- What is media literacy?
In short, media literacy is the study that raises critical questions regarding media contents that people consume on a daily basis (Jesse). Such critical analysis incorporates several aspects of any information source: the producer(s) of the information, the audience that the information targets, pertaining interests associated with the information, what the information does not cover, etc. (Jesse). In a world where media heavily intertwines with how people view and understand the world, media literacy is a crucial part of media consumption.
- Why is it important?
Media literacy is important for both objective and personal reasons. Media literacy is important firstly because “media has its own language”, which means that there are certain rules that media outlets follow when presenting information (Jesse). Being familiar with these rules help us to better understand information presented to us by media outlets. For example, among the many styles of news reporting, I find biographical reporting particularly interesting, for both its factual value and its artistic value. Understanding basic rules of this kind of reporting helps me to better appreciate them. Second, media literacy is important also because it changes drastically over time, both in quantity and in quality. Compared with 20 years ago, now we have countless numbers of media outlets to choose from, and media outlets take on many diverse forms, such as public accounts on social media, blogs and Podcast, which are not known to people 20 years ago (Jesse). Knowing how to evaluate these information outlets help people to make wiser and more informed choices regarding their media consumption. Last but not least, media literacy is important also because thanks to the power of social media, now almost every one who have access to social media accounts could act as a producer of news by themselves (Jesse). Knowledge about media literacy could help people to check their own biases, to present information in objective and understandable ways, which in turn facilitates communication on social media.
To elaborate on personal reasons, first, media literacy largely facilitates learning. Knowledge about the “rules” helps people to access information more effectively because not only do they know how to evaluate and select credible resources, they also know how to locate the information they need from specific resources (Trilling & Fadel). In addition, knowledge about different information channels helps people to initiate discussion and deliver message more effectively (Trilling & Fadel). For example, if someone intends to initiate a discussion about social media consumption in young people, the most ideal channel would be platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, as it will be easy to locate young people who are already experienced social media users. To give another example, there is a social network platform created specifically for medical professionals called Doximity. If someone wants to locate medical professionals either for discussions or for inquiries, they would have much better chance on Doximity than on any other platform.
Media literacy also helps to build a high-quality PLN. In a PLN where people are familiar with media literacy, although it is very likely that people have different standpoints on certain issues, people could still expect a meaningful discussion because as people are able to select objective, unbiased information to support their opinions, everyone brings valuable information to the table. Having a PLN where people are familiar with media literacy also helps to ensure that people have access to diverse sources of information despite language barriers. For example, since I live in China, when engaging in discussions within the PLN that I build in UVIC, I often refer to information that I have learned on Weibo, which is the biggest social media platform in China. Although Weibo is not particularly known for high-quality social media interaction (issues such as heavy advertising, polarized opinions and attitudes, cyberbullying and misleading information prevail on Weibo), for someone who has basic knowledge regarding how to evaluate information sources, I am still able to extract useful information that could be used in discussions, which is something that my Canadian schoolmates do not have access to. Additionally, despite the issues mentioned above, Weibo is still a valuable information source that has its root deep in the Chinese societal and cultural background.
- Why is it dismissed?
Ironically, media literacy could be dismissed by media itself. The primary goal of media outlets is to make profits, which means that in order to attract and maintain its audience, media often “tailor” its contents and the ways in which it presents its contents to suit its audience (Jesse). Such biased presentation of information from the media, combined with people’s innate tendency to confirm themselves, could result in a self-perpetuating circle where people only listen to voices that already corresponds with them and refuse to engage in critical analysis of those voices (Jesse). In my opinion, in such cases, it is safe to say that media takes advantage of this innate “weakness” of human beings, where people only care about what sounds “good”, instead of what is right.
Media literacy could also be dismissed by other more powerful forms of information presentation. As mentioned in this week’s class video, image could be a powerful medium that determines people’s opinions and attitudes towards certain issues (Jesse). Take Donald Trump for an example, part of the reason that Trump won the election is that Trump was able to make a prominent appearance on media (Jesse). Compared with other candidates, his deviation from conventions and his “outspokenness” result in powerful public images, which somewhat convinces people of his legitimacy. In my opinion, in toady’s world, we should try our best to be cautious about this kind of influence, as it could well be an attempt to distract us from issues that are of real importance to us.
References
EDCI 338 (2020, Nov 1). A01 Smith, Julie [Video file]. Retrieved from YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_T9RghwJlI&feature=youtu.be
Trilling, B., & Fadel, C. (2012). Digital Literacy Skills. In 21st century skills: Learning for life in our times. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Hi Heidi!
I really enjoyed reading your blog post since it clearly states out how media literacy creates a vital impact on our lives. I like the Trump example since it is such a valid example of how media can create a different result in an election of a country! This might seem impossible twenty years ago, but it is how powerful media is nowadays. Therefore, it is always important to be critical about what we read and what information we absorb every day.
Thank you for sharing!
Alison
Hi Alison,
Thank you for replying! I gave the Trump example almost in an effort to show how lack of media literacy could lead to devastating results in a world where social media perpetuates our day-to-day life. Thank you for capturing that!