importance of media and information literacy to students essay

Media and Information Literacy, a critical approach to literacy in the digital world

What does it mean to be literate in the 21 st century? On the celebration of the International Literacy Day (8 September), people’s attention is drawn to the kind of literacy skills we need to navigate the increasingly digitally mediated societies.

Stakeholders around the world are gradually embracing an expanded definition for literacy, going beyond the ability to write, read and understand words. Media and Information Literacy (MIL) emphasizes a critical approach to literacy. MIL recognizes that people are learning in the classroom as well as outside of the classroom through information, media and technological platforms. It enables people to question critically what they have read, heard and learned.

As a composite concept proposed by UNESCO in 2007, MIL covers all competencies related to information literacy and media literacy that also include digital or technological literacy. Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO has reiterated significance of MIL in this media and information landscape: “Media and information literacy has never been so vital, to build trust in information and knowledge at a time when notions of ‘truth’ have been challenged.”

MIL focuses on different and intersecting competencies to transform people’s interaction with information and learning environments online and offline. MIL includes competencies to search, critically evaluate, use and contribute information and media content wisely; knowledge of how to manage one’s rights online; understanding how to combat online hate speech and cyberbullying; understanding of the ethical issues surrounding the access and use of information; and engagement with media and ICTs to promote equality, free expression and tolerance, intercultural/interreligious dialogue, peace, etc. MIL is a nexus of human rights of which literacy is a primary right.

Learning through social media

In today’s 21 st century societies, it is necessary that all peoples acquire MIL competencies (knowledge, skills and attitude). Media and Information Literacy is for all, it is an integral part of education for all. Yet we cannot neglect to recognize that children and youth are at the heart of this need. Data shows that 70% of young people around the world are online. This means that the Internet, and social media in particular, should be seen as an opportunity for learning and can be used as a tool for the new forms of literacy.

The Policy Brief by UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education, “Social Media for Learning by Means of ICT” underlines this potential of social media to “engage students on immediate and contextual concerns, such as current events, social activities and prospective employment.

UNESCO MIL CLICKS - To think critically and click wisely

For this reason, UNESCO initiated a social media innovation on Media and Information Literacy, MIL CLICKS (Media and Information Literacy: Critical-thinking, Creativity, Literacy, Intercultural, Citizenship, Knowledge and Sustainability).

MIL CLICKS is a way for people to acquire MIL competencies in their normal, day-to-day use of the Internet and social media. To think critically and click wisely. This is an unstructured approach, non-formal way of learning, using organic methods in an online environment of play, connecting and socializing.  

MIL as a tool for sustainable development

In the global, sustainable context, MIL competencies are indispensable to the critical understanding and engagement in development of democratic participation, sustainable societies, building trust in media, good governance and peacebuilding. A recent UNESCO publication described the high relevance of MIL for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Citizen's engagement in open development in connection with the SDGs are mediated by media and information providers including those on the Internet, as well as by their level of media and information literacy. It is on this basis that UNESCO, as part of its comprehensive MIL programme, has set up a MOOC on MIL,” says Alton Grizzle, UNESCO Programme Specialist. 

UNESCO’s comprehensive MIL programme

UNESCO has been continuously developing MIL programme that has many aspects. MIL policies and strategies are needed and should be dovetailed with existing education, media, ICT, information, youth and culture policies.

The first step on this road from policy to action is to increase the number of MIL teachers and educators in formal and non-formal educational setting. This is why UNESCO has prepared a model Media and Information Literacy Curriculum for Teachers , which has been designed in an international context, through an all-inclusive, non-prescriptive approach and with adaptation in mind.

The mass media and information intermediaries can all assist in ensuring the permanence of MIL issues in the public. They can also highly contribute to all citizens in receiving information and media competencies. Guideline for Broadcasters on Promoting User-generated Content and Media and Information Literacy , prepared by UNESCO and the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association offers some insight in this direction.

UNESCO will be highlighting the need to build bridges between learning in the classroom and learning outside of the classroom through MIL at the Global MIL Week 2017 . Global MIL Week will be celebrated globally from 25 October to 5 November 2017 under the theme: “Media and Information Literacy in Critical Times: Re-imagining Ways of Learning and Information Environments”. The Global MIL Feature Conference will be held in Jamaica under the same theme from 24 to 27 October 2017, at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston, hosted by The University of the West Indies (UWI).

Alton Grizzle , Programme Specialist – Media Development and Society Section

More on this subject

Event International Conference of the Memory of the World Programme, incorporating the 4th Global Policy Forum 28 October 2024 - 29 October 2024

Other recent news

News Call for Proposals – individual/s or company 17 May 2024

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What is media literacy, and why is it important?

The word "literacy" usually describes the ability to read and write. Reading literacy and media literacy have a lot in common. Reading starts with recognizing letters. Pretty soon, readers can identify words -- and, most importantly, understand what those words mean. Readers then become writers. With more experience, readers and writers develop strong literacy skills. ( Learn specifically about news literacy .)

Media literacy is the ability to identify different types of media and understand the messages they're sending. Kids take in a huge amount of information from a wide array of sources, far beyond the traditional media (TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines) of most parents' youth. There are text messages, memes, viral videos, social media, video games, advertising, and more. But all media shares one thing: Someone created it. And it was created for a reason. Understanding that reason is the basis of media literacy. ( Learn how to use movies and TV to teach media literacy. )

The digital age has made it easy for anyone to create media . We don't always know who created something, why they made it, and whether it's credible. This makes media literacy tricky to learn and teach. Nonetheless, media literacy is an essential skill in the digital age.

Specifically, it helps kids:

Learn to think critically. As kids evaluate media, they decide whether the messages make sense, why certain information was included, what wasn't included, and what the key ideas are. They learn to use examples to support their opinions. Then they can make up their own minds about the information based on knowledge they already have.

Become a smart consumer of products and information. Media literacy helps kids learn how to determine whether something is credible. It also helps them determine the "persuasive intent" of advertising and resist the techniques marketers use to sell products.

Recognize point of view. Every creator has a perspective. Identifying an author's point of view helps kids appreciate different perspectives. It also helps put information in the context of what they already know -- or think they know.

Create media responsibly. Recognizing your own point of view, saying what you want to say how you want to say it, and understanding that your messages have an impact is key to effective communication.

Identify the role of media in our culture. From celebrity gossip to magazine covers to memes, media is telling us something, shaping our understanding of the world, and even compelling us to act or think in certain ways.

Understand the author's goal. What does the author want you to take away from a piece of media? Is it purely informative, is it trying to change your mind, or is it introducing you to new ideas you've never heard of? When kids understand what type of influence something has, they can make informed choices.

When teaching your kids media literacy , it's not so important for parents to tell kids whether something is "right." In fact, the process is more of an exchange of ideas. You'll probably end up learning as much from your kids as they learn from you.

Media literacy includes asking specific questions and backing up your opinions with examples. Following media-literacy steps allows you to learn for yourself what a given piece of media is, why it was made, and what you want to think about it.

Teaching kids media literacy as a sit-down lesson is not very effective; it's better incorporated into everyday activities . For example:

• With little kids, you can discuss things they're familiar with but may not pay much attention to. Examples include cereal commercials, food wrappers, and toy packages.
• With older kids, you can talk through media they enjoy and interact with. These include such things as YouTube videos , viral memes from the internet, and ads for video games.

Here are the key questions to ask when teaching kids media literacy :

• Who created this? Was it a company? Was it an individual? (If so, who?) Was it a comedian? Was it an artist? Was it an anonymous source? Why do you think that?
• Why did they make it? Was it to inform you of something that happened in the world (for example, a news story)? Was it to change your mind or behavior (an opinion essay or a how-to)? Was it to make you laugh (a funny meme)? Was it to get you to buy something (an ad)? Why do you think that?
• Who is the message for? Is it for kids? Grown-ups? Girls? Boys? People who share a particular interest? Why do you think that?
• What techniques are being used to make this message credible or believable? Does it have statistics from a reputable source? Does it contain quotes from a subject expert? Does it have an authoritative-sounding voice-over? Is there direct evidence of the assertions its making? Why do you think that?
• What details were left out, and why? Is the information balanced with different views -- or does it present only one side? Do you need more information to fully understand the message? Why do you think that?
• How did the message make you feel? Do you think others might feel the same way? Would everyone feel the same, or would certain people disagree with you? Why do you think that?
• As kids become more aware of and exposed to news and current events , you can apply media-literacy steps to radio, TV, and online information.

Common Sense Media offers the largest, most trusted library of independent age-based ratings and reviews. Our timely parenting advice supports families as they navigate the challenges and possibilities of raising kids in the digital age.

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Why all 21st-century educators must teach media literacy & how

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From our  Educator Guest Blogger Series

With technology being an integral part of classrooms and students’ lives in general, I realize that my job as a teacher involves helping students successfully navigate the online world.

My goal this year is to help every student develop 21st-century skills, including being responsible users of technology and critical consumers of media they encounter., 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. but you may wonder, “why should i be responsible for teaching media literacy, and how can i do it on top of an already packed curriculum”, why do all educators need to teach media literacy.

Linda Ellerbee, host of Nick News (1992-2015), said, “Media literacy is not just important, it's absolutely critical. It's going to make the difference between whether kids are a tool of the mass media or whether the mass media is a tool for kids to use.” In other words, do we want students to be manipulated by media, or do we want to empower them to use media? 

I firmly believe that it’s every teacher’s job to prepare students to become knowledgeable, productive 21st-century citizens. With tweens and teens spending an average of 6 and 9 hours respectively using media ( Common Sense Media , 2015) -- and that’s not including homework! --  it’s no longer a question of whether our students will be digital citizens, it’s whether they will be good digital citizens and digital leaders! With media literacy instruction they can be both!!

Media Literacy and 21st-Century Skills

Teaching media literacy provides students with skills that will help them foremost think critically about media. It also cultivates other 21st-century skills like creativity, collaboration, and communication, as well as increasing digital literacy skills through interacting with media, information, and technology. Media literacy instruction can also help your students develop into active consumers of information, determine credible sources, acknowledge biases in media, and be responsible creators of media.

Whether you teach science, English language arts, social studies or art, there is a place for the development of these skills in your instruction!

But HOW Can Educators Include Media Literacy as an Integral Part of Daily Instruction?!

The National Association of Media Literacy Education defines media literacy as “the ability to ACCESS, ANALYZE, EVALUATE, CREATE, & ACT using all forms of communication.” Let’s look at some ways educators can help students develop into media-literate individuals.

Access to Quality Sources. We need to ensure students can access quality sources that are current, reliable, and unbiased when they are interacting with media at school. 

• 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 !, and NewsELA .
• Teach older students strategies for searching for information. Reach out to your media specialist, and I’ll bet he or she will be happy to help you! 

Analyze/Evaluate Using Critical Thinking . But how do students know which sources are credible when the encounter them without our support? Whether they are watching YouTube, reading news, or analyzing images, students need skills to understand information, put it in context, and differentiate between real and fake. 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? (inform, entertain, persuade)
• How might different people interpret this message?
• Are there certain groups of people being represented and/or excluded?
• Were certain details left out? Why?
• Also consider: Are sources cited? Are there grammar and spelling errors?

Additionally, giving students the time and opportunity to think for themselves and coaching them on how to ask questions is instrumental for them to learn to analyze and evaluate media on their own.

While teachers must explicitly provide students opportunities to think critically, the critical thinking involved in analyzing and evaluating digital resources should be routinely modeled through teacher think alouds, where students hear, see, and experience this type of thought process.

Creating Media Content . We want to shift from students being solely consumers to being creators who can express themselves through media. When students create media, especially with the questions for analyzing and evaluating in mind, it helps them to consider the impact their creations will have on their audience. Some quality tools for students to use for creating include Seesaw , Google Tools , Canva , Book Creator , and Meme Generator .

Distributing Created Messages Responsibly . Besides thinking critically about media, this is probably one of the most important parts of media literacy. We want students to be life-long learners prepared to internalize what they’ve learned about media and transfer it beyond the classroom, including monitoring themselves on social media, being critical of media before sharing it, and empowering them to create and share media responsibly! 

Media Literacy Resources to Try Tomorrow

While there are a plethora of resources for teaching media literacy, these tried-and-true resources should help you develop ideas to take back to your classroom and use immediately. 

SCETV/PBS Education Resources SCETV/PBS Pre-K-12 content like Knowitall, Learning Why, and PBS LearningMedia provide quality media and multimedia resources and lessons for SC students and teachers.  * Improve your media literacy knowledge and skills plus earn micro-credentials with FREE courses from PBS and KQED ! 

Common Sense Education Common Sense Education has free, comprehensive digital citizenship curriculums for K-12 students that include lessons on media literacy. 

Google Resources

• Be Internet Awesome , Google’s free digital safety curriculum, helps encourage students to be smart, alert, strong, kind, and brave when online, and has recently added some media literacy lessons. 
• Search Education  is a series of lessons to help you guide your students to use Google searches meaningfully in their schoolwork and beyond. Choose from Search Literacy lessons and A Google A Day classroom challenges.
• Reverse Image Search  can help students determine if images have been altered.

Other Useful Resources Interactives like Factitious and Bad News help students to better discriminate “fake news” and develop resistance against disinformation.

Ashley Fort’s goal is to help ALL students become empowered life-long learners who are confident 21st-century citizens, and to help teachers effectively leverage technology to enrich learning and increase student engagement. She serves as a digital learning coach for Batesburg-Leesville schools in Lexington County School District 3. Ashley holds a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education from the University of South Carolina, Aiken and a Master of Education in Teaching and Learning with a concentration in educational technology and online instruction in 2015 from Liberty University. 

In 2017, Ashley was named the PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovator for South Carolina for integrating STEAM into her daily instruction. In addition, she is a Google Certified Educator and Trainer, Common Sense Educator and Ambassador, Seesaw Ambassador, and Epic! Master Teacher. 

You can follow her on Twitter at @MrsAshleyBFort and on her website at www.mytechknowledgeyclassroom.com . To keep up with Lexington County School District Three’s innovative 1:1 initiative, follow @LexCounty_SD3 and #Lex3Grows.

* Be our next Guest Blogger! Learn more . 

Note: This guest blog does not necessarily reflect the views of ETV Education.

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Should Media Literacy Be a Required Course in School?

Can your generation distinguish reliable from unreliable information on the internet? How much do you think that matters?

By Michael Gonchar and Jeremy Engle

It’s Media Literacy Week , so we are devoting today’s Student Opinion prompt and our Lesson of the Day to the role of misinformation, disinformation and fake news in our society.

Do you think of yourself as a savvy news consumer? What about your friends? Is your generation good at distinguishing reliable from unreliable information on the internet? Why?

Do you think the spread of misinformation is a problem? If so, how dangerous do you think it is, and why? For instance, is it dangerous to you personally? To your family, friends, school or community? To our democracy? To the world in general? If so, how so?

Should media literacy be a required course in school?

In “ To Recognize Misinformation in Media, Teach a Generation While It’s Young ,” Amy Yee writes:

The Instagram post looked strange to Amulya Panakam, a 16-year-old high school student who lives near Atlanta. In February, a friend showed her a sensational headline on her phone that declared, “ Kim Jong Un is personally killing soldiers who have Covid-19!” Of course, the news wasn’t real. “I was immediately suspicious,” Ms. Panakam said. She searched online and found no media outlets reporting the fake story. But her friends had already shared it on social media. Ms. Panakam was startled by how often students “grossly handle and spread misinformation without knowing it,” she said. Yet media literacy is not part of her school’s curriculum. So Ms. Panakam ­­contacted Media Literacy Now , a nonprofit organization based near Boston that works to spread media literacy education. With its help, she wrote to her state and local representatives to discuss introducing media literacy in schools. The subject was hardly new. Well before the internet, many scholars analyzed media influence on society. In recent decades, colleges have offered media studies to examine advertising, propaganda, biases, how people are portrayed in films and more. But in a digital age, media literacy also includes understanding how websites profit from fictional news, how algorithms and bots work, and how to scrutinize suspicious websites that mimic real news outlets.

She continues:

Online misinformation might seem like an incurable virus, but social media companies, policymakers and nonprofits are beginning to address the problem more directly. In March, big internet companies like Facebook and Twitter started removing misleading Covid-19 posts. And many policymakers are pushing for tighter regulations about harmful content. What still needs more attention, however, is more and earlier education. Teaching media literacy skills to teenagers and younger students can protect readers and listeners from misinformation, just as teaching good hygiene reduces disease.

And she writes:

There is no silver bullet for disarming misinformation. But states’ media literacy education policies typically include first steps, like creating expert committees to advise education departments or develop media literacy standards. Next come recommending curriculums, training educators, funding school media centers and specialists, monitoring and evaluation. States set guidelines for education departments, although local districts often have final control of curriculums. Even without legislation, teachers can incorporate media literacy concepts into existing classes or offer electives.

Students, read the entire article, then tell us:

Have you ever fallen for misinformation or fake news of some kind? Have you ever unwittingly spread it? What happened? Can misinformation have real-world consequences? Give examples.

How many viral posts — whether articles, videos or photographs — do you click on each week? How many, on average, do you share on social media? How often do you check to make sure that what you are sharing or commenting on is real? How do you go about finding that out? How much do you care if an article purporting to be real actually is?

Where do you get your news — from television, social media, newspapers, radio, videos, websites, podcasts, apps, word of mouth? How reliable do you think this content is? Why? Which media sources do you trust most? Which are you suspicious of? Why? Do you think of yourself as a savvy news consumer? Do you think you can tell when something is “fake news”? How well do you think you can distinguish between fact, fiction, opinion and propaganda?

Does your school teach media literacy? Do your teachers incorporate media literacy lessons into your required classes, or are there electives that do so? Do you think any of these efforts are effective? What, if anything, has been helpful to you in strengthening your media or news literacy skills?

Should all schools provide media literacy education in some form? Should media literacy be a required course in school? Why, or why not?

About Student Opinion

• Find all our Student Opinion questions in this column . • Have an idea for a Student Opinion question? Tell us about it . • Learn more about how to use our free daily writing prompts for remote learning .

Students 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

Jeremy Engle joined The Learning Network as a staff editor in 2018 after spending more than 20 years as a classroom humanities and documentary-making teacher, professional developer and curriculum designer working with students and teachers across the country. More about Jeremy Engle

Information Literacy and Media Literacy for Students and Teachers

A Teacher’s Guide to Media and Information Literacy

What is literacy.

Up until fairly recently, when we used the term ‘literacy’ in a discussion, it would most likely be in reference to the reading and writing of texts.

These days, however, the definition of literacy extends well beyond its once conventional use in reference to words on pages. Today, we commonly talk of various types of literacies, such as financial literacy , digital literacy , or even emotional literacy .

Rather than speak of literacy as exclusively referring to the ability to read and write, it is now more accurate to think of literacy as an ability in a specific area of knowledge.

It’s in this context that we will use the term here. In this article, we will explore media and information literacy , what they are, how they intersect, and how you can approach teaching them in your classroom – either as discrete subjects, or interwoven with other areas of the curriculum.

A Complete Teaching Unit on Fake News

Digital and social media have completely redefined the media landscape, making it difficult for students to identify FACTS AND OPINIONS covering:

Teach them to FIGHT FAKE NEWS with this COMPLETE 42 PAGE UNIT. No preparation is required,

The Importance of Media and Information Literacy

The importance of literacy has been well recognized by governments around the world for a for a considerable length of time. Literacy rates have long been used as an indicator of a nation’s development – such is the importance of being able to read and write for a citizen to fully engage as a functioning member of society.

Undoubtedly, we now live in an information age. Daily, we take in huge amounts of information through a vast array of largely digital media. It is essential that our students are empowered to access, organize, analyze, evaluate, and create in this context. To do this successfully, we must help them to become information and media literate.

Media and Information Literacy

If media literacy refers to the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media in all its forms, then information literacy refers to the ability to recognize when information is required, how to locate and evaluate it, as well as the ability to effectively communicate that information in all its forms, both traditional and modern.

We can see here that there is already a significant crossover between the two terms. Not surprisingly, for the sake of convenience, they are often used almost interchangeably.

To help disentangle the concepts, it can be useful to think of information as being the content, with media being the tools by which that content is delivered.

We can also combine these various aspects under the umbrella term Media and Information Literacy , or MIL , though they may also appear as separate disciplines in many syllabuses and curriculum.

Developing the essential abilities listed above, enables our students to engage fully as active citizens by developing their critical thinking and communication abilities. This process begins by grasping the basic concepts of the subject. Let’s take a look at some of the most important of these.

Media and Information Literacy: Basic Concepts

It’s true to say we live in an increasingly connected world and spend more time than ever before exposed to media in all its myriad shapes and forms.

From traditional media formats such as newspapers, printed books, TV, and radio to more recent developments such as email, ebooks, online games, and apps, we have never been more inundated by the media and its messages in our day-to-day lives.

Understanding the basic concepts of media and information literacy will help students to navigate the complexities of this ever-encroaching world.

1. Types of Media

For students to begin thinking seriously about media, they first need to be able to classify media into its various types. Broadly speaking, there are 3 types of media:

i. Print Media

ii. Broadcast Media

iii. New Media

i. Print Media refers, unsurprisingly, to the printed word, that is, media reproduced mechanically via the printing process which is then physically distributed.

ii. Broadcast Media refers to media that is distributed or transmitted to its audience via the airwaves, such as TV and radio.

iii. New Media refers to media that is organized and distributed via the various digital platforms.

A good explainer video on Information literacy for students and teachers

Types of Media: Reinforcement Activity

This is an effective exercise to help students learn to distinguish between these different forms of media. First, brainstorm with the class the different specific examples of media they can think of, for example, newspapers , radio , podcasts, etc. List these on the whiteboard. Then, have students sort the items listed on the whiteboard into one of 3 columns printed on a worksheet as follows:

Media Convergence

As well as understanding these 3 main types of media as defined above, it may arise during discussion that some examples don’t easily fit into one single category. The term media convergence refers to media that coexists in traditional and new media forms.

We can see this clearly in the existence of print and online versions of newspapers, for example, where content can exist in both paper and digital forms. The underlying concept of media convergence is that the various media platforms become more similar over time.

2. The Purpose of Information

Before students begin to do the deeper level work of evaluating information, they should learn to give some thought to the purpose of various forms of information. Drawing out the purpose of the information in the first place will help enormously when it comes to assessing its credibility at a later stage.

There are a number of legitimate reasons for information to be held by media and other information providers such as museums, archives, the internet, and libraries.

These reasons include to:

●     Inform

●     Educate

●     Entertain

●     Gather together

●     Provide access

●     Facilitate teaching and learning

●     Promote values and rights

●     Preserve cultural heritage

Purpose of Information: Reinforcement Activity

This exercise is best undertaken as a group project over a period of time such as a week or two.

Instruct students to gather together a broad range of information and media and perform a survey of each sample to assess the reason behind its creation and/or existence. The reasons listed above as bullet points will provide a good starting point, though also allow for the possibility the students may uncover reasons other than those listed above.

Opening each item to a whole class discussion can be a rewarding way to encourage the sharing of different perspectives on the purpose of each sample.

For higher-level students, on completion of this activity you may wish to engage in a discussion on what restrictions, if any, could justifiably be placed on media and information and in what contexts those would be.

COMPLETE TEACHING UNIT ON INTERNET RESEARCH SKILLS USING GOOGLE SEARCH

Teach your students ESSENTIAL SKILLS OF THE INFORMATION ERA to become expert DIGITAL RESEARCHERS.

⭐How to correctly ask questions to search engines on all devices.

⭐ How to filter and refine your results to find exactly what you want every time.

⭐ Essential Research and critical thinking skills for students.

⭐ Plagiarism, Citing and acknowledging other people’s work.

⭐ How to query, synthesize and record your findings logically.

3. Mass Media and Critical Thinking

With video streaming sites, social platforms, digital billboards, and podcasts, electronic media infiltrates many of our waking hours. And, though we have benefited from this mass and instant communication in our personal and business lives, it poses many challenges for us as individuals.

With 4.2 billion people inhabiting the online world, all sending and receiving innumerable messages, our students need to develop specific strategies to navigate and filter this potentially overwhelming sea of information.

The 5 Filter Questions

Students need to exercise their critical faculties when engaging with media to avoid passively accepting the views and opinions embedded there.

They can begin this process by routinely examining new media in the light of 5 key filtering questions:

1. WHO created this message?

2. WHAT techniques were used to capture the attention?

3. HOW could this message be interpreted by different people?

4. WHY is this message being communicated?

5. WHAT values, views, lifestyles are being expressed or omitted in this message?

These 5 filter questions will help students develop a firm foundation for critically engaging with the various media they are exposed to. They will help students to distinguish between factual reporting and fake news and clickbait from measured critique.

If you are searching for an excellent article on critical thinking be sure to check out this great guide from edgalaxy.com

Mass Media and Critical Thinking: Reinforcement Activity

Be sure to offer students ample opportunities to use the 5 filter questions in the classroom. You can easily achieve this by asking one or more of these questions when discussing a text or viewing a film, for example.

You could also organize the students into small groups and assign them a media item to analyze in reference to the above 5 questions. With lots of practice, students will begin to consider all new information and media in light of these important questions, becoming in the process active rather than passive consumers of information.

4. Representation in the Media

In media and information literacy, the ways in which various groups, communities, thoughts, and ideas are portrayed form an important area of study within the subject.

Investigations into this area will quickly rid students of the idea that media merely reflects the reality of the world around them. Any examination of representation in media quickly reveals that the media re -presents the reality around us as much as reflects it. This examination reveals much about the media and ourselves in the process.

By examining what is presented, what is omitted, and how things are framed, students delve deeper into the attitudes, values, politics, and psychology of the media-makers. They will also shine a spotlight on some of their own perceptions, perspectives, and biases too.

Representation in the Media: Reinforcement Activity

Though examining representation in media can spark classroom discussions on some quite sensitive and even contentious topics, it can be extremely engaging and valuable for students.

While you can explore representation in any number of media, music works very well for many of our young people.

Music is central to much of youth culture. It can inform everything from young people’s attitudes to politics and sex, to the clothes they wear and the way they speak. It can also serve as fertile ground for the examination of how various groups, communities, values etc are represented.

In this activity, allow students to choose a music video to explore. This will usually be best done in small groups to keep the ideas flowing and to allow for some passionate discussion. Students should watch the video, listen to the song, read the lyrics and analyze representations of gender, race, and sexuality etc.

The 5 filter questions mentioned in the previous section can work well here to get the process started. Just be sure students maintain their focus on the central idea of representation as they ask each question.

5. Analyzing Advertising

Advertisements are pretty ubiquitous. Whether we consume old or new media, advertising will likely play a large part in what we engage with.

Indeed, advertisements often serve as the main revenue stream to fund the production of many forms of media. In this regard, they can even be considered to perform a valuable function in assisting in the dissemination of information.

No doubt about it, advertising has come a long way since the early 20th century with the obviousness of its radio jingles and roadside billboards.

Today, advertising comes in ever more subtle and sophisticated guises. At times these can be so understated or indirect that we may not even realise we are being sold to.

From sponsored content masquerading as impartial articles to cleverly placed products attempting to sneak in through the backdoor of our subconscious, the omnipresence and complexity of advertising make this is an important area of study within the subject.

Analyzing Advertising: Reinforcement Activity

With advertising intruding on so much of our lives, finding samples to use for this activity will be like shooting those proverbial barrel-dwelling fish.

For this activity, organise students into small work groups, distribute an advertisement to each group, and then encourage them to analyze how the advertisement works.

Regardless of the media used, encourage the students to look at the advertisement in terms of its emotional appeal, the technical and design components, and who the advertisement is targeted at.

When the groups have had a chance to dissect their advertisements, have them make a brief presentation to the class on what they have learned about how it works.

Video Lesson: How to analyze print media?

In this article, we have provided an introduction to some of the main concepts and ideas that form the core concerns of the subject of Media and Information Literacy. It is, however, by no means an exhaustive list.

Further reflection on some of the topics raised will open up a rich seam of interesting and important issues to explore in the classroom, whether in the form of discrete MIL lessons, or woven into other areas of the curriculum.

The fodder for lessons and learning opportunities within this area, much like media and information themselves, is practically inexhaustible.

A Complete Visual Text Teaching Unit

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a complete guide to teaching critical thinking and fake news to students

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Erica Morrissette, Simon Pierpont, Riley Murray, Julie Nagel, and David Muite

Media literacy is a crucial skill all media consumers must have. There are many factors that can change how we interpret media, and how media affects us, and there are a few main skills that can aid consumers in being more media literate like willingness to try, and having an ability to distinguish reactions. Understanding the differences between mediated and non-mediated media and their implications is also important to media literacy.

Defining Media Literacy  

Media literacy is the method of dissecting media content in order to critically analyze it. To do this, it is essential to look at media content’s underlying messages, its ownership and regulation, as well as how it is presented. This is not an easy process, and has no stopping point. It is necessary to always question what is shown in mediated communications (Pavlik and McIntosh, 46). We often are passive in our roles in mass communications. We forget to question what our responsibilities are as consumers (Baran, 21). We look at violent televisions shows and criticize how they promote and romanticize violent behaviors, but we never miss an episode, telling producers we support the content. Culture is created through media (Baran, 21), and if we continue to tune in, we are allowing issues within our culture to persist. By being subject to passive consumption or Stanley Baran’s “third-person effect”, we release all control we have over culture.

Stanley Baran, in the Introduction to Mass Communication, speaks of a term he calls “third-person effect”. This encompasses the idea that as consumers we believe media affects others but not ourselves (24).  Being media literate allows us to see that this is untrue and media does in fact have underlying messages that affect us. By understanding those messages, we can change how it affects us.  Media literacy is so important to consumers because it can help us to control our actions in response to media, and allow it to have less control over our views (Pavlik and McIntosh, 46). By asking questions like, “Who paid for this?”, “What point are they trying to make”, or even things like “What are they getting out of this?” consumers are able to get a better picture of the subliminal messages, and their influence (Rosenwald, 97).

There are many factors that frame media content including political factors, social factors and economic factors (Pavlik and McIntosh, 47).  It’s important to become a critic when it comes to media forms; we must question all aspects of its production, and presentation to fully grasp its repercussions. By developing media literacy skills consumers can better assess the content they are receiving.

Media Literacy Skills 

Today, we are living in what is known as the Digital Age and the only constant is that it will continue to develop and expand for future generations. It is important for everyone to develop and expand along with the media, in order to properly understand what is being circulated. For this to happen, we need to develop media literacy skills. It’s crucial for this to be taught to school age children, especially now with more children being exposed to media at a younger age. Today, children are being introduced to media even before their formal educations (Hopkins, 24). Media literacy skills are crucial for, “developing knowledge about the social, political, and economic forces that influence media content” (Pavlik and McIntosh, 40). These skills will help in keeping the mind active when looking at different media platforms, instead of keeping a passive mind.

There are seven main media literacy skills (Baran, 24). The first is “the ability and willingness to make an effort to understand content, to pay attention and filter out noise” (Baran, 24). This means consumers should distinguish the points an article is trying to make and ignore factors that could influence their thinking. Thus, changing the way we consume media. An example could be when you are listening to the radio while driving. What is your main focus, the radio or driving? Hopefully driving, but this means you could misinterpret what’s on the radio. By realizing what factors affect your interpretation, you can be more mindful of when content you are absorbing.

Second is, “having an understanding of, and respect for, the power of media messages” (Baran, 24). There’s so much media content in circulation and it’s important to understand how many people the content is available for. It is imperative not dismiss that fact, because it can be very powerful. For example, some articles can convey stereotypes. If we dismiss that, it hurts the group being stereotyped and other marginalized groups. It is important that we recognize and stand up against it.

Third, the “ability to distinguish emotional from reasoned reactions when responding to content and act accordingly” (Baran, 24). Sometimes, we connect with certain media like songs and books because we can relate to them on an emotional level. But, it’s important to keep in mind that content like this may not always be true, despite our emotional ties with it.

Some media content may be trying to persuade you by keying into your emotional reactions; it’s essential to keep this in mind when analyzing media messages.

Fourth, is the “development of heightened expectations of media content” (Baran, 24). This is referring to viral videos or articles on the internet that are the “most viewed” or “top ten” that we settle on and give meaning to, when we are not searching for anything specific. Today, on the internet there is so much content to filter through that we tend to scroll through it mindlessly, not looking for underlying messages, or meaning. When on the internet if there is not a specific thing you’re looking for, it’s easy to give meaning to the random content you fall upon.

Next, is “the knowledge of genre conventions and the recognition of their mixing” (Baran, 24-25). This means to its necessary to understand different genres and how information is given by those sources. For example, we are more likely to believe a documentary about weight loss, then what’s in a magazine for weight loss. By being aware of that fact you can determine what is true and what is not, or if the source is reputable.

Sixth, is “the ability to think critically about media messages” (Baran, 25). This means not everything you read on the internet will be true, even if it comes from a credible source. For example, if Fox News presented an article it’s important to remember that they are being paid by people who believe the same things, so their media will be biased to whom they are getting paid from to support those views.

Seventh is “the knowledge of the internal language of various media and the ability to understand its effects” (Baran, 25). This comes down to understanding how media is produced; to pay attention to camera angles, lighting, text sizes, and location. Understanding this language will help you deceiver through media. As the media continues to grow, it continues to matter.

In today’s world the media is constantly around us. We are always interacting with mass media, so it’s essential to learn from our experiences with it. John Pavlik and Shawn McIntosh in their book  Converging Media: A New Introduction to Mass Communication  explain that we learn topics such as math and history in school, but not media literacy (45). They bring up the question; if we are interacting with the media so much, why are we not learning about it? Media literacy encourages thinking for ourselves, and questioning what is being told to us. Media literacy “emphasizes the skills and knowledge needed to be effective in the increasingly social media environment” (Hobbs and Jensen, 5). We are introduced to media at an increasingly younger age, so we should start learning about media and its underlying messages sooner.  Our society has a “culture that absorbs and responds to the explosion of new media….” (Hobbs and Jensen, 5); we thrive off of media, and because of this media literacy skills are so important.

Mediated and Non-Mediated Communication  

Communication connects the world and makes all things possible. To differentiate between mediated and non-mediated communication, as a whole, is simple but when it is looked at on a larger scale, the lines become blurred. The word mediated has multiple definitions one of which being to effect (a result) or convey (a message) (Pavlick and McIntosh, 47). Through this we land on the working definitions mediated and non-mediated communication.

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, 47). 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, 48). 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.

The use of technology has become more common in today’s age. Whether it’s in an office or in a classroom, the use of technological devices like computers play an important role in our lives. Studies have shown that computer mediated communication leads to several negative outcomes such as “depersonalization, impoliteness, information overload, and increased worker stress due to having to respond quickly” (Bob and Sooknanan, 47). 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.

Works Cited 

Baran, Stanley J. “Mass Communication, Culture and Media Literacy.”  Introduction to Mass Communication: Media Literacy and Culture , McGraw-Hill Education, 2015, pp. 4–26.

Bob, K. and Sooknanan, P. “The Impact of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) on Productivity and Efficiency in Organizations: A Case Study of an Electrical Company in Trinidad and Tobago.”  Advances in Journalism and Communication , vol.2, no.2, pp. 46-51.

Hobbs, R & Jensen, A. (2009). “The Past, Present, and Future of Media Literacy Education”. Journal of Media Literacy Education 1, 1 – 11.

Hopkins, Liza, et al. “Books, Bytes and Brains: The Implications of New Knowledge for Children’s Early Literacy Learning.”  Australasian Journal of Early Childhood , vol. 38, no. 1, Mar. 2013.

Pavlik, John V., and Shawn McIntosh. “Media Literacy in the Digital Age.” Converging Media: A New Introduction to Mass Communication , Oxford University Press, 2018, pp. 44-68.

Rosenwald, Michael. “Making Media Literacy Great Again.”  Columbia Journalism Review , vol. 56, no. 2, 2017, pp. 94–99.

Introduction to Media Studies Copyright © by Erica Morrissette, Simon Pierpont, Riley Murray, Julie Nagel, and David Muite is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Media and Information Literacy: Need, Importance, Example

Home Blog Learning Media and Information Literacy: Need, Importance, Example

The problem of educating consumers to evaluate, examine, and make use of the very diverse spectrum of media accessible in the 21st century has made media and information literacy an ambitious objective. Users now need to gain  media literacy  not just concerning conventional media and visual representation but also about the abundance of new technologies accessible and the creation of apps enabling completely novel methods of information transmission.  

The issue of who will educate our children has not yet been resolved. Is it not reasonable, in general, that  media and information literacy  become pillars of the educational curriculum since schools are the places where students learn critical thinking, analysis, and decision-making? With the best  Software Developer training  courses, you can learn diverse skills to advance your career.  

In this article, we will dive in to learn what media and information literacy is, media and information literacy examples, their importance, differences, and more. 

What Is Media Literacy?

Media literacy is a broad range of skills that enable individuals to consume, analyze, modify, and even create many media types. In essence,  media literacy  may assist someone in critically thinking about what they read, see, or hear in the media. In this context, the word "media" refers to a wide range of media, including the internet, movies, music, radio, television, video games, and publications.   

To be media literate, one must be capable of decoding media messages (understanding the message and the medium), assessing how the messages affect one's emotions, ideas, and behavior, and intelligently and responsibly producing media. In addition, pupils may benefit greatly from mastering  media information literacy .  

What Is Media and Information Literacy?

Media and Information Literacy (MIL) strives to empower people to engage in an inquiry process and critically think about the media and the content they receive. According to the UNESCO  meaning of media and information literacy , the goal is to empower people to take active roles in their communities and make ethical decisions. The modern media environment makes it extremely important to have media and informational competencies. Whether the news comes from reliable sources or not, it is important to consider who and what to believe critically.  

Why Is Media and Information Literacy Important?

Critical thinking is vital for citizens, particularly young learners who need to solve issues, gather information, develop views, assess sources, and more. MIL is a vital skill, especially with the abundance of data and accurate and false information accessible online. A person who knows the meaning of media literacy skills  will be able to ask inquiries and look for solutions to the internet debris because of the pace of information delivery.  

The instructors are given better information to empower the next generation of people throughout the teaching and learning process.  Media and information literacy's meaning  is to impart critical knowledge about the roles played by media and information channels in democracies, practical awareness of the circumstances, and the fundamental skills required to assess the effectiveness of media and information providers in light of their roles as expected.  

How Does Media and Information Literacy Work?

The foundation for learning media and the function of media in our society is through media and information literacy. MIL also imparts some of the fundamental abilities required for critical thinking, analysis, self-expression, and creativity, all of which are needed for members of a democratic society. From printing to radio, from video to the internet, citizens may analyze media and information in a variety of mediums.  

What Are Some Dimensions of Media and Information Literacy?

The term "media and information literacy" (MIL) refers to three often recognized dimensions:  

• Information literacy  
• Media literacy  
• ICT/digital literacy.  

 As UNESCO emphasizes, MIL brings together stakeholders, such as people, communities, and countries, to contribute to the information society. In addition to serving as an umbrella, MIL also contains various competencies that must be employed properly to critically assess each of its many components.  

Media Literacy Examples

Some  media literacy examples  are:  

1. Television   

For more than 50 years, families have enjoyed watching television. Today, viewers may access a movie or television show anytime they want, thanks to the pay-per-view or no-cost on-demand options offered by many cable or satellite systems.   

2. Blog Posts   

Anyone can instantly share information through the internet, which is a constantly evolving platform for quick, decentralized communication. The internet provides venues to educate, enlighten, inspire, and connect, as well as to persuade and control, including news sources, social media, blogs, podcasts, and smartphone applications.   

3. YouTube   

The YouTube platform engages audiences throughout the globe. With more individuals accessing the internet since its 2005 launch, YouTube's popularity has risen significantly.  

4. social media   

Social media is one of the most recent platforms that media strategists might use. Social media ads have become commonplace in less than ten years.  

5. News Papers   

This is the first kind of media that includes all printed materials. Reputable print media sources that are professionally produced and created to satisfy the demands of certain audiences.  

6. Magazines   

Since the middle class didn't start reading magazines until the 19th century, publishers had to start selling advertising space to cover the high cost of printing and increase circulation.  

7. Video games   

Video games have been around since the early 1980s, and kids have only become more and more fond of them. Modern video games are engaging and thrilling, and the lifelike images and audio give players the impression that they are really in the scenario.   

8. News Websites   

The internet is full of opinions from regular people who post with various intentions, which occasionally makes it difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. However, some websites host peer-reviewed information from reliable sources that are essentially digital versions of traditional print sources.   

9. Podcasts   

An audio file that your viewers may listen to whenever they want is all that makes up a podcast. As pre-recorded content, podcasts are not ideal for situations requiring audience participation.  

What Is Information Literacy?

The term "information literacy" describes certain abilities required to locate, evaluate, and effectively utilize information. Information literacy refers to a person's understanding of their interaction with the digital world and their interpretation of the information they discover. It also entails the need to utilize such knowledge morally. Study techniques and academic writing, critical analysis, evaluation, and evaluation-based thinking are some traits of information literacy.  

Information Literacy Examples    

1. Communication   

Transfer of information or exchange is done orally, in writing, or by any other means. The effective communication or exchange of ideas and emotions  

• Verbal:  This includes face-to-face communication, telephone communication, and other media.  
• Non-verbal:  This includes things like our posture, body language, gestures, how we dress or behave, and even our fragrance.  
• Written:  Writing comprises letters, emails, social media posts, books, periodicals, the internet, and other forms of written communication.  
• Visual:  Graphs and charts, maps, logos, and other visuals may all be used to convey information.  

2. Computer Technology   

The term "computer skills" describes the capacity to efficiently operate a computer and associated technology, and it includes both hardware and software expertise. You can also opt for a  Full-Stack Developer course with placement  to learn more about front-end and back-end web development and start your career as a full-stack developer.  

3. Critical Thinking   

The process of learning critical thinking techniques improves one's capacity to access information and related concepts. Making a rational decision based on an objective study of information and research results is referred to as critical thinking.   

4. Research   

The capacity to identify, acquire, collect, assess, use and present knowledge on a certain issue is referred to as having research abilities. These abilities include conducting research, conducting critical analysis, and formulating theories or solutions to specific problems.   

Importance of Media and Information Literacy

People in the frame will outright deny facts if they believe that the information contradicts their beliefs, regardless of whether those beliefs are related to politics, the effectiveness of vaccines, the presence of conditions like global warming, or even the nature of reality as we currently understand it. The fact that we can often verify the integrity and correctness of the information serves to make the entire scenario more annoying and terrifying.  

But other individuals don't care because they purposefully ignore or justify certain facts since they don't agree with them. And because the internet and allied media can mislead sensitive individuals by spreading these harmful notions.  

It's critical to have the ability to sort through the abundance of information available, whether we're discussing the personal lives of individuals or a corporation's marketing plan. Media and information literacy skills are essential for personal and professional aspects of life.  

Need for Media and Information Literacy in Today's World

Individuals in 2020 will have an overwhelming variety of media sources. The 24-hour news cycle, television, videos, podcasts, blogs, specialist websites, text messages, blogs, and vlogs are now available in addition to the print and radio media that are still in use.  

For better or worse, anybody can make content thanks to technological advancements.   

Regrettably, not everyone considers ethics in a truthful way. Even if some opinions are wholly erroneous and inaccurate, when individuals band together in an organized manner, it often gives the impression that they could have a point. As a result, we are constantly surrounded with genuine and deceptive information due to today's technological advancements. Thus, media and information literacy are more important than ever in the modern world.   

Difference Between Media, Technology, and Information Literacy    

Similar to digital citizenship, several definitions and terminology are used to  define media and information literacy . Whether we refer to it as information literacy, internet literacy, digital  media literacy , or any other term, the key premise is that literacy includes the capacity to interact intelligently with media and information sources. You can check out   KnowledgeHut Software Developer training  to develop a thorough understanding of the in-demand digital technologies to launch your career in software development .  

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Individuals who are proficient in media literacy are equipped with the ability to first think critically about media. It also fosters other abilities like creativity, teamwork, and communication and improves digital literacy skills by connecting with media, information, and technology. 

Media and information literacy includes all sorts of information resources, including oral, print, and digital. In today's increasingly digital, linked, and global society, media, and information literacy is a fundamental human right that fosters greater social inclusion. 

The five elements of information literacy include identifying, finding, evaluating, applying, and acknowledging sources of information. 

Information and media literacy skills are the combination of knowledge, attitudes, and abilities necessary to understand when and what information is required, where to get it, how to organize it once obtained, and how to utilize it ethically. 

Abhresh Sugandhi

Abhresh is specialized as a corporate trainer, He has a decade of experience in technical training blended with virtual webinars and instructor-led session created courses, tutorials, and articles for organizations. He is also the founder of Nikasio.com, which offers multiple services in technical training, project consulting, content development, etc.

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The Value of Being a Media and Information Literate Individual

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Impact of media literacy education on knowledge and behavioral intention of adolescents in dealing with media messages according to Stages of Change

Narjes geraee.

1 Department of health education and promotion, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran;

MOHAMMAD HOSSEIN KAVEH

Davod shojaeizadeh.

2 Department of health education and promotion, School of Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran;

HAMID REZA TABATABAEE

3 Department of epidemiology, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

Introduction : Mass media influence the health behaviors of adolescents. Evidence shows that traditional strategies such as censorship or limitation are no longer efficient; therefore, teaching media literacy is the best way to protect adolescents from harmful effects. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effects of a media literacy training program on knowledge and behavioral intention of a sample of female students according to the stages of change in dealing with media messages.

Methods : The study was conducted based on a pre-test and post-test control group design. Some 198 female students including 101 in the intervention group and 97 in the control group participated in this study. The educational program was run using interactive teaching-learning techniques. Data collection was performed using a validated and reliable self-administered questionnaire in three phases including a pre-test, post-test, 1 and post-test, 2. The research data was analyzed through SPSS statistical software, version 14 using both descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results : The results of the study showed a significant increase (p=0.001) in the intervention group’s knowledge mean scores after the training program. On the other hand, the difference was not significant in the control group (p=0.200). A considerable percentage of the participants, in the intervention and control groups, were in pre contemplation and contemplation stages in the pre-test (64 and 61, respectively). After the intervention, however, a significant improvement (p=0.001) was observed in the intervention group’s stages of change compared to that in the control group. The distribution of the control group students regarding the stages of change was similar to that in the pre-test.

Conclusion : The study findings revealed that the planned education programs are efficient to improve the adolescents’ knowledge and behavioral intention in dealing with mass media messages.

Introduction

The main feature of the 21st century is media-saturated culture and provision and ease of access to different types of media for everybody, particularly children and adolescents ( 1 - 4 ).

In general, mass media are the result of the people’s need to satisfy such requirements as gaining news and information, entertainment, and socialization. However, the media are not the mirror of reality and their content is not always complete, accurate, and unbiased ( 5 , 6 ).

Nowadays, in addition to consuming the old media, such as TV, children and adolescents also spend a lot of time on new types of media ( 7 , 8 ). Thus, concerns for the adolescents are increasing in this regard. Some issues related to these concerns include the effect of the media on violence, violent behaviors, and crimes ( 9 , 10 ), sexual relationships ( 11 ), educational performance ( 12 ), body image ( 13 ), diet, increasing prevalence of obesity and being involved in sedentary activities ( 14 ), drug abuse and smoking ( 15 ), alcohol abuse ( 16 ), food preferences ( 17 ), and change in the conversational language structure ( 5 ).

Some media authorities believe that such problems can be solved through limitation and censorship. However, censorship and limitation are not desirable responses to the concerns about the mass media and their effects on the children and adolescents ( 18 ).

General health specialists have also made use of various strategies for adjusting the effects of the media on health. Up to now, such approaches as regulation of the media contents, limitation of the children’s media consumption, and social marketing, have been utilized to address the problem ( 7 ).

Since government laws and regulations and changing the media contents are not appropriate strategies for monitoring media consumption and, at the same time, reduction of the adolescents’ exposure to the media is not always practical, parents feel concerned about their children’s media utilization, because children mostly use the media at home. Therefore, parents’ role, as well as the children’s perception, should be taken into account in directing children’s media consumption ( 19 - 21 ). Nevertheless, studies have shown that in the Iranian society, parents do not highly interfere in their children’s watching TV and using computer games, Internet, and other media ( 22 ). Thus, cognitive and motivational backgrounds should be created in the adolescents so that they react toward the media content as well as function spontaneously. One of the important ways to achieve this aim is training the children and adolescents on media literacy.

Many organizations, such as American Academy of Pediatrics, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of National Drug Control Policy, UNESCO, European Commission, and European Parliament and a lot of media organizations, such as Center for Media Literacy (CML), Association for Media Literacy (AML), and National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE), have strong statements regarding media literacy ( 8 , 21 ).

Media literacy is defined as the “ability to understand, analyze, evaluate, and create media messages”. Media literacy training increases the individuals’ doubt about the media content ( 23 ). After all, existence of the individuals with high media literacy leads to increase in the media quality because such individuals require more realistic messages of higher quality ( 5 ).

Evidence shows that the interventions which have been based on the theoretical concepts are more effective in comparison to those which have been based on behavior. Moreover, considerable effectiveness of the interventions requires new methodologies and state of the art in order to repeat and develop findings ( 24 ).

Up to now, various change theories have been developed, providing frameworks for interventions to help people gain positive healthy behaviors. Overall, individual beliefs and purposes are the main elements of two main theories on changes in health-oriented behaviors: Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Transtheoretical Model (TTM) ( 25 ).

Transtheoretical model has been defined as a framework which aims to direct the content and scheduling of the designed interventions for improving and facilitating healthy behaviors ( 24 ).

In general, transtheoretical model consists of four constructs: 1- stages of change: temporal readiness for behavior modification, 2- decisional balance: relative importance of perceived advantages and disadvantages of change, 3- situational self-efficacy: trust in the individual capability for behavioral change in positive social and emotional situations, and 4- processes of change: behavioral and experimental strategies people employ in order to improve through the stages ( 26 , 27 ).

“Stages of change” is the main construct of the transtheoretical model. This model considers behavioral changes as a process rather than a dichotomous phenomenon ( 28 ). “Stages of change” is an important construct because it is the representative of time dimension. In the past, behavioral change was considered as a separate event; for instance, quitting smoking, alcohol, or overeating ( 26 ). On the other hand, the transtheoretical model assumes change as a dynamic phenomenon which is created over time and due to movement through several distinct stages. Besides, the individuals should make multiple attempts for behavior change in order to achieve complete success ( 26 , 29 , 30 ).

As mentioned above, in the stages of change model, individuals should move through several stages in order to change their behavior. Each stage is a distinct point in the individuals’ readiness for change and it is assumed that they should do a set of activities in a certain period of time in order to move on to the next stage ( 25 ).

In spite of the increasing trend of growth of the mass media in Iran, unfortunately no attempts have been made in this regard. Considering this gap, performing educational, as well as research activities, seems to be essential in our country. Therefore, the present study aims to describe the mean score of knowledge and the distribution of behavioral intention of a sample of Iranian female students in exposure to media messages, regarding the stages of change before and after receiving media literacy training.

As media literacy training has not been executed in Iran up to now, this study was conducted as a pilot study, using a randomized, controlled, and educational trial design. The study participants included 198 female students in four state secondary schools in Shiraz, Iran. The students were selected through random sampling. After all, a sample of 198 students was determined for the study with 101 in the intervention and 97 in the control group.

The study data were collected, using a questionnaire which was completed by both groups in three phases including before, immediately and one month after the training program. The content validity of the questionnaire was approved, using the ideas of 5 experts of the field. The questionnaire consisted of two parts: the first including the Knowledge questions with 7 case-based, essay-type, open-ended questions which were calculated using the analytical scoring method. The overall scores ranged from 0 to 5. Twenty percent of questionnaires were randomly selected and the knowledge construct was scored by two independent raters, and 78 percent agreement was achieved between raters. In this study, knowledge implied the ability to remember the information about the effects of media messages and different possible reactions toward them, the techniques utilized in creating the media messages, surface and hidden meanings of the messages and different possible interpretations. The students’ stages of change were assessed by describing a correct situation regarding appropriately and critically dealing with media messages, and posing a question about the conformity of the students’ present behavior to that situation. In this way, the students who mentioned that they had not even thought about it were categorized in the “pre contemplation” group, while those who stated that they had thought about the situation but had not done anything about it were classified in the “contemplation” group. In addition, the students who said that they had talked to the informed individuals and had planned to do something were put in the “preparation” category. Finally, the students who claimed that they had acted properly for almost one month were classified in the “act” category and those who stated that they had acted properly for more than 6 months were categorized in the “maintenance” group.

The training program was conducted in 3 sessions using active teaching/learning methods and the students were also provided with booklets.

Since most of the students in both groups, after the initial analyses, were found to be in the pre contemplation stage, the training strategies were focused on increasing the students’ awareness of the media on the adolescents’ health, different possible reactions toward the media, correct reaction to the media, and the outcomes of having active, critical reactions to the media messages in the students’ present and future lives.

Statistical Analysis

The collected data were analyzed through SPSS statistical software, version 14. As K-S Test showed that the distribution of the data was not normal, non-parametric tests such as Mann Whitney and Friedman were used.

The students of the two groups were similar regarding age, sex, and kind of school. The pre-test analyses revealed no significant difference between the two groups regarding knowledge score (p=0.2). The mean score of students’ knowledge in the intervention group, being 0.67±0.42 in the pre-test, increased to 3.15±1.13 in the first post-test. Their mean score of knowledge was 2.87±0.89 in the second post-test. The mean score of knowledge in the control group remained relatively the same through the three phases. Using Freidman and Wilcoxon test, we found that the changes in knowledge mean scores within and between the study groups were statistically significant (p=0.001) (Table.1).

Knowledge mean scores in the groups before and after the training program

The results of Chi-square test showed no significant difference (χ 2 =0.78, df=3, p=0.8) between the two groups regarding their frequency distribution according to their intentional behavior status based on the stages of change. Most of the students in both groups were in the pre contemplation stage (64.35% in the intervention and 62.88% in the control group) and a small number of students were in the maintenance stage (2.97% in the intervention and 2.06% in the control group).

After the intervention, 62.37% and 12.87% of the intervention group students were in the preparation and action stages in the first post-test, and 56.43 and 9.90 in the second post-test, respectively. In the control group, on the other hand, the frequency distribution of the students regarding the stages of change in the post-tests were similar to the pre-test and more than half of the students were still in the pre contemplation stage

The statistical analysis showed significant improvement of the intervention group students regarding the stages of change (p=0.001). However, no significant difference was observed in the frequency distribution of the control group students regarding the stages of change before and after the intervention ( Table 2 ).

Frequency distribution of the students regarding the stages of change before and after the educational intervention

* Statistical test was performed after merging the two last groups (action & maintenance)

The present study investigated the effectiveness of a training program based on the “stages of change” construct of the transtheoretical model, designed in order to improve the knowledge and behavioral intention of the students in exposure to media messages. The study findings revealed the effectiveness of the training program in improving the intervention group students for having an active, critical reaction toward the media messages.

Knowledge is often considered as a prerequisite and predisposing factor to behavioral change. Knowledge is considered as an essential attribute of behavior, and higher rates of knowledge are correlated with higher rates of positive behavior.

Evidence, on the other hand, shows the efficacy of planned educational interventions in knowledge enhancement to facilitate acquiring desired behaviors ( 31 ).

The low levels of students’ knowledge about media literacy, as detected in the pre-test phase of this study, imply the lack of related educational programs in our country and students’ need for such essential programs.

Therefore, the significant increase in knowledge mean score of the intervention group in both phases after the training program is in favor of the efficacy of such programs in improving students’ knowledge about media.

This finding is in line with a large number of studies about media literacy trainings. For instance, Kupersmidt and Scull concluded that even a one-day workshop on media literacy education was effective on the participants’ knowledge of media literacy ( 2 ).

According to the study results concerning the stages of change, a considerable percentage of the participants were in precontemplation and contemplation stages regarding having an active reaction in exposure to media messages in the pre-test. After the intervention, however, a significant improvement was observed in the intervention group’s stages of change in comparison to that in the control group.

Kupersmidt and Scull performed a study and showed a significant reduction in the behavioral intention for alcohol and tobacco abuse in the students who had participated in media literacy training program ( 32 ).

Furthermore, based on the studies by TQ, Tein et al. (2010) and Kupersmidt et al. (2011) to evaluate the adolescents’ media literacy and its relationship with smoking, alcohol abuse, and their future vulnerability, having media literacy was accompanied by less drug and alcohol abuse ( 33 , 34 ).

“Stages of change” construct of the transtheoretical model is based on the assumption that training can improve the individuals’ development through the stages. In this model, each stage represents how much the training has been accepted by the individuals and how effective it has been ( 35 ). Moreover, the participants should perform appropriate tasks at the right time in order to move on to the next stage. This implies that the individuals need special strategies, called the processes of change, in each stage ( 36 ).

According to this model, the individuals in the pre contemplation stage need information about the dangers of their present behavior, while those in the following stages require practical recommendations regarding how to change their behavior ( 35 ). Thus, processes such as awareness increasing should be applied in order to help the individuals move from the pre contemplation to the contemplation stage ( 26 ).

The findings of the current study showed that using awareness increasing strategies regarding daily media consumption, negative effects of the media, and different possible reactions toward them led to a significant improvement in the intervention group students’ development from pre contemplation to contemplation and preparation stages.

It has been assumed that moving through the stages is related to the factors associated with each particular behavior. Therefore, identification and measurement of the effective factors in moving through the stages, including motivation for change, self-confidence, self-efficacy, and social support, can also be beneficial in designing more influential interventions ( 37 ).

In conclusion, the low levels of students’ knowledge about media literacy and their distributions at precontemplation and contemplation stages at pre-test, showed the lack of any sufficient educational programs in Iranian schools. This study revealed the adolescents' need for a theory-based Media Literacy education program.

Ethical aspects of the study

As there was no obligation to mention the name on the questionnaires, and students were assured that their responses will be confidential and also the data were analyzed collectively, therefore there was no need to fill the consent form.

Acknowledgment

This manuscript was extracted from the thesis of the first author (grant No. 6354).The authors therefore thank the vice-chancellery of research and technology at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran, for the financial support. We also acknowledge the sincere contribution of administrators, teachers, and specially students who participated in this study.

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Home / Essay Samples / Information Science and Technology / Digital Literacy / Navigating the World of Information: Media Literacy

Navigating the World of Information: Media Literacy

• Category: Information Science and Technology , Sociology
• Topic: Digital Literacy , Effects of Social Media , Modern Society

Pages: 2 (1063 words)

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