Before conducting research on the matter, I always believed that media literacy was simply a term used to describe how skillful a person was or wasn't in relation to technological media. I have now discovered that I was wrong.
Media literacy is much more than possessing the ability to work with computers and other various sources of technology. It was once defined as "the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create media in a variety of forms,"by the 1992 Aspen Media Literacy Leadership Institute. (Media Literacy: A Definition and More). However, even this definition has evolved and grown over time. So what exactly is media literacy?
I think that today's definition of media literacy would be something like "possessing the competency to work with various forms of media and, thus, having the ability to analyze and evaluate the messages that media provides for us everyday." A modified definition of media literacy would also include the ability to create media of our own and to be able to understand the effects that modern media has on our daily lives.
According to almost every single website I encountered, it is crucial that we learn to ask certain questions in order to become more media literate. I have found that the basic questions that apply to most every type of media are: "What audience is being targeted?", "Who is attempting to reach this audience?", and "What intention does the transmitter have? Why?".
Media literacy is a growing concept that will continue to evolve for years to come. It is a critical skill whose importance in society will never fade.
Interesting websites to check out regarding Media Literacy:
What Is Media Literacy?
Resources for Advancing Media Education
No comments:
Post a Comment