication is when two parties interact with one another on Skype or Facetime. Both of these programs allow for video chatting which is a form of face-to-face communication but because the individuals are still using a video chatting program, it is a form of mediated communication Pavlick and McIntosh, By knowing the difference between these two forms consumers can realize that media literacy is important when dealing with mediated communications, and less with non-mediated.

Using media literacy skills can aid consumers in better analyzing the messages that do come from mediated communications. When communication is face to face you are able to use your body language or other cues.

Mediated communication does not allow you to use these cues but has created a different environment in communication, possibly altering what the media content is communicating. To be media literate it is important to be able to interpret and analyze media information. If an individual is unable to decipher between what is true and untrue, mediated and non-mediated, then they will have a much more difficult time navigating media effectively. Being media literate is essential for the media consumer and it is important that everyone take notice of their media literacy.

Baran, Stanley J. Bob, K. Journal of Media Literacy Education 1, 1 — MyMinitex Log in Create account. Home Minitex News. Jan 14, , pm by Beth Staats. Quick Summary In the library, education, and information world, we hear the term 'media literacy' again and again. While Hoggart believes popular culture was once pure, created by and for the people of the working-class, and then corrrupted by an industry spawned mass culture, Williams points out that full access to understanding a culture comes from those who lived it.

Storey then briefly shares E. Furthermore, to study it is to be actively listening all the time. This is significant to remember in this fast changing modern media culture.

Media literacy can also be associated with feminisms and gender studies, which have long looked at the media to provide texts for cultural analysis.

Regarding feminisms, Storey points out that three feminists exist. Second, liberal feminism points to male prejudice against women as the source of the oppression of women. Finally, the dual-system theory of feminism combines marxist and liberal feminism to claim that both patriarchy and capitalism result in the oppression of women.

These theories have played out in a significant body of research, including several notable studies. Stacey found that there were three primary reasons that women go to the cinema. First, escapism is a factor as women use the cinema both to escape into the movie theater and away from the hardships of everyday life. Second, identification is a factor because women identify with movie stars and gain a sense of empowerment, self-confidence, and control.

Thirdly, consumption is a factor as women learn from the alternative femininity presented by movie stars and learn how to push accepted social boundaries themselves. As such, reading the novels are a form of protest.

Ang divided the participants in her study into three categories. First, there are individuals who view Dallas negatively because they view it as an example of mass culture. The second group enjoyed watching Dallas, but viewed it as an example of mass culture, and as such laughed at it.

Finally, a group enjoyed watching Dallas and rationalized their opinion in one of several ways. As such, Ang explained the way in which viewers attempted to reconcile their own enjoyment of the television show Dallas. Conducting 80 interviews of men and women, Winship found that individuals categorize magazines differently, and notably concluded that the way an audience categorizes the magazine and reads the text will have a key role in determining the meaning they will take away from it.

Finally, queer theory is discussed by Storey. Queer theory argues against the assumption that there are only two biological sexes which generate two genders. Further, the theory focuses on the construction of gender in culture. Each of these theoretical perspectives can be incorporated into a broader understanding of the messages contained in the media, and are a part of media literacy.

In his essay Technology as a Dazzling Distraction , Neil Postman argued that the modern emphasis towards including technology as an integral part of the education system in America is actually overlooking the real issues which education ought to address.

Postman argues that schools no longer serve the purpose of information-giving. Since the advent of mass media, people have had access to far more information outside of a school setting than can be accessed within the school itself. This point becomes even more clear when considering the growth of the internet and the easy, near-instantaneous access to a plethora of information.

Thus, since information, in itself, is no longer particularly difficult to gain, schools need to focus on two other goals: teaching students how to behave as part of a community and, how to ignore and disregard useless information.

Thus, the problem of education today is no longer obtaining information; it is now filtering information. This point is, in many ways, addresses a central goal of media literacy education. As a teacher reading this, you are likely integrating digital media in your classroom. I challenge you, too, in the new year to include media literacy as a part of your daily instruction. Media Literacy and 21st-Century Skills Teaching media literacy provides students with skills that will help them foremost think critically about media.

Provide students a curated collection of quality resources through links in their learning management systems or tools like Padlet or Waklet. Provide access to quality content collections like Pebble Go , Epic! Teach older students strategies for searching for information. One way to do this is to teach students to ask questions when analyzing and evaluating media: Who is the author? What is its purpose? Were certain details left out?