First, the
"why?"
In an age when most Americans get
most of their information from television not textbooks,
pictures not print, we need a wider definition of what it
means to be literate. Many of us grew up hearing the
proverbs and adages like these: You Can't Judge a Book By
Its Cover, A Picture is Worth a Thousand
Words.
These words are even truer today in an
age not only of computers and telecommunications but of
virtual reality and imageneering. Today's technologies
represent a startling fusion of sight and sound that
frequently make it difficult for us to discern illusion from
reality, fact from fiction. Special effects like those seen
in movies like "JFK" and "Forrest Gump" merge
the past with the present, color with black and white, the
dead with the living, fact with fiction in such a way that
the real truth can often be confused with the reel truth.
lt would be one thing if such
technologies were employed only in the entertainment media,
but increasingly these production values are evident in
broadcast news. A reporter in a TV studio is, for example,
magically transported by computer onto the White House lawn.
The mere location lends power, authority and therefore
credence to the reporter and the story. This form of set
decoration or window dressing is deceptive, especially when
it is utilized during a program which is meant to provide us
with factual information that we can rely upon.
While such techniques may render the
program more visually pleasing, they represent the emergence
of infotainment and the decline of objective, neutral and
reliable news. Given these trends, responsible citizens need
to possess the ability to question the accuracy and
authenticity of information in all its forms, not just
print. They need the ability to make reflective critical
responses to this information. But media literacy is about
more than just consuming information. A media
literate individual is able to produce, create
and successfully communicate information in all its
forms, not just print. A simple example of why these skills
are now necessary is evident in the emergence
of CD-ROM. This technology represents a fusion of two
previously discrete technologies, the computer and the video
camera. It also represents a fusion of two information
formats, print and picture.
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As we approach the end of the 20th
century Americans in the workplace as in their daily lives
will increasingly need the information and communication
skills necessary to live and work with multiple formats.
Rather than simply typing print from page to screen, they
will work with still and moving images, graphics and text.
The organization and arrangement of these elements on the
screen will require expertise in visual language and human
perception. It will require individuals skilled in the
design and display of information that is electronically
produced, stored and accessed.
A Definition
Media literacy, then, is an expanded
information and communication skill that is responsive to
the changing nature of information in our society. It
addresses the skills students need to be taught in school,
the competencies citizens must have as we consume
information in our homes and living rooms, and the abilities
workers must have as we move toward the 21st century and the
challenges of a global economy.
In North America, while a phrase or
word may change here or there, most media literacy
organizations and leaders accept this definition of media
literacy:
The Ability to
Access
Analyze
Evaluate
and
Communicate
information in a variety of format
including print and nonprint.
Like traditional literacy it includes
the ability to both read (comprehend) and write (create,
design, produce). Further, it moves from merely recognizing
and comprehending information to the higher order critical
thinking skills implicit in questioning, analyzing and
evaluating that information.
Return to Table of
Contents
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What is Media Literacy and why
do you need it?
